King Charles reveals his shock and sadness in statement following 'catastrophic' floods

King Charles has expressed his shock and sadness at the devastation triggered by catastrophic flooding in central Europe.

In a statement shared to social media, His Majesty penned: "My wife and I are profoundly shocked and saddened to see the destruction and devastation caused by the catastrophic flooding in central Europe.

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"Many people in the United Kingdom have strong, enduring and personal ties to the region and, together with them, my wife and I send our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to all those who have so tragically lost their loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods.

He continued: "We have immense admiration for the sheer courage and dedication of the emergency services across the region who have clearly worked relentlessly to provide desperately-needed support, relief and assistance to the countless people whose lives and properties have been dreadfully disrupted."

The monarch signed off his personal message with "Charles R".

Heavy rains prompted severe flooding across Central Europe earlier this month, affecting nations such as the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania.

Meanwhile, in northern Italy, thousands of residents were evacuated after the region of Emilia-Romagna was hit by torrential rains, causing rivers to flood in Ravenna, Bologna and Faenza.

According to reports, the death toll has so far reached 23, with seven each in Poland and Romania, five in Austria and four in the Czech Republic.

King Charles's emotive statement comes after he paid tribute to Prince Harry on his milestone 40th birthday.

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To mark the special occasion, the father-of-two opted to share a joyous image of the Duke flashing a broad grin whilst dressed in a dapper grey suit.

In the caption, Charles' social media team wrote: "Wishing the Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!"

The Prince and Princess of Wales followed suit by re-posting the image on their personal Instagram page alongside a similar message.

It was the first time the royal family had shared a public message for Harry since wishing him a happy birthday in 2021.

In birthday plans revealed to HELLO!, it's believed that Prince Harry celebrated his big day with a party for family and friends in Montecito where he lives with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.