Legendary Ghanaian highlife musician Charles Kwadwo Fosu, popularly known as Daddy Lumba, has earned a prestigious spot on the playlist of King Charles III, stirring excitement among music lovers.
A viral social media post on March 10, revealed that Daddy Lumba’s hit song Mpempem Do Me was ranked among the top three songs on the British monarch’s list.
The playlist featured Jamaican singer Grace Jones’ La Vie En Rose in the first position, followed by British singer Raye’s Love Me Again.
Daddy Lumba’s song claimed the third spot, surpassing Nigerian superstar Davido’s Kante, which came in fourth.
South African icon Miriam Makeba’s The Click Song secured the fifth position, while Jools Holland & Ruby Turner’s My Country Man rounded out the list at number six.
The revelation has sparked excitement among fans, with many celebrating yet another recognition of Daddy Lumba’s musical influence beyond Ghana’s borders.
His inclusion on such a distinguished playlist further cements his legacy as one of Africa’s greatest highlife musicians.
On November 7, 2024, the British High Commission in Accra hosted a youth-focused reception to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty King Charles III.
Around 500 attendees—including Ghana’s President, H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, senior government ministers, diplomats, MPs, business leaders, diaspora members, and civil society representatives—gathered at the High Commissioner’s Residence to toast the King and celebrate the strong UK-Ghana relationship.
The annual King’s Birthday Party, themed around youth this year, highlighted King Charles III’s dedication as Head of the Commonwealth to supporting young people and promoting youth development.
Young chefs from the Ghana Food Movement collaborated with the residence staff to create a British-Ghanaian fusion menu, featuring unique dishes like Scotch Ne Mako and Plantain Mess, alongside classic fish and chips.
Guests experienced British hospitality at the pop-up Accra Arms pub, serving traditional favourites like gin and tonic and Pimm’s.
Youth innovation took centre stage, with High Commission staff modelling sustainable fashion by young Ghanaian designers. Entertainment included a dance showcase by DWP Academy, a live performance by the band Fra, and recognition of Earthshot Prize winners, Green Africa Youth Organisation, who had recently been honoured in Cape Town.
High Commissioner Harriet Thompson and Ghana’s National Security Minister both delivered speeches celebrating the enduring UK-Ghana partnership.
British High Commissioner to Ghana Harriet Thompson said at the event: “The UK cares deeply about Ghana’s success because of the strong bonds and democratic values we share.
“We know that the economy and security of both our countries is enhanced by working closely together.
“And we know a strong and enduring bilateral partnership—that learns from the past and looks to the future—will improve the lives of people in both our countries.”
Ghana’s National Security Minister Albert Kan Dapaah also said, “Last month, at the Commonwealth Summit in Samoa, our Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, was elected as the new Secretary General. This achievement reflects the international community’s trust in Ghana. We sincerely thank the King, the UK government, and all Commonwealth members for their support.”
He further indicated, “I am delighted to highlight the extensive economic cooperation and diverse partnerships between the UK and Ghana, as demonstrated during the 9th UK-Ghana Business Council Meeting in Accra. The UK has committed millions of pounds to various initiatives, including a £40 million pledge to support up to 150 Ghanaian SMEs and a £3.9 million UK Gold programme aimed at combating illegal gold trade.
“Additionally, the launch of the UK-Ghana Science, Tech and Innovation Strategy will enhance health security, foster new investment opportunities, and fortify our collaboration in global life science priorities. These investments underscore the mutual benefits and enduring strength of the UK-Ghana relationship.”.
More than 60 percent of the Commonwealth’s 2.7 billion people are under the age of 30. The Commonwealth has designated 2024 its Year of Youth and empowering young people was among the objectives of last month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in Samoa.
Although new banknotes with King Charles III’s pictureon them are currently in circulation, it might take some time before they are commonly found in wallets and purses.
When demand rises, fresh Bank of England notes will be printed to gradually replace any damaged ones. Queen Elizabeth II debuted on these notes in 1960, making the King the second monarch to do so.
Customers may still use the current £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes featuring the late Queen’s portrait.
Current polymer Bank of England banknotes still have the same image on the back, which has Sir Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner, and Alan Turing in increasing order.
Other images can be seen on notes produced in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The first banknotes were printed months ago, ready for the start date
Due to the lengthy lead-in time, automatic currency acceptor equipment was able to be updated to detect the new designs when the first new banknotes were manufactured last year. The image used to create the King’s portrait was shot in 2013.
The BBC was granted unique access to the extremely secure location where the notes were created in April of last year.
Following the custom of the monarch receiving the first issuance of new banknotes, the King received a whole set with the lowest serial numbers a year later.
Banknotes that closely resemble the 00001 serial number are sought after by collectors.
The first of the new notes were presented to the King by the Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey and chief cashier Sarah John
Now, fifty of them have banking hubs, which are shared locations frequently managed by the Post Office and offer cash withdrawal and deposit services to customers of all banks.
Community staff from several banks also make weekly visits to these hubs.
One of the most peculiar is located in Cornwall’s port town of Looe, a county with close ties to King Charles.
The king will attend his first public event since February 6, when Buckingham Palace said he would take a break from public duties to focus on his treatment for an undisclosed cancer.
Charles will be making several public appearances in the coming weeks. This is because he is getting ready to host a visit from the emperor and empress of Japan in June.
It is not known how many of the usual royal events happening in the summer, like the king’s birthday parade and horse racing at Royal Ascot, Charles will go to while he is getting treatment. Last week, the palace said that the doctors were happy with the king’s progress. His schedule will be changed if necessary to help him recover.
Currently, appearing on Tuesday gives Charles another chance to tell people about the importance of finding and treating cancer and other health issues early. He has been doing this throughout his illness.
Unlike other kings and queens before him, Charles decided to tell people about his health when he first got treatment for a problem with his prostate, and later when he found out he had cancer. The decision made more people know about these issues.
This will be the first big event for Charles since he found out he had cancer in February. Officials announced on Tuesday that Charles and Camilla will be joined by other royal family members at the Easter Sunday service at St. George’s Chapel. = A chapel that belongs to George.
The king’s youngest son was seen getting out of a car at Clarence House, which is near Buckingham Palace. He had just flown in from Los Angeles.
The two don’t get along well. Harry stopped working for the royal family in 2020 and went to live in California with his wife, Meghan. The king, who is 75 years old, has cancer. He is getting treatment for it. Royal officials said this on Monday.
Buckingham Palace said on Monday evening that the King has started going to the hospital for treatment for a type of cancer that has not been told to the public. It was discovered while he was in the hospital for his enlarged prostate, but it’s not prostate cancer, the palace said.
“Good news, we found this problem early,” Sunak said on BBC radio. He also said that if he becomes prime minister, he will keep talking to him like usual.
“Many families across the country have experienced the same thing and they understand how important it is to everyone,” Sunak said. “We will support him and hope that he gets better as soon as possible. ”
Less than a year and a half since becoming king, the 75-year-old monarch has stopped appearing in public, but will keep doing his official duties, like meeting with the prime minister. He will not give up his role as head of the country.
Charles became the new king in September 2022, after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away at the age of 96. She had been the queen for 70 years.
The king is sick and his daughter-in-law Kate, who is a princess, had surgery on her stomach and had to stay in the hospital for two weeks.
Kate is resting and taking a break from her royal work while she gets better. Her husband, Prince William, will be taking care of her and their three children. He is also going to attend a ceremony at Windsor Castle and a charity dinner on Wednesday because he is next in line to be king.
Charles did something different from what is usually done by royal people by talking openly about his prostate condition. For many years, the Royal Family kept quiet about their health.
Sharing a limited amount of information about his cancer diagnosis is also different from what is usually done.
The United Kingdom Monarchs had a lot of control, and they kept their illnesses a secret so people wouldn’t think they were not strong leaders. The royals kept being secretive even after they became more like symbols than rulers.
The British people didn’t know that Charles’ grandfather, King George VI, had lung cancer before he died in February 1952 at 56 years old. Some historians say that the king didn’t know he was very sick.
In the last years of Elizabeth’s life, the public was only told that the queen was having trouble moving around when she started to miss public events at the end of her life. The reason she died was because she was very old.
Public figures often struggle with deciding when and how much to talk about their illness. It’s a hard topic for them. The United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin didn’t tell President Joe Biden or other important people that he had prostate cancer and was in intensive care in January for complications after surgery.
Buckingham Palace said that the king has decided to tell people about his illness to stop them from wondering and in the hope that it might help others who are also affected by cancer.
Charles became king and wanted to have fewer senior royals doing ceremonial events for the country. However, with Charles and Kate both unable to work for a while, Prince Harry moved to California and Prince Andrew kept out of the public eye due to his connection to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the royal family faces the risk of having too much to handle.
William and Charles’ wife, Queen Camilla, will have to do more public events while the king is getting treated.
Currently, there are no plans for senior royals like the queen and the heir to the throne to take over the monarch’s duties, like signing laws and meeting with ambassadors.
King Charles III has been diagnosed with a form of cancer, according to Buckingham Palace.
The diagnosis was not related to prostate cancer but was discovered during his recent treatment for an enlarged prostate.
Although the type of cancer has not been disclosed, the palace stated that the King commenced “regular treatments” on Monday and remains optimistic about his treatment. As a result, he will postpone public engagements, with senior royals expected to stand in for him.
The palace revealed that the King, 75, began “regular treatments” on Monday for the diagnosed cancer, expressing his positive outlook on the treatment.
While he will temporarily halt public events, the King will continue with his constitutional role as the head of state, managing paperwork and private meetings.
There is an established constitutional mechanism for situations where the head of state is unable to fulfill official duties, allowing “counsellors of state” to be appointed.
Currently, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward fulfill this role, with Prince Harry and Prince Andrew no longer serving as non-working royals.
The type and stage of cancer, as well as any prognosis, have not been disclosed. The King personally informed both of his sons about the diagnosis, with Prince William staying in regular contact with his father.
Prince Harry, residing in the United States, also spoke to his father and is expected to travel to the UK in the coming days to visit him. Despite the diagnosis, the King’s constitutional responsibilities will be maintained.
The King had undergone a prostate procedure at a private London hospital more than a week ago, making the details public to encourage more men to undergo prostate checks.
He expressed satisfaction at raising awareness about prostate health, leading to increased inquiries on the NHS website.
The King was seen waving to crowds at a church service in Sandringham on Sunday. Buckingham Palace stated that he returned to London from Sandringham on Monday morning and commenced outpatient treatment.
As the King undergoes treatment, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, and Commons Speaker Sir Lyndsay Hoyle have all wished him a “full and speedy recovery.” Prince William, who had temporarily withdrawn from public engagements to support his wife Catherine’s recovery from abdominal surgery, is set to return to public duties later this week. The constitutional arrangements will ensure the continuity of the monarchy’s functions during this period.
King Charles III sought medical treatment for his enlarged prostate at a private hospital in London. The palace stated that the treatment had been scheduled in advance.
The 75-year-old king will get treatment at the London Clinic. His daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, is also at the clinic getting better after surgery on her stomach. The king went to see Kate at the hospital when he got there.
“The King went to a hospital in London this morning for treatment that was planned in advance,” the palace said. The King wants to say thank you to everyone who sent their kind messages last week.
Charles, who became king 16 months ago, found out he has a non-cancerous condition in January. 17 after he had symptoms that he did not tell anyone about. He canceled his plans and was encouraged to take a break before the surgery.
The king decided to tell people about his surgery beforehand to encourage men to get their prostates checked, as advised by public health experts.
The prostate is a small gland that wraps around the tube that carries urine out of the body. When the prostate gets bigger, it can squeeze the tube you pee through and make it harder to go to the bathroom.
The UK’s National Health Service advises men to go to the doctor if they have any issues or differences in their usual urination. Surgery is only advised when a patient has strong symptoms that can’t be fixed with medicine.
Benign prostate enlargement is a common issue in men over 50, and it is usually not a serious health risk, according to the NHS.
Men with enlarged prostates are not at a higher risk for prostate cancer than men without enlarged prostates.
The king’s treatment news came with a lot of other news about royal health in the last 10 days.
The office of the Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace said on January. The princess had an operation on her stomach for a secret health problem. The palace didn’t give more information but said she doesn’t have cancer.
The princess is 42 years old and was known as Kate Middleton before she married Prince William, who will be the next king. She has been in the hospital for 11 days and will be there for about two more weeks, according to the palace.
Even though Kate is usually healthy and active, she had to go to the hospital because she was very sick in the mornings when she was pregnant.
Shortly after Kate went to the hospital, the Duchess of York found out she has a serious skin cancer while she was being treated for breast cancer. The melanoma was discovered after some moles were taken off during surgery to fix her breast.
The duchess is 64 years old and used to be married to Prince Andrew. She is also the mother of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. In the past, the newspapers in Britain liked to write about her a lot. Sarah Ferguson, also known as “Fergie,” wrote books for kids and a romance book for grown-ups.
It’s not common for members of the royal family to share their health problems, but they announced Charles and Kate’s conditions to stop people from guessing why they might have to cancel events.
In recent years, there have been many news stories about the health of the older members of the royal family in Britain.
Rumors about Queen Elizabeth II’s health grew as she had trouble getting around and didn’t show up in public as much during the last months of her long reign. After that, the attention turned to Charles, who became the king when most people his age were already retired.
King Charles III of the United Kingdom has articulated his intention to utilize his country’s colonial history in Kenya as a source of valuable lessons that could enhance bilateral ties.
This move underscores how the historical context has played a significant role in shaping the relationship between the two nations.
During a speech at a state banquet held in Nairobi in his and Queen Camilla’s honor, the British monarch refrained from issuing the apology demanded by activists and relatives of those who suffered injuries or fatalities during the colonial era.
Nevertheless, he emphasized the importance of that historical period in guiding the future relationship between Kenya and the United Kingdom, expressing regret for some of the harsh incidents involving colonial governors.
While contemporary Kenya-UK relations largely revolve around trade, investments, and security cooperation, King Charles acknowledged that learning from past mistakes can serve as a means to prevent future errors in forging “a partnership of equals.”
“The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret. There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged…a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty – and for that, there can be no excuse.
“In coming back to Kenya, it matters greatly to me that I should deepen my own understanding of these wrongs, and that I meet some of those whose lives and communities were so grievously affected.”
King Charles III, accompanied by his wife Queen Camilla, is currently on a state visit to Kenya. In the lead-up to the trip, he faced mounting pressure to issue an apology for the pre-independence actions of the British colonial government in suppressing Kenyan freedom fighters, which included instances of torture and killings. Additionally, there was pressure for him to acknowledge and commit to delivering justice to victims of misconduct by British soldiers still stationed in Kenya as part of a bilateral agreement.
For instance, the Kenya Human Rights Commission had released an open letter on October 29, urging the King to “acknowledge its historical responsibilities and collaborate with Kenya” in addressing the calls for justice.
However, during a dinner on Tuesday evening, King Charles adhered to London’s established position: expressing regret but not offering an apology.
His host President William Ruto said the monarch had demonstrated “exemplary courage” even though he said a lot remains to be done to atone for the brutal era “in order to achieve full reparations.”
Ruto said Kenya and the UK should not deny their checkered history but should not also be enslaved by it.
“Neither can we go far into the future if we turn our backs on historical actions and omissions whose legacies encumber our present,” Ruto said.
“I am optimistic that through the Kenya-UK partnership, we shall keep up our endeavour to inspire the change we hope for by making people and their well-being the fundamental consideration in our pursuit of trade and investment, defence and security, conservation and climate action, research, development and innovation as well as our work of designing a future that works for present generations and distant posterity.”
Previously, in 2013, Britain expressed regret and provided approximately $24.3 million in compensation to a group of Mau Mau veterans who had endured brutality during the colonial Emergency period from 1952 to 1960.
During his visit to Nairobi, King Charles emphasized that no amount of regret could alter the past. He stated, “But by addressing our history with honesty and openness, we can perhaps demonstrate the strength of our friendship today. And, in doing so, I hope we can continue to forge an ever-closer bond for the years to come.”
Both parties have expressed their desire to move beyond historical dependencies and explore opportunities that benefit both sides.
The monarch described the relationship as a “modern partnership of equals, confronting today’s challenges and exploring the many opportunities that we can jointly seize.” These challenges encompass issues like climate change and security.
He also mentioned specific examples of cooperation, such as using the King’s Cross regeneration as a model for the development of Nairobi Railway City or learning from Kenya’s successful implementation of the Blue Economy for the benefit of local communities. King Charles expressed gratitude to those involved in the ongoing efforts to realize their shared aspirations.
Earlier, King Charles and Queen Camilla visited Uhuru Gardens, where Kenya’s new museum of history was inaugurated. They had the opportunity to view statues of freedom fighters Dedan Kimathi and Mekatilili wa Menza.
On Wednesday, they are scheduled to tour Karura Forest, an emblem of the environmental activism led by Kenya’s late hero, Wangari Maathai, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission, a group that is not part of the government, is asking King Charles III to say sorry for the wrong things done by Britain when they ruled Kenya.
The king is going to Kenya for four days, starting on Tuesday, to try and understand the hardships people faced there.
Over 10,000 people were killed by British authorities during the 1950s when they stopped a group that wanted independence. About 1,000 individuals were hung after quick trials.
The rights group said they want the king to apologize in a clear and definite way.
Ten years ago, the British government officially accepted that torture had happened when the colonial administrators were in charge.
The organization said sorry and promised to give money to many veterans of the rebellion.
Some tribes in Kenya, such as the Nandi, Kipsigis, and Pokot, are asking the UK government to say sorry and give them money for the wrong things done to them during colonial times.
Some communities want the UK to give back their old objects and lands that were taken by the colonial government and are still owned by British groups.
King Charles is set to embark on a visit to France in September, following the cancellation of a previously planned trip in March due to protests against pension reforms.
The initial three-day visit would have marked Charles’s first official overseas state visit since assuming the throne after the passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
However, the visit was postponed due to social unrest sparked by French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed pension reforms.
The Élysée Palace expressed that King Charles’s forthcoming visit is regarded as an “honour”.
“It will bear witness to the depth of the historical ties that unite our two countries and our two peoples, and will contribute to honouring French excellence and know-how,” a statement said.
The King, accompanied by Queen Camilla, had originally planned a tour of Paris and Bordeaux, marking the initial leg of their journey, which would also include Germany.
The March visit had been slated to coincide closely with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s participation in a summit held in Paris.
However, the uproar in France was triggered by President Macron’s utilization of executive authority to push forward his proposed retirement age increase without a parliamentary vote.
This led to widespread protests across France, with tens of thousands of demonstrators converging on Place de la Concorde in Paris. The protests extended to other major cities like Marseille, Nantes, Amiens, and Dijon, prompting police to employ tear gas.
As a result of the ongoing unrest, the royal trip was postponed. Instead, King Charles and Queen Camilla headed directly to Germany. During this visit, King Charles achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first UK monarch to address the German Bundestag while it was in session. The royal couple also paid visits to a Hamburg church that had been destroyed during World War II and the Kindertransport Memorial, a sculpture commemorating the 1938 rescue and evacuation of approximately 10,000 Jewish children to Britain.
The rescheduled visit to France is now scheduled to take place from September 20 to 22.
Since becoming king, King Charles III has participated in one Trooping the Colour.
In recognition of their grandfather’s formal birthday, Princess Charlotte, Princes Louis and George, and other royals gathered on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch a flypast.
Aircraft were utilised to spell out the King’s initials, CR, as a surprise tribute.
At Horse Guard’s Parade and the Mall in London, a large crowd observed the event.
The royals watched an extended military flypast after the display on coronation day had to be scaled down due to bad weather.
Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force took part – including aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight, modern Typhoon fighter jets with a red, white and blue finale from the Red Arrows.
A sea of mobile phones were spotted among the crowds, with many holding them up in the air to capture the moment.
The Trooping the Colour is part of the annual calendar of big royal events and for the first time, it was with King Charles in the leading role.
There may have been a moment of poignancy for the King too. Just a year ago, at the Platinum Jubilee, it had been his mother on the same balcony, appearing before the crowds.
The King took has part in his first Trooping the Colour as monarch on horseback.
The King’s horse appeared to be a little skittish at the start, but calmed down as the event went on.
It is the first time a monarch has ridden on horseback at the event in 30 years, when the late Queen rode her horse, Burmese, in 1986.
He was joined by the other royal Colonels on horseback – the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal.
The Duke of Edinburgh also rode during the ceremony in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards.
The ceremony started at Buckingham Palace, with the King and senior royals travelling down The Mall towards Horse Guards Parade.
The colour – or regimental flag – was then trooped in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.
There was music and marching while the King carried out an inspection of the soldiers – moving slowly along the line as they stand in formation.
After he coursed through the Mall, the King received the royal salute as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Household Division’s regiments.
The senior royals on horseback were joined by the Queen, the Princess of Wales and her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, who travelled in a carriage to support their grandfather.
Image caption, Thousands gathered to watch King Charles at the birthday paradeImage caption, The Princess of Wales wore emerald greenImage caption, Prince George of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales rode along in the carriageImage caption, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Timothy Laurence during Trooping the ColourImage caption, Prince William rode on horsebackImage caption, A soldier troops the colour
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was spotted in the crowd, as well as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, along with prime ministers of Commonwealth states and realms.
One royal fan said they were “so happy” to be at Trooping the Colour after missing out on the King’s Coronation.
They said: “We’re so happy about coming today. We’ve been bringing our kids to see all of the pomp and ceremony for years.
“We’ve been exchanging photos, and we’ve got plans for birthday cocktails later.”
Before the ceremony began, the Prince of Wales paid tribute to those took part in last week’s rehearsal in soaring temperatures, which reached 30°C (86F) in London.
Image caption, An aerial view of the parade captured the scale of the eventImage caption, Leader of the opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, is spotted in the crowdImage caption, Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales ride along in a carriageImage caption, Rishi Sunak was also in attendanceImage caption, A view of the crowd at the event
The last time a monarch was on horseback was when chart toppers included Wham! and Doctor and the Medics.
Following the parade, troops fired a 41-gun salute in Green Park to mark the King’s official birthday – while from the Tower of London the Honourable Artillery Company fired 62 volleys.
The princess is the niece of King Charles III and the 11th in line to the British throne. She is the child of Prince Andrew, the monarch’s younger brother, and Sarah Ferguson, his former spouse.
Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank, the couple’s second child, was born on May 30th, Princess Eugenie revealed on Monday.
“Jack and I wanted to share the news that we had our little boy, Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank on 30th May 2023 at 8.49 weighing 7.1lbs,” she wrote in the Instagram post.
“He is named after his great great great Grandfather George, his Grandpa George and my Grandpa Ronald,” it continues.
The couple have another boy, August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, born in February 2021.
“Augie is loving being a big brother already,” said Eugenie in Monday’s post.
The princess married Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle in October 2018, a few months after Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex tied the knot there.
Eugenie was born on March 23, 1990. The princess’ parents announced their separation when she was two and divorced in 1996, sharing joint custody of Eugenie and her older sister Beatrice.
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has announced that an agreement has been reached with King Charles III to reclaim lands in Ghana that have been destroyed by the activities of illegal miners.
According to the Asantehene, a conversation on Ghana’s destroyed lands surfaced while in a meeting with King Charles III whose coronation he had attended.
He noted that since the British monarch’s objectives includes preserving the forest reserves and the environment, he quickly jumped on board.
“As you know, a couple of days ago I returned from London, where I attended the coronation of King Charles III whose number one legacy, perhaps is his commitment to afforestation , reforestation and the fight against climate change.
Interestingly, my discussions with him were on land reclamation in Ghana and we had some private discussions that he has accepted to collaborate with me for us to do that,” he said.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II made this revelation known while speaking at the launch of the Green Ghana Day held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi on May 17.
Technical teams on environment in the United Kingdom and Ghana are expected to hold a series of meetings on the matter, the Asantehene said.
This would see to the formulation of policies on ways to reclaim the lands.
Before the government’s agenda to plant trees in a bid to restore Ghana’s endangered lands and forest reserves, the Asantehene has committed to planting trees within the Ashanti region.
He reiterated his efforts to ensuring Ghana’s vegetation is protected at the launch. He called some initiatives done in the past.
According to him, 2.5 million trees were planted on a 4,000 hectare land in 2019 towards the protection of the Lake Bosomtwe.
Reiterating his commitment to tree planting and knowing the importance of trees, the overlord of Asante kingdom indicated that he has a teak plantation of about 640 acres in Kumawu.
“I am collaborating with the Forestry Commission to plant more trees in various compartments I have in the region,” he said.
The Ashanti region, despite planting over 7 million trees – highest of all regions – since the inception of the Green Ghana Day – is heavily riddled with illegal small-scale mining.
The Nkawie Forestry district in the Ashanti region is reported to have planted the highest number of seedlings on the 2022 edition of Green Ghana Day.
On his part, Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey indicated that 81% and 72% of trees planted in 2021 and 2022 respectively survived.
He says more local trees were planted during the last edition.
“One unique feature of the 2022 edition of Green Ghana was that 35% of the seedlings were planted in Ghana’s forest reserves. A deliberate effort was made to plant more indigenous species. This help increase the percentage of economic timber species planted over the two years to 75%,” he said.
Tens of thousands of well-wishers flocked in central London despite the rain to watch the crowning of Britain’s King Charles III, a once-in-a-generation royal event that was witnessed by hundreds of prominent guests inside Westminster Abbey.
The coronation on Saturday was the official crowning of the monarch, although Charles already held the title following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September of last year.
The service was a deeply spiritual occasion, fitting given that Charles is not only the head of state for the United Kingdom and 14 other nations, but he also serves as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
In the most significant moment of the day, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the 360-year-old St. Edward’s Crown on Charles’ head. The spiritual leader of the Anglican Church then declared: “God Save the King.”
The intricateservice lasted just over two hours – about an hour shorter than Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 – and followed a traditional template that has stayed much the same for more than 1,000 years.
However, it has been modernized in certain key ways. The archbishop acknowledged the multiple faiths observed in the UK during the ceremony, saying the Church of England “will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths may live freely.”
The King took the Coronation Oath and became the first monarch to pray aloud at his coronation. In his prayer he asked to “be a blessing” to people “of every faith and conviction.”
In what is considered the most sacred part of the ceremony, the King was anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury. He was also presented with the coronation regalia, including the royal Robe and Stole, in what is known as the investiture part of the service.
Then, for the first time in coronation history, the archbishop invited the British public, as well as those from “other Realms,” to recite a pledge of allegiance to the newly crowned monarch and his “heirs and successors.”
Ahead of the event, some parts of the British media and public interpreted the invitation as a command, reporting that people had been “asked” and “called” to swear allegiance to the King. In the face of such criticism, the Church of England revised the text of the liturgy so that members of the public would be given a choice between saying simply “God save King Charles” or reciting the full pledge of allegiance.
The ceremony also included a reading from the Bible by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and, in another coronation first, gospel music.
Once the King was crowned, his wife, Queen Camilla, was crowned in her own, shorter ceremony with Queen Mary’s Crown – marking the first time in recent history that a new crown wasn’t made specifically for this occasion.
Music played a central part in the proceedings, and five new compositions were commissioned for the main part of the service, including an anthem by Lloyd Webber, who is better known for West End musicals.
Charles and Camilla arrived at Westminster Abbey in a splendid coach drawn by six horses, accompanied by the Household Cavalry.
After the ceremony, the newly crowned King and Queen rode back to Buckingham Palace in a much larger parade, featuring 4,000 members of the armed forces, 250 horses and 19 military bands.
The pomp and pageantry concluded with a royal salute and the customary balcony appearance by the King and family members.They and the crowds below watched a flypast of military aircraft, slimmed down because of the poor weather.
Some royal fans spent several days camping along the 1.3-mile (2km) route from Buckingham Palace, the British monarchy’s official London residence, to Westminster Abbey, the nation’s coronation church since 1066, in order to secure the best vantage point.
By early Saturday, the London Metropolitan Police Service announced that all viewing areas along the procession route were full and closed off to new arrivals.
The congregation, while including some 2,300 people, was much smaller than it was in 1953 when temporary structures had to be erected within the abbey to accommodate the more than 8,000 people on the guest list.
The doors to the abbey opened just before 8 a.m. local time and quickly started to fill up. Many of the guests, including top British officials, faith leaders and international representatives, were expected to take their seats more than an hour before the ceremony started – reflecting the huge logistical challenges presented by an event attended by hundreds of VIPs.
The guest list was a Who’s Who of British public life and politics: All Sunak’s living predecessors as prime minister were there: Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, UK opposition leader Keir Starmer and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt were also in attendance.
Approximately 100 of heads of states from around the world and dozens of members of foreign royal families traveled to London for the occasion.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel all attended the service, as did French President Emmanuel Macron.
US President Joe Biden did not travel to London. Instead US first lady Jill Biden led the American delegation, sitting next to Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska.
Plenty of celebrities also made an appearance, including singers Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, musician Nick Cave, actresses Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, Joanna Lumley and Judi Dench, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and broadcaster Stephen Fry.
Last to arrive, just before the King and Queen, were the most senior members of King Charles’ family, his siblings and children, including Prince Harry who traveled to the UK from the US without his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and their two young children. Saturday is also Prince Archie’s 4th birthday.
Following the ceremony, Prince Harry did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony with his father and selected members of the family. CNN understands that the prince, who is no longer a working royal, did not receive an invitation to join the family for this moment.
The King’s younger brother Prince Andrew was also missing from the traditional balcony appearance. Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019 over his ties to disgraced financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. In January 2022, Andrew was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages after a judge ruled a sexual abuse civil lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Giuffre could proceed. The prince repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and the case was later settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Despite the splendor of the occasion, it has not been without controversy. Some have objected to millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money being spent on a lavish ceremony at a time when millions of Britons are suffering a severe cost-of-living crisis.
Security is by far the most costly element of large events and the Met said ahead of time that Saturday would be the largest one-day policing operation in decades, with more than 11,500 officers on duty in London.
The coronation has also attracted anti-monarchy demonstrations, with a small number of protesters arrested in central London on Saturday morning before the event began.
Republic, a campaign group that calls for the abolition of the monarchy, said the idea of the “homage of the people” was “offensive, tone deaf and a gesture that holds the people in contempt.”
Some eyebrows were also raised earlier this week when a controversial and widely criticized UK public order bill came into force.
Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, there have been a number of instances of anti-monarchists turning up at royal engagements to voice their grievances against the institution.
The new rules, signed into law by the King on Tuesday, just days before the coronation, empower the police to take stronger action against peaceful protesters.
Republic said it was expecting between 1,500 and 2,000 people to join an anti-monarchy protest at Trafalgar Square, just south of the royal procession route. On Saturday morning, Republic said on Twitter that organizers of the protest had been arrested shortly after the demonstration started – including the group’s leader, Graham Smith.
The Metropolitan Police tweeted: “Earlier today we arrested four people in the area of St Martin’s Lane. They were held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance.”
A further three people were arrested “on suspicion of possessing articles to cause criminal damage,” the force added. And “a number of arrests” have been made of people suspected of breaching the peace.
Despite the pomp of Saturday’s events, the King is facing significant challenges. A CNN poll has found that Britons are more likely to say their views of the monarchy have worsened than improved over the past decade.
The results of the survey, conducted for CNN by the polling company Savanta in March, show Charles’ heir Prince William is viewed with greater affection than his father.
Despite their cooler attitude towards the King, most Britons say they plan to take part in at least one event related to the coronation this weekend, the poll found, with many communities planning street parties and lunches.
Artists Perry, Richie and Take That will headline the “Coronation Concert” at Windsor Castle on Sunday evening and people have also been encouraged to use Monday, the final day of the long weekend, to volunteer in their communities.
Ghana has shown its respect and admiration for Britain‘s new monarch, King Charles III, by presenting him with a special gift from one of its talented artists.
Anthony Jefferson Hanson, also known as Ashenso, has created a stunning portrait of the King in his royal robes, framed in gold.
The painting was handed over to Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who attended the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6, 2023, along with the Asante King, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and his wife Lady Julia.
The painting will be delivered to Buckingham Palace through the Ghana High Commission as a gift from Ghana to the King.
Ashenso, whose work has been recognised both in Ghana and abroad, has also painted many Ghanaian heads of state and other prominent figures.
He wrote in an instagram post:
“Always an honor… Presentation of The King Charles III painting to the President, my President His Excellency @nakufoaddo the President of Ghana. The painting will be delivered to the Buckingham Palace through the Ghana High commission as a gift from Ghana to the King of The United Kingdom His Royal Highness King Charles III.”
King Charles III was crowned on Saturday in a magnificent and deeply religious ceremony that was attended by dignitaries from around the world. He succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September 2022 at the age of 96. She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history. His wife, Camilla, was also crowned as Queen Camilla during the same ceremony.
The reason behind why the Asanteman’s flag was featured on King Charles III’s coronation flyer has been explained by an historian.
Professor Sarfo Kantanka in an interview with the media explained that the Asantehene was invited in his capacity as leader of Asanteman and not as a representative of the Ghana government.
He explained that officially, Ghana was represented by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo “while the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was invited as the King of the Asante Kingdom, making it impossible to use the Ghana flag to represent the kingdom,” an Opemsuo Radio report noted.
Social media chatter ensued over the weekend when an unofficial coronation flyer posted on Twitter showed the Otumfuo and his wife Lady Julia as part of royals invited to the event at Westminster Abbey.
Whiles all the other monarchs have respective flags of their countries under their portraits, Otumfuo and Lady Julia had the Asanteman flag under their photos.
So, what was the disagreement about?
At the heart of the back and forth that has since ensued is why the Ghana flag was not used with those demanding so, insisting that Asanteman is within Ghana and the Otumfuo is Ghanaian.
Those against the move are of the view that the Asantehene was invited in his capacity as leader of the Ashanti Kingdom which has strong relations with the British monarchy.
What you need to know: The Asanteman flag
The Asantes (Asante Region/Asante Kingdom) are the only people in Ghana with an official national flag, a symbol of authority which they call the Asanteman Flag.
The flag of the Ashanti Region was adopted by the Ashanti kingdom’s Emperor Asantehene Prempeh II in 1935.
It is based on the Ashanti absolute monarchy throne, the Golden Stool, which has been Ashanti’s symbol of unity and soul since 1701, the early-eighteenth century AD, upon the foundation of the Ashanti Empire.
Yellow, black, and green are the colours that signify the Ashanti flag.
All the elements in the Flag have a meaning, and they have been explained below:
1. The yellow part of the flag represents the riches/wealth of Asanteman.
2. The Black part of the flag represents the symbolic image of the Blackman concerning the Asante Nation and the courage of the Asante Nation in facing the challenges of warfare.
3. The Green colour, represents the refreshingly greener vegetation cover in the forest areas of Asanteman.
4. The symbol in the Black at the centre of the flag is called “Gyemirekutu KYƐ” (Hat) which is made up of animal parts coated with gold-coloured paintings: Elephant Tail, Ɔwam ti (Hornbill Head), The Skin Covering the Elephant Kneebone, The Feathers of the Hornbill, Adwera (PortulacaOleracea Leafs).
Also, the flag is beautifully positioned on the hood emblem on the bonnet of the 80-year-old Rolls Royce of the Asantehene.
It is known information that Nigerian artiste, Tiwa Savage had the opportunity to perform at King Charles III’s coronation concert over the weekend.
But just before her entrance, something happened. The Master of Ceremony for the show, Hugh Bonneville, a renowned British actor, whilst introducing Tiwa Savage, named her as the Queen of Afrobeat.
He said “Next up tonight on the coronation concert stage is the Queen of Afrobeats, make some noise for the amazing Tiwa Savage”.
For many, this may not come as a surprise however it does not take away the fact that this becomes the most popular and prestigious globally recognized stage and platform where the title has been conferred on the singer.
Tiwa Savage performed Beyonce’s ‘Keys To The Kingdom’ track which features Mr Eazi and herself.
Sharing her excitement about the performance, she took to social media to say that “One day I will tell my son that this is “Tiwa Savage”.
At the coronation concert on Sunday, Prince William praised his “Pa,” King Charles III, adding, “We are all so proud of you,” evoking the memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
At the celebration held on the grounds of Windsor Castle, the Prince of Wales remarked, “I know she is up there fondly watching over us and she would be a very proud mother.” He continued by mentioning how his grandmother had described coronations as a “declaration of our hopes for the future.”
A day of street festivities and community luncheon celebrations of King Charles III in the UK came to an end with the coronation concert.
The concert line-up was certainly fit for a King, featuring global superstars, classical music maestros and an eclectic mix of celebrity faces, from Tom Cruise to “The Muppets’” very own Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
William kicked off his speech on a humorous note, making a promise to the crowd that, unlike singer Lionel Richie, who performed at the event, he wouldn’t “go on all night long” with his address.
Instead, William said he simply wanted to “say a few words about my father and why I believe this weekend is so important.”
He went on to pay a heartfelt tribute to the King, outlining his commitment to service over the years.
“For all that celebrations are magnificent, at the heart of the pageantry is a simple message: Service. My father’s first words on entering Westminster Abbey yesterday were a pledge of service,” Prince William remarked.
“It was a pledge to continue to serve. Because for over 50 years, in every corner of the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world, he [King Charles] has dedicated himself to serve others, both current and future generations, and those whose memory must not be neglected,” the prince continued.
William highlighted the King’s commitment to environmental causes, saying the King “warned us of the risks to our planet’s health long before it was an everyday issue.”
He also commended the King’s charitable contributions through his foundation, the Prince’s Trust, which William said “has supported over a million young people, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, to realize their ambitions.”
“Pa, we are all so proud of you,” the prince said, addressing the King directly.
Prince William wrapped up his brief speech by thanking the “millions of people who serve in the forces, in classrooms, hospital wards and local communities,” giving his own pledge to “serve [them] all.”
King Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday, and well-wishers packed the streets of the British capital.
After the service, the King and selected members of the royal family made the customary appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony, but a flypast of military aircraft was scaled back due to bad weather.
Police arrested dozens of people during the coronation, after controversially promising a “robust” approach to protesters.
Along with their parents, the newly crowned king’s grandchildren have left Westminster Abbey.
After today’s coronation ceremony, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, were seen boarding the Diamond Jubilee State Coach to join the parade.
Official coronation ceremonies for King Charles III and Queen Camilla took place in front of a historic audience that had never witnessed such a thing before.
As one of the pages of honour, Prince George—the future king—played a significant part in the coronation.
He formed part of the procession through the Abbey and helped hold Charles’s robes during the service.
This honour is usually given to teenage sons of members of the nobility and gentry or senior members of the royal household.
He’s actually the youngest future king to ever have an official role at a coronation.
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The grandchildren once again stole the show at the coronation with their adorable ceremonial outfits.
Prince George wore his page of honour scarlet tunic decorated with cold lace trim and blue velvet cuffs, with an open-fronted design, lined in silk, as he undertook a big role in the celebrations.
He also donned an ivory silk satin waistcoat trimmed in gold braid, with wool trousers and boots. The uniforms were originally made during the reign of Elizabeth II, and have been re-tailored for the coronation.
Princess Charlotte’s outfit mimicked the Princess of Wales, as she wore an Alexander McQueen dress with a cape in ivory silk crepe, with rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs. The emblems also featured on Kate’s dress.
Prince Louis wore a Hainsworth Garter Blue Doeskin Tunic with specially designed lace work embellishment to the collar, cuffs and fronts, made by bespoke Savile Row tailors Dege and Skinner.
He was seen holding his sister’s hand in a sweet moment in the abbey as they entered ready for the ceremony.
Known for his cheeky character, Prince Louis was seen throughout the service shifting and looking distracted, like any other five-year-old.
During the first half of the ceremony, he let out a big yawn, while also pointing out something of interest to his sister.
He yawned again shortly after the King was crowned, just after midday, before being whisked out for a short planned break.
The brother and sister sweetly clasped hands as they walked into Westminster Abbey (Picture: PA)
During the ceremony, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, gave a sentimental nod to tradition with her outfit of a white dress with a blue robe.
Charles has been described as a doting grandfather, with his eldest son Prince William calling him ‘brilliant’ with his three children.
He is known as ‘Grandpa Wales’ to the youngsters, and has said the births of his grandchildren reminded him of the ‘necessity of continued innovation’ of green technology.
Only three out of his five grandchildren attended the coronation, as Prince Harry’s children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – remain in California with their mum Meghan Markle.
Prince Harry attended the coronation alone and is expected to return to the US shortly after the end of the day’s events.
Prince Harry made a brief trip back to the UK after the coronation of his father, King Charles III, on Saturday in London.
Shortly after the coronation ritual ended, the Duke of Sussex boarded a commercial flight returning to California, where he lives with his wife and two children, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency.
According to PA Media, British Airways flight attendants confirmed Prince Harry was a passenger on a flight that touched down at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Saturday at about 7:30 p.m. local time (10:30 p.m. ET).
Harry’s appearance at his father’s big day was the first time he had been seen publicly with his family since the release of his explosive memoir “Spare.”
CNN understands that Prince Harry did not receive an invitation to join the family on the Buckingham Palace balcony following the Westminster Abbey service. The King and Queen waved to huge crowds outside the royal residence, joined by “working royals” and their children, among others.
The balcony moment, which featured a slimmed-down flypast by the Royal Air Force, has become a flagship part of royal occasions. Prince Andrew wasn’t present either.
Earlier Saturday, Prince Harry was among the first group of royals to enter Westminster Abbey, arriving alongside his uncles, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew, and two of his cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Harry, wearing a morning suit and medals, sat with Andrew in the third row of the service. Both are non-working royals and did not perform any duties during the ceremony.
He did not join members of his family to ride in an impressive procession back to the palace. Instead, he got into a car alone and departed the abbey shortly after the service had ended.
The King’s youngest son had reportedly returned to London on Friday. His wife, Meghan, stayed behind in the California with their children to celebrate Prince Archie’s fourth birthday.
There was widespread speculation in the build-up to Saturday’s celebrations over whether Harry would have a role in proceedings – and if his return might suggest the family has moved on from the rift that saw the Sussexes step back from their role as senior members of the royal family.
Harry launched a series of incendiary accusations against members of his family in “Spare,” in which he recalled a number of private confrontations between him and other senior royals and detailed his split from the family.
Among the most explosive claims in the autobiography, published January, was Harry’s allegation that his older brother, Prince William, knocked him onto the floor during an argument over Meghan.
CNN royal historian Kate Williams previously described Harry’s appearance at the coronation as a “flying visit.”
“[Prince Harry] is coming for this major event of his father’s coronation but it’s not going to be a family reunion. We’re not going to see lots of big family meet-ups. Certainly, there has been damage done,” she explained.
Williams added that Harry’s presence was a “show of unity” – but the extent of that unity remains to be seen.
Huge shouts erupted as the newly crowned King and Queen stood side by side on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where they were joined by other royal family members.
Millions of people around the world watched as King Charles III was crowned at his coronation earlier on Saturday at Westminster Abbey.
There were a lot of Royalists in Trafalgar Square, some of whom having waited in line for the queen for days.
King Charles and Queen Camilla watched on as a flypast from the Red Arrows painted the grey London skies red, white, and blue.
The flypast was scaled down at the last minute due to the weather, according to the Ministry of Defence, with just helicopters and the Red Arrows taking part.
The Duke of Edinburgh, the Earl of Wessex, Lady Louise Windsor, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, Princess Charlotte, the Princess of Wales, Prince Louis, the Prince of Wales, the King’s Pages of Honour including Prince George, Lord Oliver Cholmondley, Nicholas Barclay, Ralph Tollemache, King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the Queen’s Pages of Honour including Louis and Gus Lopes, Freddy Parker Bowles and Arthur Eliot, Lady in Attendance Annabel Eliot and Marchioness of Lansdowne, Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Duke of Kent, the Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Gloucester on the balcony at Buckingham Palace (Picture: PA)Britain’s Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Anne, Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Britain’s Prince William, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and their children Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince George and Britain’s King Charles’ were all on the balcony(Picture: REUTERS)The Princess of Wales smiled as her son Louis looked amazed by the flypast (Picture: REUTERS)The Red Arrows put on a spectacular show as they brought a splash of Royal colour to the skies above a wet London (Picture: Getty)Dressed in lavish robes with golden silk and velvet the King and Queen gave a wave and a smile to those below them on the balcony at the Palace (Picture: Getty)The King was enjoying a wave to the thousands of people who braved the wet weather (Picture: AFP)
Initially, more than 60 different aircraft including vintage bombers were scheduled to be involved in the flyover.
The King and Queen were led back to the Palace in the Gold State Coach, followed by a procession of 4,000 troops from the army, navy and RAF.
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The Royal couple looked on as helicopters and members of the Red Arrows took to the skies for the impressive flypast.
It was initially meant to last for six minutes, but instead only took place for two and a half minutes.
The King and Queen waved after receiving huge cheers from the crowds down below them at Buckingham Palace (Picture: Sky)The Prince of Wales and The Princess of Wales had their hands full on the balcony as they had to look after their three children (Picture: Sky)
In keeping with King Charles’ wish for a ‘slimmed down’ event, it will be ten times smaller than the flypast for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
Queen Victoria was the first recorded monarch to step out onto the balcony in 1851 when she stepped out for celebrations for the opening of the Great Exhibition.
The planes will head over Essex to London and will also take in parts of Surrey, plus Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire as they disperse.
Each area is zoned and these are the approximate time periods to keep a lookout, based on when the airspace is due to be restricted:
The King’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II made her last appearance on the balcony during celebrations at the Platinum Jubilee last year.
Charles and Camilla, William and Kate and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined her.
The Royal balcony looked a lot different to the busier one when The Queen was crowned. Charles and his sister Princess Anne, who was just two at the time, joined her, as did her husband Philip.
She also had her Maids of Honour and members of her Royal household with her.
He will wave to the public alongside his wife Queen Camilla once they return to Buckingham Palace.
They will then make their way up to the Royal balcony where they will look out and take part in the long-standing tradition of waving to the well-wishers who have gone to the Mall to show their support.
Heir to the throne, Prince Wales, and his bride Kate Middleton appeared on the balcony following their wedding ceremony in 2011.
The King and Queen are expected to be joined by members of the Royal family on the balcony at around 2.15pm today to watch the RAF fly past
It is not yet known which family members will join them for the historic moment, although it is likely they will be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence and the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward and Sophie.
Queen Elizabeth had two birthdays, which was a privilege that the rest of us could only imagine. This benefit stood out throughout her 70-year reign.
Her Majesty was born on April 21st, 1926, but every year, in June normally, the summer parade Trooping the Colour served as her “official birthday celebration.”
Will the newly crowned King Charles III continue the custom after his coronation today?
Queen Elizabeth had two birthdays, which was a privilege that the rest of us could only imagine. This benefit stood out throughout her 70-year reign.
Her Majesty was born on April 21st, 1926, but every year, in June normally, the summer parade Trooping the Colour served as her “official birthday celebration.”
Will the newly crowned King Charles III continue the custom after his coronation today?
Will King Charles III have two birthdays?
King Charles will carry on the tradition of Trooping the Colour, which dates all the way back to 1748.
So, as a result, it’s implied he will indeed continue having two birthdays.
The first royal ruler to have two birthday celebrations was the Queen’s distant relative, King George II – who wished to throw a public celebration, with a parade and plenty of pomp and circumstance to mark the occasion of his birthday.
However, having been born in November, the odds on the weather holding out for a huge outdoor bash in the UK were pretty slim.
Instead, the monarch decided to use the UK’s annual military parade held in the summer as his official birthday celebration, meaning that he would mark his birthday twice – once for the public in the summer and once in private in November.
Rather conveniently, our now king’s birthday is also in November – so Charles’ decision to host Trooping the Colour 2023 on June 17 feels more connected to history than ever before.
When it’s eventually time for the nation to have a King William, the tradition of two birthdays might come to an end.
This is because William’s birthday is already in June.
Joe Biden has come under fire from Donald Trump for skipping the King’s coronation, saying that his absence has ‘greatly humiliated’ the British people.
Joe Biden ought to have attended King Charles III’s coronation. That seems like a lot to ask, doesn’t it? In a post on his Truth Social network, the former president spoke himself.
The British public is deeply offended. It makes sense why our popularity is dwindling everywhere. RENEW THE GREATNESS OF AMERICA! He continued.
Despite the ‘special relationship’ between the two countries, no US president has ever attended a royal coronation, and last month Biden announced he would not be making an exception.
Instead, the president sent his wife Jill Biden in his place instead, along with her 22-year-old granddaughter, Finnegan.
In an earlier post on Saturday to Truth Social, Trump also wished the king and queen best wishes, writing, ‘Good Luck and Best Wishes to the wonderful new King and Queen of The United Kingdom.
‘You are two very Special People. May your Reign be a Long and Glorious One. GOD BLESS YOU BOTH!!!’
Nevertheless, President Biden congratulated King Charles III and Queen Camilla in a Twitter post on Saturday morning.
‘The enduring friendship between the US and the UK is a source of strength for both our peoples,’ Mr Biden wrote.
The First Lady added that it was an ‘honor to represent the United States on this historic day at Westminster Abbey’ in a statement posted to Twitter.
Mr Trump, who is currently facing a civil rape and defamation trial in the US, also failed to attend the ceremony.
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The president’s decision not to attend drew some domestic criticism from commentators and analysts.
Nile Gardiner, foreign policy analyst and former aide to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, tweeted, ‘Leaders from across the world are attending today’s Coronation of King Charles III. Even the French President is there.
‘Notably absent is Joe Biden, who could not be bothered.
‘What message does this send to America’s closest ally? Biden is a petty, arrogant, sneering disgrace.’
However, Laura Beers, a professor of history at American University, told the BBC ‘I certainly don’t view it as a snub on President Biden’s part.’
‘It is a non-story in terms of the idea that Biden is anti-British,’ she said. “He’s not going because no American president has ever gone to a coronation, so why start in the 21st century.’
Prior to the reign of Queen Victoria, the relationship between Britain and the US was largely adversarial following the American Revolution and the War of 1812.
Although relations later thawed and the coronation of Queen Victoria was the source of much interest in the States, then-president Martin Van Buren did not attend the coronation.
At the time it was simply not practical for an American president to attend such ceremonies, and the practice became tradition after that.
At today’s coronation, Prince Harry was seated in the third row with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
Along with his relatives, the Duke of Sussex will be seated between Princess Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank and Princess Alexandra.
Working senior royals like Prince William and Kate, Prince Edward and Sophie, and their kids are given priority seating in the front row.
Harry arrived yesterday by plane from California for the coronation, but he will likely return quickly in time for his son Archie’s fourth birthday.
A royal insider told The Sun: ‘There were discussions that the seating could be arranged on line of succession.’
But the source said this would have put Harry front and centre with William and Kate because he is fifth in line to the throne.
‘Instead the decision was working royals only at the front and work back from there. Harry will be a long way from his dad,’ they confirmed.
Harry will not be joined by wife Meghan who is staying with the kids in California (Picture: AP)
Prince Harry is there for his dad’s big day.
Harry is expected to arrive for the coronation at 10.35am alongside other non-working royals.
On a surprise walkabout yesterday afternoon Kate revealed some insight into how they are feeling ahead of the big day.
She told royal fans outside Buckingham Palace: ‘Yeah, we’re all good. Hopefully a bit like swans — relatively calm on the outside, but paddling on the inside.’
Talking about how her children are feeling, Kate said: ‘They are really well, thank you. Excited, a bit nervous obviously with the big day ahead. They can’t wait.’
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She said Charles is ‘really looking forward to it as well’ and told people ‘it’s nice to be out here and saying hello to everyone’ who were staying overnight.
Harry will fly back to California following the coronation (Picture: WireImage)
She added: ‘It’s going to be long. Are you tired? It is long hours for everybody, isn’t it? It’s a really great moment. A celebration as well. We have an early start but I think everyone has.’
At the walkabout yesterday Charles was joined by Kate and William to greet people on the packed out Mall.
Cheers erupted as the royals stepped out to ‘three cheers for the King’ and ‘God save the King’.
Buckingham Palace confirmed neither Harry or Prince Andrew will have any formal role at today’s coronation.
This morning more than 5,000 soldiers and members of the armed forces got off the train at Waterloo and marched to the coronation.
It is believed to be the biggest movement of military staff on Britain’s railways since Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965.
It may have startled viewers of King Charles III‘s coronation to hear a song they were familiar with.
Throughout the historic ceremony, which was place in downtown London’s Westminster Abbey, there was a full choir and classical music.
However, the Champions League Anthem is a more well-known adaptation of the Coronation Anthem, Zadok the Priest.
Prior to King George II’s coronation in 1727, German composer George Frideric Handel created the song’s original melody.
It has been used at the coronation of every single British monarch since.
The song is traditionally sung just before the new sovereign is anointed, out of view, with holy oil.
And it was once again performed at King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation today.
Today, Charles and Camilla are the champions (Picture: PA)The moment King Charles III was crowned with St Edward’s Crown by The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby (Picture: PA)The Champions League Anthem was written in 1992 after Europe’s football competition was re-branded (Picture: Getty Images)
Zadok the Priest lyrics
Zadok the priest And Nathan the prophet Anointed Solomon king And all the people Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced And all the people Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced And all the people Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced and said
God save the king Long live the king God save the king May the king live forever Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen Amen, amen, alleluia, amen
Champions League Anthem
They are the best teams They are the best teams The main event The master The best The great teams The champions
A big meeting A great sporting event The main event The master The best The great teams The champions
They are the best They are the best These are the champions The master The best The champions
The Champions League Anthem was written in 1992 after Europe’s football competition between top-tier divisions was re-branded.
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Organiser Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) picked Zadok the Priest as the template piece which they felt would best fit the mood for the new Champions League.
Composer Tony Britten, who wrote the piece, told the BBC in 2020: ‘UEFA wanted this competition to be about the best of football, rather than the worst.
‘Some say the tune is nicked from Handel, but it’s not. It’s just the first writing string phrase, and the rest is me.’
But today, the real champions were Charles and Camilla who were crowned as His and Her Majesty – an event never seen before by the majority of the population.
Royal fans braved the weather to gather on The Mall and in nearby parks to cheer on the new sovereign and his queen.
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Graham Smith, the CEO of Republic, may be seen being held together with other demonstrators wearing ‘Not My King’ t-shirts in video.
According to the group, police detained six protestors, including Mr. Smith, as they unloaded placards close to the route of the Coronation parade.
Republic posted photos of officers taking details from them on Twitter.
“So much for the right to peaceful protest,” the group said, adding the officers would not give the reasons for their arrest and confirmed their CEO was among them.
Matt Turnbull, one of those arrested, said the straps holding the placards had been “misconstrued” as something that could be used for locking on.
“To be honest we were never going to be allowed to be a visible force here – they knew we were coming, and they were going to find a way to stop this,” he told the BBC.
The BBC later saw Mr Turnbull being led away in handcuffs.
The Metropolitan Police has been approached for comment but has not confirmed the number of those detained.
New legislation passed this week made it illegal to prepare to lock-on to things like street furniture.
On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police said they would have an “extremely low threshold” for protests during coronation celebrations, adding that demonstrators should expect “swift action”.
Republic said hundreds of their placards had been seized and questioned: “Is this democracy?”
“Some ask why we’re protesting. It’s because we want to use the coronation to change the debate about the monarchy and show that we’re not a nation of royalists,” the campaign group wrote.
The number of people at the anti-monarchy protest near Trafalgar Square in central London is growing, with the crowds bursting into chants of “Not my King” and “Free Graham Smith”.
The protest has been arranged near the route of the Coronation procession, where thousands have gathered to watch the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey ahead of the ceremony this afternoon.
Around 13 Just Stop Oil protesters appear to have been been arrested on the Mall, with a large group from the climate change campaign group seen in handcuffs.
Just Stop Oil has said five demonstrators were also arrested at Downing Street.
A spokeswoman for the group said their plan was “only to display T-shirts and flags”, adding: “This is a dystopian nightmare.”
Non-profit campaign group Human Rights Watch said the arrests were “something you would expect to see in Moscow not London”.
“The reports of people being arrested for peacefully protesting the coronation are incredibly alarming”, its UK director Yasmine Ahmed said in a statement.
The most sacred part of the ritual is now underway.
The King sits on the Coronation Chair to receive the anointing after having his ceremonial robe removed. It serves to highlight the sovereign’s spiritual stature as the leader of the Church of England.
The King is hidden from view behind a screen that has been set up around the chair.
What the anointing involves
The archbishop is pouring special oil from the Ampulla – a gold flask – on to the Coronation Spoon before anointing the King in the form of a cross on his head, breast and hands.
The Ampulla was made for Charles II’s coronation, but its shape harks back to an earlier version and a legend that the Virgin Mary appeared to St Thomas a Becket in the 12th Century and gave him a golden eagle from which future kings of England would be anointed.
TheCoronation Spoon is much older, having survived Oliver Cromwell’s destruction of the regalia after the English Civil War.
King Charles III became king immediately after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away in September at her remote Balmoral residence. He was legally proclaimed the next monarch of Britain in the days that followed, and his coronation is finally here after months of laborious planning.
Charles, who has held the throne for 70 years, will be formally crowned on May 6 in a beautiful and profoundly spiritual event. Thousands of people will assemble at Westminster Abbey and the nearby streets in the heart of London to witness a magnificent show of British pomp.
There’s a lot of speculation floating around, and some elements are still being fine-tuned, but if it’s official, we’ve got you covered. Here’s CNN’s essential guide to the celebrations – we’ll keep updating it to ensure you stay in the know.
What is a coronation?
Charles’ accession took place when the Queen died. It was, as expected, a deeply somber period when the nation came together to bid farewell to its longest-reigning sovereign. Eight months on, the coronation will feel very different. This is a moment of public celebration of the new King. It will be a fabulously over-the-top spectacle attended by dignitaries from around the world and watched by billions.
The word “coronation” is derived from the Latin word “corona” meaning a crown. But it’s so much more than literally placing the crown on the sovereign’s head. It’s a symbolic coming together of the monarchy, church and state for a religious ritual during which the monarch makes vows to both God and country.
Buckingham Palace has said it “will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment begins coronation rehearsals at Buckingham Palace and The Mall.Vuk Valcic/Alamy Stock Photo
How can I watch the service?
If you’ve been checking your mailbox and an invitation has yet to drop in, not to worry. The ceremony itself is set to begin at 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET) on May 6, with CNN’s special TV coverage of the King’s coronation from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (5 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET). Alternatively, join us here on CNN.com for live coverage throughout the day.
How long will the ceremony be?
Charles’ coronation will beshorter than his mother’s seven decades ago. Back then, the ceremony – which was the first live royal event to be televised – ran for more than three hours.
This time, the Anglican service will be two hours with “representation from other faiths to reflect the diversity of modern Britain,” according to Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, whose family has been responsible for orchestrating state occasions since 1482.Coronations have stayed largely the same for more than 1,000 years and organizers are leaning on that structure, so there’s quite a lot to get through.
The spot where King Charles will be crowned inside Westminster AbbeyDan Kitwood/Getty Images
What happens during the coronation service?
Right, so let’s get down to the specifics. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will conduct the ceremony. The core elements of the service are the recognition, oath, anointing, investiture and crowning, followed by enthronement and homage. The recognition is when the sovereign stands in the theater of the abbey and presents him- or herself to the people. After taking the coronation oath – which is a vow to rule according to law, exercise justice with mercy, and maintain the Church of England – the monarch is anointed with holy oil by the archbishop.
This moment is considered the most sacred part of the service and wasn’t televised in 1953. Ahead of Charles’ big day, Archbishop Welby has explained why we won’t see the King either, writing in the official souvenir program that the moment is “a symbol of being commissioned by the people for a special task for which God’s help is needed.” He added: “It is a moment when The King is set apart for service: service of the people of this country, and service of God.”
This is what you can expect to see at King Charles III’s coronation
The next part is the investiture, when the sovereign is dressed in sacred coronation robes and presented with the symbols of the monarchy: the orb, coronation ring, scepters and others. Toward the end of the ceremony, St. Edward’s Crown is placed atop the monarch’s head before he or she takes the throne. Traditionally, princes and peers then make their way to the sovereign to pay their respects in what is known as homage. This time though, it’s thought that only Prince William will kneel before the King. Meanwhile, the peers have been replaced by the public who have been invited to swear allegiance to Charles if they wish.
Lambeth Palace, which is the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, designed the service – which is rooted in 1,000 years of tradition – in consultation with the King and the UK government, which weighed in on constitutional elements.
Which crown will King Charles use?
The service features quite a few pieces of sacred coronation regalia, but let’s talk crowns. We’ve already mentioned St. Edward’s Crown. It’s considered the centerpiece because it’s used at the exact moment of crowning. It was made for Charles II in 1661 following the restoration of the monarchy the year before. Its medieval predecessor – which was melted down in 1649 – was believed to date back to the 11th-century English king, Edward the Confessor.
It is not an exact replica of the earlier design but follows the original in featuring four crosses pattée, four fleurs-de-lis and two arches. Made of solid gold, it’s adorned with 444 precious stones – including rubies, amethysts, sapphires and other gems – and is fitted with a purple velvet cap and ermine band. Historically, it was supposed to remain at Westminster Abbey, so a second crown was created for the sovereign to wear out of the abbey.
St. Edward’s Crown is considered the centerpiece of the coronation because it’s used at the exact moment of crowning.Jack Hill/Pool/Reuters
That second crown is the Imperial State Crown, which many will be more familiar with as it’s often used for ceremonial occasions like the State Opening of Parliament. It features a dazzling 2,868 diamonds, including the massive Cullinan II. It was made in 1937 and is a near-replica of Queen Victoria’s earlier Imperial State Crown. The arches in its design were meant to demonstrate that England was not subject to any other earthly power.
Once the spiritual elements of the service are over, King Charles and Camilla will head to St. Edward’s Chapel, a stone shrine at the heart of the abbey, where the King will put on the Imperial State Crown in preparation for the return to Buckingham Palace.
What will King Charles wear for the ceremony?
The King will be reusing several historical garments worn by previous monarchs at past coronations during the Saturday service in the “interests of sustainability and efficiency,” according to Buckingham Palace.
“His Majesty will reuse vestments which featured in the Coronation Services of King George IV in 1821, King George V in 1911, King George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, including the Colobium Sindonis, the Supertunica, the Imperial Mantle, the Coronation Sword Belt and the Coronation Glove,” the palace outlined.
The Coronation Vestments, comprising of the Supertunica (left) and the Imperial Mantle (right), to be worn by the King during his coronation.Victoria Jones/Getty Images
“Although it is customary for the Supertunica and the Imperial Mantle to be reused, His Majesty will also reuse the Colobium Sindonis, Coronation Sword Belt and Coronation Glove worn by his grandfather King George VI, in the interests of sustainability and efficiency,” the palace explained.
Will there be a procession?
This is a royal celebration – of course there’s a procession! In fact, there will be two through the streets of the British capital. One will take the King to be crowned, and after the service there’ll be a larger parade back to Buckingham Palace, where the monarch and members of the royal family will make a balcony appearance and watch a flypast of 60 aircraft. The six-minute flyover will include the famous Red Arrows, modern F-35s and Typhoons, and the Battle of Britain memorial flight.
The route itself is significantly shorter than the Queen’s five-mile journey to Westminster Abbey back in 1953. Ahead of the service, King Charles will leave Buckingham Palace and head down the Mall in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, accompanied by the Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry. The procession will pass through Admiralty Arch before turning on to Whitehall and traveling along Parliament Street and on to the abbey. It will return using the same 1.3-mile route, with the monarch traveling this time in the Gold State Coach.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service has said more than 29,000 officers will be deployed in the week leading up to the coronation and over the rest of the holiday weekend.
The security operation – known as Operation Golden Orb – will be one of the largest the Met has led, the force said Wednesday.
“On Coronation Day we will have the largest one-day mobilization of officers seen in decades with just over 11,500 officers on duty,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said. “We want Londoners and visitors coming to the city to enjoy this historic and momentous occasion safely and securely.”
How is King Charles making the ceremony more inclusive?
There’s been a lot of speculation over how the King intends to make his coronation more inclusive while reflecting his vision of the future monarchy. We’ll have to wait and see, but one early indication was announced Friday when Buckingham Palace revealed that faith leaders would lead the first processions into Westminster Abbey.
They’ll be followed by representatives from each of the 15 realms where the King is head of state. Flagbearers of each nation will be accompanied by the governors general and prime ministers. This is the first time non-Protestant faith leaders have been given a role in a coronation.
How much will the coronation cost?
Well, we’re not quite sure… yet. Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that details will be shared in due course. Its comments came after questions were raised over how much was being spent on the state event during a national cost-of-living crisis.
“I’ve seen a number of different estimated figures floating around, some more fanciful than others. The true figures will be shared in due course where expenditure relates to the Sovereign Grant or Government costs,” a palace spokesperson said in a statement.
‘It’s not a good look.’ As cost of living crisis bites, some Brits are questioning spending money on glitzy coronation
The statement went on to say that great state occasions, such as the Queen’s funeral, tend to generate more money than is spent holding such events, attracting huge global interest which boosts the national economy.
“Aside from the expenditure estimates you may have seen, it has also been reported that somewhere between one and several billions are expected to flow into the economy as a result of this Coronation,” the spokesperson continued.
Beer, bunting and biscuit tins: What the coronation means for the UK economy
“It’s not for me to say how accurate those figures are but certainly the theory pertains that the celebrations are an enormous economic boost to the nation – and just as importantly, with 100 heads of State coming to Britain for the event, it’s a fantastic opportunity for networking, for Government, and for engaging the interest from those nations with everything that Britain has to offer.”
The statement concluded by assuring the British public that the planning of the King’s coronation was mindful of the “economic challenge” the country was facing, prompting organizers to look for ways to efficiently produce the event, such as “reusing many ceremonial elements, rather than commissioning new ones.”
Will Camilla be crowned Queen?
Yes. But unlike the three most recent queen consorts – Alexandra, who was Edward VII’s wife; George V’s wife, Mary; and Elizabeth, wife of George VI – Camilla is not having a crown made specially for her coronation. Instead, she’s opted to wear Queen Mary’s Crown. Back when she paid for the silver crown in 1911, Queen Mary’s intention was for it to serve as the permanent crown of future consorts.
The palace has said Camilla’s choice was “in the interests of sustainability and efficiency” but that she was making some “minor changes and additions.” Specifically, she wants to honor her late mother-in-law by resetting the crown with some diamonds – the Cullinan III, IV and V – from the Queen’s personal collection.
Will Prince Harry and Meghan fly back?
The Duke of Sussex has confirmed his attendance at his father’s big day. However, he’ll be going solo. The palace confirmed in April that his wife, Meghan, will be staying in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It is understood Meghan opted to forgo the celebrations as the day coincides with Archie’s 4th birthday.
The Duke of Sussex has confirmed his attendance at his father’s big day, but his wife, Meghan, will be staying in California with their two children.Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images
What about Prince Andrew?
As a member of the royal family, Prince Andrew is expected to attend his brother’s coronation. But as he’s no longer a working royal, he won’t have any formal roles on the day.
Who else has been invited?
Around 2,300 people were sent invitations to the service at Westminster Abbey. While the palace doesn’t release a detailed guest list, it has confirmed that the congregation will be made up of members of the royal family, as well as international representatives from 203 countries, alongside community and charity volunteers.
Coronation organizer Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk said: “For the first time, approximately 100 Heads of State from around the world will attend, together with representatives from the Realms and the Commonwealth and our government, the Lords and the Commons, local heroes and British Empire medalists and many other individuals who have contributed so much to Britain and the wider world today.”
US first lady Jill Biden will lead the American delegation.Leah Millis/Reuters
US first lady Jill Biden will lead the American delegation. You can also expect to see a number of royals from around the world make their way to London.
Additionally, 400 young people from charities selected by the King and Queen have been invited to watch the service from nearby St. Margaret’s Church, while military veterans, healthcare workers and charity representatives have been given spaces to watch on the processional route and in special stands put up along the Mall and near Buckingham Palace.
How will it be different from Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation?
We’ve already mentioned that both the processional route and service will be shorter. Another difference is the number of guests. Back in ’53, so swollen was the guest list that temporary structures had to be erected within the abbey to accommodate the more than 8,000 people invited.
Specific to the service itself, it will lean on tradition but also be full of firsts, according to Lambeth Palace organizers. Some of the changes to the ancient Christian ceremony – the theme of which is “called to serve” – include the King praying aloud, participation of religious leaders from other faiths, involvement of female clergy and the incorporation of other languages spoken in the British Isles.
Additionally, the traditional homage of peers has been replaced with a “homage of the people.” This tweak will see the public invited to join “a chorus of millions of voices enabled for the first time in history to participate in this solemn and joyful moment.”
Surrounded by peers and churchmen, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II sits on the throne in Westminister Abbey on June 2, 1953.AP
A Lambeth Palace spokesperson said the new homage was “an opportunity for those who wish to be given voice within the service, and for those at home to have a chance to be an extension of the abbey congregation.” The spokesperson added that the change was “very much an invitation, rather than an expectation or request.”
“We live in a wonderfully diverse society with many different perspectives and beliefs – which this coronation celebrates – and therefore it’s quite right that people decide for themselves how they wish to relate to this moment,” the spokesperson added.
What else is happening over the celebratory weekend?
On May 7, the day after the coronation, thousands of events are expected to take place across the country as part of the “Coronation Big Lunch,” while Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Take That will headline the “Coronation Concert” at Windsor Castle in the evening.
“The Coronation Big Lunch helps you bring the celebration right into your own street or back yard,” said Peter Stewart, chief purpose officer at the event’s organizing body, the Eden Project.
“Sharing friendship, food and fun together gives people more than just a good time – people feel less lonely, make friends and go on to get more involved with their community,” he added in a statement.
Lionel Richie, (pictured), Katy Perry and Take That will headline the “Coronation Concert” at Windsor Castle on Sunday evening.Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
The concert will be attended by an audience of volunteers from the King and Queen’s charity affiliations as well as several thousand members of the public selected through a national ballot held by the BBC. However, some royal fans have slammed Ticketmaster over its handling of the ticketing for May 7.
Ten locations around Britain will also be lit up with light displays, lasers and drones that evening.
The final day of the long weekend will see Britons enjoying a hopefully sunny bank holiday Monday, with the public encouraged to volunteer in their communities.
As Britain prepares for the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, some South Africans are calling for the return of a huge diamond that is set in the royal sceptre and was taken from their country more than a century ago.
The diamond, known as the Star of Africa or Cullinan I, is the largest clear-cut diamond in the world, weighing 530 carats (106 grams). It was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and presented to King Edward VII in 1907 by the colonial government of Transvaal, which was then under British rule.
Holding the Cullinan Diamond: Frederick Wells, the surface manager of the Premier Mine, poses with the Cullinan Diamond that he found in 1905. The photographer of this image is unknown.
The Star of Africa is one of nine stones that were cut from the original Cullinan diamond, which weighed 3,106 carats (621 grams) and was the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found. The other eight stones are also part of the British crown jewels or belong to Queen Elizabeth II.
Some South Africans have launched an online petition, which has gathered about 8,000 signatures, to demand that the Star of Africa be returned to its rightful owners. They argue that the diamond was stolen from them during colonial times and that it should be a symbol of their pride, heritage and culture.
“The British monarchy must play its part in breaking this colonial relationship by acknowledging the role that it played,” said Everisto Benyera, associate professor of African Politics at the University of South Africa in Pretoria. “And one of the biggest ways that it can acknowledge is to stop using our diamonds on their regalia, is to stop using our resources during their ceremonies.”
The British government has not responded to the petition, but it has previously rejected similar requests to return artefacts and artworks that were taken from former colonies. It maintains that the crown jewels are part of Britain’s national heritage and that they are better preserved and displayed in British museums and institutions.
The Star of Africa will be seen by millions of people around the world on Saturday, when it will be held by King Charles III at his coronation. The diamond is mounted in the head of the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, which is one of the most important symbols of royal authority. The sceptre was redesigned in 1910 to accommodate the Star of Africa.
The Star of Africa is also known as Cullinan I because it was cut from the Cullinan diamond, which was named after Thomas Cullinan, who owned the mine where it was found. The Cullinan diamond was mined near Pretoria on January 26, 1905. It was so large and exceptional that it was initially mistaken for a piece of glass.
The Cullinan diamond was put on sale in London in April 1905, but it did not attract any buyers for two years. In 1907, the Transvaal government decided to buy it for £150,000 and present it to King Edward VII as a gesture of loyalty and goodwill. The king accepted the gift and entrusted it to a Dutch jeweller named Joseph Asscher to cut it into smaller stones.
Asscher spent several months studying the diamond before he made his first cut on February 10, 1908. He fainted after he successfully split the diamond into two pieces. He then cut nine major stones and 96 smaller ones from the original Cullinan diamond. The largest stone was named Cullinan I or Star of Africa and given to King Edward VII. The second-largest stone was named Cullinan II or Second Star of Africa and set in the Imperial State Crown.
The Star of Africa has been held by every British monarch since King Edward VII. It has been used at coronations, jubilees and state openings of parliament. It has also been displayed at various exhibitions around the world, including South Africa in 1994. It is estimated to be worth more than $400 million today.
Prior to the King’s Coronation on Saturday, May 6, 2023, King Charles III today welcomed the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and his wife, Lady Julia, to the Buckingham Palace.
The Asantehene and his wife are in London at the Royal family’s invitation, where they are meeting with other kings and heads of state from around the world.
Today’s photo of King Charles and the Asantehene shows the two laughing together.
They will assemble at Westminster Abbey on Saturday for what is expected to be a feast of pageantry marking the first coronation in over 70 years.
Apart from today’s private audience at Buckingham Palace, they will also attend the King’s official reception for overseas guests on Friday, May 5, 2023.
The leader of the Achuar Nation of the Ecuadorian Amazon, Uyunkar Domingo Peas was also received at the Buckingham Palace today.
74-year-old, King Charles III, who will be installed on Saturday, was the oldest royal to ascend the throne in a1,000-year-old lineage when he replaced his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, following her death in September. The late Queen ruled ruled for 70 years.
Charles does not enjoy the same support as his widely admired mother, but his public approval ratings are generally positive. An opinion poll last week showed many more people hold favourable views of him than negative although there is also a wide segment expressing indifference.
Republican sentiment – which was almost entirely absent publicly during Elizabeth’s reign – has become visible with eggs thrown at the king and his wife, Camilla, on one trip and small groups of protesters voicing opposition at others.
Buckingham Palace has supported research into the monarchy’s links to slavery as calls grow for apologies and reparations, not least from some of the 14 Commonwealth realms, where Charlesis also king.
The Guardian newspaper has run a series of articles raising questions about the opaque nature of the wealth and finances of the institution and the royal family, an issue that resonates at a time when Britons are facing a cost of living crisis.
A 7-year-old Charles sits with his mother and younger sister, Princess Anne, as they watch the final match of the Smith’s lawn polo cup in Windsor, England, on June 23, 1956. [File: AP]
In this July 27, 1958, photo, Prince Charles wears his school uniform. He became the first heir apparent to the British throne to attend school rather than have a private tutor. [File: AP]Prince Charles arrives at London Airport from Glasgow on April 2, 1964, at a time when he was a student at Gordonstoun School in northeast Scotland, which his father, Prince Philip, also attended. [File: AP]An 18-year-old Prince Charles leaves Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth in a state coach on October 31, 1967, for the opening of parliament. It was the first time the prince took part in the ceremony. [File: AP]Queen Elizabeth II crowns her son the Prince of Wales during his investiture ceremony on July 1, 1969, at Caernarfon Castle in Wales. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is seated at the right, and British Home Secretary James Callaghan stands next to the prince. [File: AP]Prince Charles and Tricia Nixon, daughter of US President Richard Nixon, discuss baseball at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, on July 18, 1970, during a trip the prince made to the US capital with his sister, Princess Anne, after they had visited Canada with their parents. [File: AP]Prince Charles walks with Imelda Marcos, first lady of the Philippines, in Katmandu on February 24, 1975, at the coronation ceremony for Nepal’s King Birendra. [File: AP]Prince Charles drinks from a freshly cut green coconut at Haripur village, which he visited during a one-day trip to Bhubaneswar, India, on December 4, 1980. The prince is wearing a marigold garland, which was given to him by villagers. [File: Santosh Basak/AP]Prince Charles wed Diana, Princess of Wales, on July 29, 1981. The couple appeared with his parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London after their marriage at St Paul’s Cathedral. [File: AP]Charles and Diana take home their firstborn son, Prince William, from St Mary’s Hospital in London on June 22, 1982, the day after his birth. [File: John Redman/AP]Charles and Diana made their second trip to Australia together in 1985 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the state of Victoria, named after Charles’s great-great-great-grandmother. [File: AP]Charles greets models wearing clothing from a local designer during a tour of Soweto, South Africa, on November 3, 2011. [File: Kim Lubbrook/pool/AP]Charles speaks after a performance by the Australian Chamber Orchestra at St James Palace in central London on December 12, 2011. [File: Lefteris Pitarakis/pool/AP]After preparing for the crown his entire life, Charles was king on April 28, 2023, when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police presented him with a horse named Noble as he accepted the role of commissioner-in-chief of the police force at Windsor Castle. At the age of 73, he had become the oldest person to ever assume the British throne when Queen Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022. [File: Andrew Matthews/pool/AP]
In BBC’s series of letters from African journalists, it received one from Elizabeth Ohene who considered how the coronation of King Charles III would go if it were in Ghana, known as the Gold Coast when it was a British colony.
The first change would be in the king’s title.
Instead of King Charles, he would be Nana Charles, Nii Charles, Naa Charles or Togbega Charles – the terms for king or chief in different Ghanaian languages.
I will stick to Togbega Charles.
Royalty is not exactly a strange or unknown phenomenon to us here in Ghana.
We have lots of royal houses instead of the single royal house of the British. Our social and political setup before the advent of colonialism was very much based on royal houses being in charge.
Today, we have a constitution with the full panoply of institutions and officials: a parliament, a judiciary, a president and ministers.
And side-by-side with this republic are our kings, queens and chiefs.
Even though on paper they might not have much power, there are very few Ghanaians who would refuse to obey a call by the chief in their village.
There is certainly no talk here of abolishing the monarchy.
So, if the coronation of King Charles was taking place somewhere in Ghana, he would not have to worry about the possibility of being the last monarch.
Journalists would not be looking with extra interest at how or whether the prime ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand bow as an indication of the likelihood of those countries giving up the British monarch as their head of state.
Nor would the Caribbean leaders at the ceremony be scrutinised for signs of an impending declaration of republican status.
We in Ghana are quite comfortable with being both a republic, and having kings and queens.
We also know a lot about organising royal events, and we have great sympathy for the difficulties King Charles has had with drawing up the guest list for the ceremony.
It would be a full-scale nightmare here, but people would be accommodated.
In Ghana, there would be no story in a tabloid newspaper trying to rub it in that Miss Ohene had not got an invitation, as Togbega Charles and the organisers would go to great lengths to try and satisfy everybody.
It means invitations would continue to be sent out all the way until the morning of the event.
Half the people would not send an RSVP and therefore the organisers would not be certain of the numbers. Also it does not matter how boldly it is written on the invitation card that it is meant for the named person only, some people would bring a friend along.
An attempt will be made to squeeze maybe 2,000 people into a space that can only take 1,500 people.
As for King Charles’ coronation, a critical part of the preparations towards the big day would be centred on the clothes that would be worn – firstly by the king himself, then his elders, who play an important role in the events, and of course, the women – both those who are playing roles and those who are guests.
The kente cloth weavers would be extremely busy and so would our designers and tailors, for no-one would survive being seen in something worn by anyone else.
Every kente would have a name that tells a story.
Special cloths would be designed and printed with the photo of the king on it and we would all try to outdo each other with the most outlandish styles.
I know the British Crown has a legendary collection of jewellery, gathered from around the world, but on a coronation day here, that would be no match.
We would display enough gold to dazzle anyone and demonstrate that ours is indeed, the land of gold.
We would guarantee a riot of colours at the event. It will be noisy, very noisy, and there would be drums and drummers and drumming that would blow your mind.
If you are new to these parts, it would be helpful to have a local nearby to explain some of the dances to you because each one would be telling a story.
And please come well prepared, for the event would last much longer than advertised.
The ceremony in Westminster Abbey will be rolled out with military precision and exactly as planned and rehearsed.
In Ghana, part of the attraction is the organised chaos and the unknown factor.
The elders who are responsible for the ceremony prefer to keep the details secret and there are always some surprise elements. Everybody who attends the function will feel he has played a part in the proceedings.
I am not sure how Queen Camilla will take this bit, but once enthroned, the elders would offer a “throne wife” to Togbega Charles.
She is not meant to displace Queen Camilla and it is not obligatory that the new king takes her, but she will be offered.
It is part of the custom.
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
King Charles III and his ‘mixed’ family to be on display at coronation on May 6.
Also undoubtedly in the spotlight at Westminster Abbeywill be members of Charles and Camilla’s blended family, a first in British history.
“This is the first time that a divorced man and divorced woman have been crowned alongside each other in Britain,” said ABC News royal contributor Victoria Murphy. “So this is a first for two families coming together in this way for this ceremony.”
Charles and Camilla had two children each when they entered their marriage in 2005.
Charles is the father of Princes William and Harry, his children with the late Princess Diana.
Camilla is the mother of Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, her children with ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles.
PHOTO: The Prince of Wales and his new bride Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, with their children (L-R) Prince Harry, Prince William, Laura Parker Bowles and Tom Parker Bowles at Windsor Castle, April 9, 2005, after their wedding ceremony.
Anwar Hussein Collection/ROTA/WireImage via Getty Images
All four of their children will attend the coronation, along with many of their combined 10 grandchildren, some of whom will take part in the service.
William’s eldest son Prince George will serve as a Page of Honor for Charles at the coronation.
Tom Parker Bowles’ son, Master Freddy Parker Bowles will join his cousins, Master Gus Lopes and Master Louis Lopes, the twin sons of Lopes, as Pages of Honor for Camilla.
“Camilla’s family are very much front and center at this event, and that is interesting as this is a state occasion and they are usually totally private,” said Murphy. “Camilla’s family being so involved and visible does send, I think, a message about just how important she is to Charles’ reign and very much reminds us that this is their coronation, not just his.”
PHOTO: Tom Parker-Bowles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall watch The Olivier Awards 2019 with Mastercard at the Royal Albert Hall on April 7, 2019 in London.
Tom Parker-Bowles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall watch The Olivier Awards 2019 with Mastercard at the Royal Albert Hall on April 7, 2019 in London.
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images, FILE
Though the families of Charles and Camilla will be a united front on coronation day, they are not “especially close,” according to Murphy.
“Apart from at each other’s weddings, we have pretty much never seen them together in public and we are not aware, for example, that Camilla’s children have ever socialized with William and Harry,” she said. “However, Camilla’s granddaughter Eliza Lopes was a bridesmaid at William and Kate’s wedding, so that does signify an understanding of the significance of each other’s families, if not a specific closeness.” PHOTO: (L-R) Michael Middleton, Carole Middleton, Eliza Lopes, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at Buckingham Palace after the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, April 29, 2011, in London.
(L-R) Michael Middleton, Carole Middleton, Eliza Lopes, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at Buckingham Palace after the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, April 29, 2011, in London.
John Stillwell-WPA Pool/Getty Images
Murphy noted that Camilla kept her own property after marrying Charles, and it is there that she often spends time alone with her children and grandchildren.
“I do think in some ways they keep things quite separate,” Murphy said. “As a couple, Charles and Camilla actually do enjoy time apart as well as together, and that’s one of the things that people have often cited as being what makes their relationship work.”
In recent years, Charles has faced a divide within his own family, one that spilled into public view in 2020 when Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, stepped down from their senior working royal roles.
The coronation will be Harry’s first public interaction with William and Charles since the January release of his bombshell memoir “Spare,” in which he shared details of his ongoing tensions with his brother and father.
PHOTO: The British royal family stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following Trooping the Colour, June 08, 2019 in London.
The British royal family stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following Trooping the Colour, June 08, 2019 in London.
Anwar Hussein/WireImage
Murphy said the coronation will be an unlikely place for “meaningful family discussions,” even behind the scenes.
“I think that Charles will be very focused on the public-facing aspects of the role,” Murphy said. “However, I think it will mean a lot to him that both his sons are there and I’m sure there will be exchanges if not long conversations.”
Noting how far apart Harry and William appear to still be, Murphy added, “This will be a public show of unity between Harry and the family, but I think it’s clear that the brothers remain deeply divided.”
Neither Buckingham Palace nor Kensington Palace have commented on the claims made in “Spare.”
The British Queen Camilla‘s son, Tom Parker Bowles, has stated that his mother “married the person she loved.” Camilla’s first husband was Andrew Parker Bowles.
Food critic Parker Bowles said on the News Agents podcast: “I don’t care what anyone says, this wasn’t any sort of endgame,” speaking two weeks before his mother is scheduled to be crowned with King Charles III. This is what happened when she married the person she adored.
Since 2005, Camilla and Charles have been wed. They supposedly became pals while Charles was a prince after meeting at a polo tournament in 1970.
Charles married Diana Spencer in 1981 but then admitted in 1994 that he had been having an extramarital affair with Camilla. Diana confirmed his infidelity and her own the following year.
Parker Bowles’ remarks follow Prince Harry’s allegations that Camilla leaked stories about the family to the British media as part of her campaign to “rehabilitate her image” after she had been cast as a “villain” by the press for her role in the collapse of his parents’ marriage.
When asked by podcast hosts Jon Sopel and Emily Maitlis if there was a “panic” regarding the widespread speculation about whether the Sussexes would attend the coronation, Parker Bowles replied: “That has nothing to do with me at all.”
Charles and Camilla will be crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey, a historic event marked by three days of celebrations across the country.
“I think anyone would be anxious in an occasion of this sort of importance,” Parker Bowles said. “I’d be terrified if I had to walk up wearing ancient robes. She’s tough but she’s 75, and it’s tough to do it. But she’s never complained, she’ll just get on and do it.”
Parker Bowles’ son Freddy will also play a role in the coronation as one of his grandmother’s four pages of honor, alongside his cousins and second cousin.
“I don’t think he knows quite how big it’s going to be,” Parker Bowles said when asked about his son’s reaction. “I don’t think he has any sense of the occasion. He’s a 13-year-old boy who loves football, Spurs supporter.”
He added: “There are a lot of rehearsals that are going to happen before and he is doing it with his cousins – his two best mates – and another second cousin, so they all know each other.”
Parker Bowles’ own role in the coronation will be smaller and he said he won’t appear on the balcony alongside the royal family.
“We’re just there to support our mother,” he added.
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The UK’s Guardian newspaper on Thursday reported that King Charles III of Britain has expressed his support for research into the British monarchy’s historical connections to transatlantic slavery after it published a document that shows what experts claim is proof of a stake in a slave-trading business owned by King William III.
The Guardian published the document as part of an investigation into the royal family’s past involvement in the slave trade. According to the newspaper, the document reveals a transfer of £1,000 worth of shares in the slave-trading Royal African Company from 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston to William III in 1689.
Colston was the company’s deputy governor. In 2020, anti-racism protesters famously toppled a statue of the slave trader in Bristol, southwest England, while demonstrating in solidarity with the US Black Lives Matter movement. The document reported by the Guardian was found in archives by Dr Brooke Newman, a historian at Virginia Commonwealth University, on a research trip to London in January, according to the newspaper.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace told the Guardian that this was a subject that the King “takes profoundly seriously.”
The statement added that the royal household would support the project by offering access to the royal collection and the royal archives, the Guardian reported.
Though the palace has not responded to CNN’s request for comment on the document, a spokesperson told the Guardian in a statement that King Charles supported a research project undertaken by historian Camilla de Koning at Manchester University, and co-sponsored by Historical Royal Palaces (HRP), which manages several of royal sites, looking into the monarchy’s links to the slave trade.
“This is an issue that His Majesty takes profoundly seriously,” the spokesperson said to the Guardian, pointing to comments made by the King at a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda last summer.
“I want to acknowledge that the roots of our contemporary association run deep into the most painful period of our history,” he said in June.
“I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many, as I continue to deepen my own understanding of slavery’s enduring impact.”
King Charles III and senior royals attended a service at Westminster Abbey earlier this week to observe Commonwealth Day and honor the 56 nations that make up the international organization, despite the blustery weather.
The King’s speech at the abbey focused on this year’s celebration’s theme, “Forging a Sustainable and Peaceful Common Future,” while the service represented the broad Commonwealth community (more on that later in the newsletter).
Brianna Fruean, a young Samoan environmental advocate and a previous recipient of a Commonwealth Youth Award, read a reflection, while Muslim, Sikh and Jewish representatives also gave readings. There were several musical performances, including from the National Ballet of Rwanda, Cyprus’ all-female Amalgamation Choir and British saxophonist YolanDa Brown.
But it was a moment at the start of the festivities that sparked conversation among royal-watchers.
As the Windsors made small talk before the service, several eagle-eyed fans noticed that the Princess of Wales didn’t curtsy to her father-in-law.
It is fairly well known that royal protocol directs members of the Firm to bow or curtsy to the sovereign and their spouse in recognition of their roles as the most senior members of the family.
Kate’s sister-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex, touched upon the convention in the Netflix docu-series with Prince Harry, released back in November. Meghan admitted her surprise at finding out that they practice the formality behind palace walls as well as in public.
In episode 2, Meghan recalled starting “to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside” adding how “that was surprising to me.”
Recalling her first encounter with the Queen, Meghan said: “I didn’t know I was going to meet her until moments before. We were in the car and we were going to Royal Lodge for lunch and (Harry’s) like, ‘oh my grandmother’s here, she’s going to be there after church,’ and I remember we’re in the car, driving up and he’s like ‘you know how to curtsy, right?’ And I just thought it was a joke.”
Harry added: “How do you explain that to people? How do you explain that you bow to your grandmother? And that you will need to curtsy – especially to an American – that’s weird.”
While we’re briefly on a tangent, one common misconception is that royals have to bow or curtsy to more senior members of the family depending on rank. But that’s not actually the case. Other than to the monarch, the royals generally greet each other using the same guidance offered to the general public which states that there are “no obligatory codes of behaviour” but that “many people wish to observe the traditional forms.” Basically meaning it’s up to the individual who can choose to bow or curtsy if they would like to.
But getting back to Kate. The princess has often been praised over the years for her elegance while adhering to royal etiquette, so many were left confused about why she appeared to breach protocol at the Commonwealth event.
There could be a couple of reasons. One might be that she’s still adjusting to her father-in-law’s new role. Another, perhaps more likely, rationale may be that members of the royal family only need to greet the monarch formally upon their first meeting that day. While the King and Queen Consort arrived in a separate car to Prince William and Kate, it’s entirely possible they could have gathered ahead of the service and, as such, the Princess of Wales wouldn’t have been expected to curtsy again. Either way, the King appeared unperturbed and remained focused on the service – the first of his new reign.
The King received a rather splendid gift this week: A black mare called Noble. Charles was given the horse by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), renowned for their famous Musical Ride – a showcase of their cavalry’s equestrian prowess. The RCMP have a long association with the royal family: They took part in the Queen’s coronation in 1953, and gave her several horses during her reign. Noble has been a standout in the RCMP’s recent displays, noted for her athleticism and poise, even in raucous environments. The 7-year-old horse is now settling into her new life at the Royal Mews in Windsor.
Prince William features in Red Nose Day short film.
The Prince of Wales will appear in a video appeal for the UK’s Red Nose Day on Friday. Prince William sat down with Miles and Nawshin from Groundswell, a homelessness charity supported by Comic Relief. The pair are volunteer reporters with the organization’s Listen Up! podcast project, which allows individuals to share their perspectives and experiences of homelessness and explore how society can help. The issue of homelessness has become a priority in William’s public work and Nawshin said his involvement was “amazing.” She added: “I hope it means we can change the narrative for the better, and Prince William can use his influence to get real policy changes.” Check out a clip of the discussion here.
King knights Queen guitarist.
The legendary rock guitarist Brian May received a knighthood from King Charles III. May, 75, was a founding member of the band Queen, and will now be known as Sir Brian, following the investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. He was one of more than 1,000 people recognized in the King’s first New Year’s honors list, and received the title of Knight Bachelor for his services to music and to charity. In addition to performing with Queen for more than half a century, May is also an astrophysicist. He received his PhD from Imperial College London in 2007 – having taken a break from his studies in the 1970s to focus on the band. “Arise, Sir Brian,” the band’s official Twitter account said, congratulating him for the award. Read the full story.
One of the world’s most famous – and controversial – gems will be part of a new exhibition at the Tower of London exploring the origins of Britain’s crown jewels. The Koh-i-Noor diamond, which was seized from India while the country was under British rule, will be displayed as a “symbol of conquest,” a Tower of London representative told CNN Thursday.
The exhibit will explore the precious stone’s conflict-filled history. For her own coronation this summer, Queen Consort Camilla has chosen not to wear the diamond, which faced fresh calls of repatriation by India following the late Queen’s death last year. The exhibition will open May 26. Find out more here.
Spain’s Crown Princess Leonor to start military training.
The heir presumptive to Spain’s throne will begin three years of military training later this year in preparation for her future role as head of state, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed at a press conference Tuesday. “In the Cabinet meeting today, we have approved a royal decree whose aim is to give structure to the military training and career of (Princess Leonor),” Robles said. Leonor will spend a year each with Spain’s army, navy and air force at their respective academies. She is following in the footsteps of her father, King Felipe VI, as she prepares one day to succeed him as the supreme commander of the armed forces. Read more on this story here.
“The Commonwealth has been a constant in my own life, and yet its diversity continues to amaze and inspire me. Its near-boundless potential as a force for good in the world demands our highest ambition; its sheer scale challenges us to unite and be bold.”King Charles III
The King added that the Commonwealth has “an incredible opportunity, and responsibility, to create a genuinely durable future – one that offers the kind of prosperity that is in harmony with nature and that will also secure our unique and only planet for generations to come.”
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have gifted the King Charles a horse.
Seven-year-old black mare Noble is settling nicely at Windsor’s Royal Mews, according to a statement from the Palace.
The 16.2 hands tall horse went on tour in 2022 with the “Mounties” Musical Ride, taking part in 90 open performances at 50 different Canadian venues.
Bred and trained in the country, she received her name through the Mounties’ annual Name The Foal contest.
King Charles III pictured meeting Noble for the first time (Picture: PA)
Charles was said to be ‘pleased’ to meet Noble at the Royal Mews earlier this week.
The move follows a long tradition of the Mounties gifting horses to the royal family.
The relationship between the royals and the force dates back to 1904 when King Edward VII bestowed the title of Royal on the North-West Mounted Police, making it the Royal North-West Mounted Police.
Eight horses were gifted by the Mountie to Charles’ mother the Queen throughout her reign, starting with Burmese in 1969.
The late monarch rode Burmese at Trooping the Colour for 18 years.
She was a keen horse-rider, and continued to ride despite health advice as she grew older.
Royal observers frequently infer meaning into what the royals do without the benefit of an explanation because they tend to communicate more via their acts than their words. It all came down to a handshake this week.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, was cordially welcomed by King Charles III on Monday at Windsor. After tea, the two talked, and, according to a royal source, the meeting provided the British monarch with an opportunity to discuss the conflict in Ukraine and climate change with the visiting dignitary. You might not notice anything contentious while looking at the image of the moment, but it provoked this remark from former BBC Royal Correspondent Peter Hunt, who tweeted:
“This is a very serious error of judgement by King Charles and his advisors. He’s abandoned his unifying role and entered the political fray, in a foolish bid to be seen as statesmanlike. History won’t be kind. Someone’s head will roll.”
For context, Von der Leyen is not a head of state. Her counterpart in the UK is Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. An audience with the King was therefore a special privilege and falls under the category of “rolling out the red carpet” – which the British government often leans on when VIPs fly into town.
But it wasn’t the meeting itself that drew criticism, it was the timing of the diplomatic gesture.
Von der Leyen had indeed come to the UK to meet Sunak so the pair could finalize a new UK deal with the European Union on post-Brexit trade arrangements in Northern Ireland. With its history of sectarianism and violence, the province is a deeply sensitive political issue, as is Brexit.
From Sunak’s point of view, the key challenge was winning support for a new protocol from two key groups: the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which wants Northern Ireland to remain a full part of the UK, and the European Research Group (ERG), which is made up of pro-Brexit Conservative lawmakers. Both these groups have an interest in limiting Europe’s jurisdiction in Northern Ireland. They are also both firmly pro-monarchy.
When it emerged that the King would hold an audience with Von der Leyen, critics questioned both the government and the palace’s judgment, their argument being that his involvement could be interpreted as an implied endorsement of the political deal when, constitutionally, he’s supposed to remain above politics. Many questioned whether Sunak had used the monarch to make his deal more palatable to the DUP and ERG.
If that was the plan, it backfired.
Former DUP leader Arlene Foster tweeted her disbelief that “No10 would ask HM the King to become involved,” before labeling the move “crass” and predicting it would “go down very badly in NI (Northern Ireland).”
She added: “We must remember this is not the King’s decision but the Government who it appears are tone deaf.”
“I think the sovereign should only be involved when things have been completed and accepted,” Jacob Rees-Mogg, of the ERG, told GB News. “The King gives assent to acts of parliament when parliament has agreed, he doesn’t express his view on acts of parliament when they are going through the process. I think the same applies, that His Majesty should not be involved until there is full support for this agreement.”
The palace made it clear it didn’t arrange the meeting. A spokesperson told CNN: “The King is pleased to meet any world leader if they are visiting Britain and it is the Government’s advice that he should do so.”
For the government, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told LBC radio: “It was our invitation to Ursula von der Leyen to come to the UK to finalize this deal with the prime minister. So of course, that was a conversation we had with the palace.” He added that, “the final decision, of course, on the availability of His Majesty is with the palace.”
It’s unimaginable, however, that the King would refuse a request from the government without good reason.
As the week draws to a close, the landmark deal agreed by Sunak and Von der Leyen appears to be going down better than expected and didn’t trigger a political firestorm as some had feared. It was perhaps a close call for King Charles, who has been accused of political interference in the past. If it had blown up, it would have reflected on him, as it would have on everyone else in the room that day.
Next time he may be less fortunate. There are few options available to him if he wants to avoid a meeting with someone who compromises his independence. Theoretically, he could say no to Downing Street’s request, but that would create its own political backlash. Instead, he must rely on the prime minister of the day to have his back and keep him away from any potentially embarrassing situations.
Speaking of European dignitaries … On Friday, Buckingham Palace made the long-awaited announcement of Charles and Camilla’s first joint state visit since he ascended the throne.
The new monarch and his wife will visit France and Germany later this month for a six-day trip, touring some famous landmarks and attending state banquets hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
A long list of engagements will await in Paris, where Charles and Camilla will arrive on March 26. The King will address lawmakers at the French Senate, open a new exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay, and join the Macrons, along with Camilla, at a ceremony of remembrance at the Arc de Triomphe.
Charles will also “witness first-hand the devastation caused by last summer’s wildfires on the outskirts of Bordeaux,” the palace said, continuing the King’s long-standing efforts to raise awareness of the climate crisis.
On March 29, the royals will arrive in Germany, where they’ll meet Ukrainian refugees and representatives from a joint German-British military unit.
The choice of a new monarch’s first official overseas trip is a significant one, and Charles has opted to spend time with two close European partners of the UK. It marks the continued significance of Europe as an economic and political partner to Britain, despite the complicated post-Brexit relationship that London will hope was at least partially mended this week.
A senior palace spokesperson said the trips are a “chance to look forwards and show the many ways our countries are working in partnership, whether that be to tackle climate change; respond to the conflict in Ukraine; seize trade and investment opportunities or share the best of our arts and culture.”
70 years ago, Queen Elizabeth II went on a tour of Commonwealth countries as her first overseas engagement, starting with a stop in Bermuda.
A 700-year-old chair is getting a facelift for the coronation.
A conservator at London’s Westminster Abbey is carrying out meticulous restoration work on a fragile 700-year-old chair to ensure King Charles III can sit on it at his coronation in May. The ancient throne, known as the Coronation Chair, has been the centerpiece of English coronations for centuries, including those of Henry VIII, Charles I, Queen Victoria and the late Queen Elizabeth II. Westminster Abbey – where the ceremony will take place – describes the chair as “one of the most precious and famous pieces of furniture in the world” and says it is in “remarkable condition” given its age. Nevertheless, it must still undergo some conservation work ahead of the ceremony to crown the King and Queen Consort on May 6. Get the full story here.
It’s a story that’s been bubbling all week since British newspaper The Sun reported that the Sussexes were being evicted from their UK base of Frogmore Cottage in Windsor by the King. The decision was apparently made after Prince Harry published his memoir, “Spare,” in January. According to the newspaper, Prince Andrew is being offered the use of the cottage instead. He currently lives nearby at the Royal Lodge. Frogmore was given to the couple as a grace-and-favor home, meaning the late Queen Elizabeth II allowed the Sussexes to use it in the long term. However, King Charles appears to feel differently. The couple’s spokesperson confirmed to CNN that “the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage.” Read the full story here.
William and Kate get into gardening.
The Prince and Princess of Wales launched a new collaboration with Life at No.27, a social enterprise that creates therapy allotments to provide mental health support for communities in south Wales. The announcement was made at Brynawel Rehabilitation Center, near the town of Pontyclun, where the first garden will be developed. Annabelle Padwick, founder of Life at No.27, said in a statement that she has “seen first-hand how working with therapy gardens can dramatically improve self-belief and your own mental health” – causes that Kate has long championed. Padwick praised how the “unique” treatment allows those suffering from mental ill health to “process and explore difficult experiences with trained therapists whilst at the same time learning new skills.”
Harry and Meghan’s foundation honors civil rights activist.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Archewell Foundation announced the 2023 recipient of the Digital Civil Rights Award on Monday. The annual award, launched last year, recognizes long-term contributors to the digital rights space whose work promotes equity. This year’s winner is Nabiha Syed, a lawyer and CEO of The Markup, a media outlet which investigates how powerful institutions use technology to change society. “Technology is the architecture of our reality – but unfortunately, that architecture can perpetuate inequality and injustice. Our job now is to challenge technology to serve us all, not just those who hold power and privilege,” Syed said in a statement after receiving the award. The Sussexes praised Syed’s work, which “empower(s) all of us to reclaim some of our most basic freedoms: truth, safety, and choice.”
William has become royal patron of the Wales Air Ambulance charity – his first Welsh patronage since he received the title “Prince of Wales.” The patronage was announced during William and Kate’s visit to the charity’s headquarters on Tuesday, where they met emergency workers and volunteers. William, who previously worked as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance, “has first-hand experience of working in the unique and often challenging air ambulance environment,” according to Sue Barnes, chief executive of the Welsh charity.
“During our visits to Greece we have always been struck by the kindness and generosity of the Greek people and our thoughts, prayers and heartfelt sympathy are with all those who have been affected by this appalling tragedy.”King Charles III
The British monarch sent a message of condolence to the President of Greece following Tuesday’s deadly train crash, which killed more than 50 people. King Charles said he and wife Camilla have been “most shocked and profoundly saddened by the news of the dreadful accident” and wanted to “express our deepest possible condolences.”
According to reports today, a day following the publication of Harry’s memoir Spare, King Charles III ordered the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to vacate Frogmore Cottage.
The spokeswoman for Harry and Meghan stated this evening that the couple had received a “request” to vacate their residence.
We can confirm that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been asked to leave their home at Frogmore Cottage, the official added.
It’s uncertain whether the Sussexes will attend King Charles’ coronation in two months (Picture: Getty Images)
This means the couple will no longer have their last remaining home in the UK.
It comes after Omid Scobie, one of the authors behind the Harry and Meghan biography Finding Freedom, claimed the couple were told the home was needed for ‘someone else’.
Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the Royal Firm plummeted to an ‘all-time low’ after Harry’s emotional and embittered memoir was released.
Writing for Yahoo, Scobie said: ‘It’s news, sources tell me, that has left Harry and Meghan stunned, and at least two members of the Royal Family “appalled”.’
He claimed the Sussexes have until the King’s Coronation in May to leave the home – a ‘clear sign of just how sour relations’ have become.
Their belongings will be shipped to their home in Montecito, California, it is understood.
It has been reported that the property has been offered to Prince Andrew, the disgraced Duke of York accused of raping a woman three times.
Prince Andrew, accused by Virginia Giuffre of raping her while she was a teenager, has reportedly been offered the five-bedroom house (Picture: AP)Harry previously claimed that an icy Charles eventually stopped returning his calls (Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo)
Spare was released in January and became the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever.
The tell-all memoir was heavily critical of the royals and saw Harry open up about his time in Afghanistan and scuffles with his brother, Prince William.
He and Meghan moved away from the monarchy in 2020 as they felt increasingly isolated within Windsor Castle and targeted too frequently by the British press.
Since then, Harry said his family have shown little interest in extending an olive branch.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph last month, Harry acknowledged that his family would find it hard to forgive him after he split from royal life.
He said: ‘Some of the stuff I’ve put in there, well, they will never forgive me anyway.
‘But the way I see it is, I’m willing to forgive you for everything you’ve done.’
“Blended” royal families have never received a lot of favours in fairy tales. The evil stepmother and ugly stepsisters in the story of Cinderella attempted to prevent the rightful owner of the glass slipper from marrying Prince Charming. The stepmother is always portrayed as the antagonist in Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, and Snow White.
There hasn’t been much done to dispel the myth of the “wicked stepmother,” not even in our own Royal family.
When it comes to adjusting to the arrival of their father’s second wife after the passing of their cherished mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex at times have resembled a modern-day version of the Brothers Grimm folk tales.
Indeed, Harry’s autobiography Spare, which was highly critical of the Queen Consort, did little to alter perceptions of tensions at the heart of the monarchy over the woman Diana famously described as the “third person” in her marriage to Charles.
Yet there is a changing of the guard under way in the Royal family which looks set to finally propel Camilla to the top of the House of Windsor hierarchy after two decades spent as her husband’s “plus one”.
As she prepares to be crowned alongside the King on May 6, the 75-year-old divorcee is set to be given equal billing at the biggest royal event in 70 years.
It is not only a reflection of Charles III’s sense of devotion to the woman he describes as the “love of my life” but also designed to reflect a sense of the Royal family’s “realness” back to the public.
Not so much a nuclear family, as a thermonuclear one, over recent decades The Firm’s family sagas have played out somewhat like a running soap opera.
Extramarital affairs, divorces, and separations used to be the common thread of the most sordid royal headlines—until Harry and Meghan started lobbing even more explosive grenades from across the pond.
Yet while the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ popularity has nosedived in the UK since they first started washing the family linen on Oprah Winfrey’s primetime laundrette, in the wake of “Megxit” the public appears to find the Royals even more relatable.
Yes – William and Kate’s reputations took a bit of a kicking with tales of hormonal disagreements and fights over dog bowls.
But one unintended consequence of Harry’s memoir has been to make his nearest and dearest appear, as the late Queen once put it, as “like all the best families” with its “share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters, and of disagreements”.
King Charles has insisted that Camilla be placed on an almost equivalent footing to his own – a reflection of his devotion to her – Chris Jackson/Pool via REUTERS
While described by one royal source as a “bold move”, the decision to include Tom Parker Bowles’s children Lola, 15, and Freddy, 13, in the coronation alongside Camilla’s daughter Laura Lopes’s children Eliza, 15, and twins, Louis and Gus, 13, speaks to a generation for whom blended families are now the norm.
It is still to be decided how the youngsters, who affectionately call the Queen Consort “GaGa”, are to be included in the ceremony amid suggestions they may be asked to carry the Coronation “canopy” under which their grandmother will be anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
But regardless of the finer details, the inclusion of the five teenagers is designed to send a strong message that Charles and Camilla are a couple who reflect the realities of modern life.
Unlike in 1953, when royal children were seen and not heard at the coronation of Elizabeth II, step-parents and stepchildren are now common as a result of divorce. And as Buckingham Palace has stressed from the very beginning, the coronation “will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in long standing traditions and pageantry”.
A significant role is also being planned for Prince George, nine, not only as the King’s oldest grandchild but second in line to the throne. As one source told The Sunday Times: “It sends a nice signal and is quite a bold move. It is another example of the King and Queen Consort being unafraid to shake things up a bit to reflect the realities of modern life, of which a blended family is a central element.”
Yet what might this mean for frosty royal relations with Harry and Meghan? With the couple set to be invited to the long bank holiday weekend of celebrations, but with no word yet on whether they will actually attend, the move to include some grandchildren but not others is likely to ruffle feathers in Montecito.
Harry already felt forced out by the late Queen and his father seemingly prioritising public appearances with William and George to his own immediate family. What he is likely to make of the Parker Bowles clan being front and centre is anyone’s guess (although he is said to get on well with his stepsiblings Tom and Laura, who were both invited to the royal wedding in 2018).
Laura’s daughter Eliza has already had a taste of a major royal occasion having been bridesmaid at William and Kate’s wedding in 2011, when a then Prince Charles was pictured holding her on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Charles holding Eliza – James Devaney/FilmMagic
Although now estranged from his youngest son, the truth is that Charles has grown extremely close to Camilla’s children and grandchildren, who spend a great deal of time at her private property, Ray Mill House, in Lacock, Wiltshire, which boasts an outdoor swimming pool. Although these teenagers may be strangers to the public – they are as much a part of the King and Queen Consort’s everyday lives as the likes of George, Princess Charlotte, seven, and four-year-old Prince Louis so it is only natural that the couple would want to include them.
As one royal aide stressed: “It is important to remember that this is a double coronation of both HMK and HMQC”.
With growing talk that she will soon drop the Consort title and be known simply as “the Queen”, the days of Camilla being the “other” woman are long gone.
Royalty has long been a family affair and the blended nature of Charles and Camilla’s brood shows the world that life in the monarchy isn’t a fairytale existence – but a lived experience.
Who’s who in the blended family
Tom – the Queen Consort’s eldest child – is an Eton-and-Oxford-educated food critic who is now in the unique position of having King Charles as both a stepfather and godfather. He started his career in publicity but made headlines for all the wrong reasons in 1999 – an incident involving cocaine at the Cannes Film Festival for which Charles gave him a stern telling off. That didn’t stop him carving out a successful career in food writing, which began with a column in Tatler magazine and has led to a career on television. He married magazine editor Sara Buys in 2005, with his cousin Ben Elliot as his best man. They have two children and separated in 2018.
At one point, there were two Parker-Bowles working at Tatler,as Camilla’s daughter Laura started there as motoring correspondent in 2001 before opening an art gallery in London called Eleven. Laura keeps a low profile. She married Harry Lopes, a Calvin Klein model-turned-chartered-accountant, in 2006, a year after the mother-of-the-bride tied the knot with Prince Charles. Prince William came to her wedding, with his brother and – in one of their early public appearances – Kate. The guests ate fish pie and the wedding cake, made of thousands of chocolate muffins, was cut with Brigadier Parker Bowles’s military sword. The couple have three children.
Harry has impeccable antecedents: on his father’s side he is grandson of Baron Roborough and great grandson of Earl of Mount Edgcumbe (a Royal aide to Queen Victoria), and on his mother’s, he is grandson of Baron Astor of Hever and great grandson of Field Marshal Douglas Haig. There are two stately homes, Gnaton Hall in Devon and the Skelpick estate in the Scottish highlands, in the family.
The Queen Consort’s eldest grandchild is the daughter of Tom Parker Bowles and Sara Buys. It was puzzle-loving Lola that Camilla referred to in a British Vogue interview last year. “I do Wordle every day with my granddaughter. She’ll text me to say, ‘I’ve done it in three’, and I say, ‘Sorry, I’ve done it in two today,’” she said. As a Parker Bowles, her ancestors include Dame Ann de Trafford, commissioner of the Commonwealth Girl Guides Association, and the Earls Cadogan.
You may remember Eliza from her role as the tiniest bridesmaid at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in 2011, when she was just three years old. Now, she’s all grown up. The Queen Consort has said: “The girls are beginning to get into clothes and make-up… it’s rather frightening when you see them, coming out with pierced ears and a lot of new make-up and funny-coloured hair and stuff.”
Twins Louis and Gus were born in 2009. They are similarly close to their royal Grandma, who is known as GaGa, and regularly visit when they are in London. Camilla says her grandchildren have given her TikTok training and shown her how to use the video-calling app Houseparty.
The youngest of Camilla’s grandchildren is Freddy, 13, son of Tom and Sara. He has grown up as one recipient of Britain’s most regal bedtime stories: Camilla is said to have loved reading with her grandchildren and favours Gangster Granny by David Walliams.
Royal Mail has unveiled the final set of stamps honouring the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth gave her blessing to the Flying Scotsman-themed Special Stamps collection before she passed away.
It will be the final set to feature Her Majesty’s silhouette before the new King Charles-themed stamps become available on April 4.
Stamps include London North Eastern Railway poster artwork from 1920s and 1930s
The Queen’s silhouette has been in constant use on Royal Mail’s Special Stamps since 1968 and for more than 50 years the programme has commemorated anniversaries and celebrated events related to UK heritage and life.
Stamps feature a close-up of the train at Shildon, Durham, as well as at London’s Victoria Station
The images feature the train in various locations across the country, such as in a blizzard at Heap Bridge on the East Lancashire Railway or steaming through the town of Blyth in Northumberland.
A further four stamps were released in a miniature sheet that show images of the Flying Scotsman and London North Eastern Railway (LNER) poster artwork from the 1920s and 1930s.
The train is pictured in a blizzard at Heap Bridge on the East Lancashire Railway
The stamps will be available to pre-order from Feb 28 on Royal Mail’s website, while the collection goes on general sale from March 9 priced at £17.70.
The other images on the stamps include the Flying Scotsman in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, crossing the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick-upon-Tweed and as a close-up at Shildon, Durham, as well as at London’s Victoria Station.
Four stamps show images from London North Eastern Railway poster artwork
David Gold, the director of external affairs and policy at Royal Mail, said: “Flying Scotsman is a national treasure of engineering and design that conjures up the golden age of steam travel.
“This remarkable locomotive epitomisesthe romance of rail travel and is loved by people all over the world. We are honoured to mark this landmark milestone with a set of Special Stamps.”
Images of Flying Scotsman were chosen from amongst hundreds of period photographs
Royal Mail worked closely with Bob Gwynne, the associate curator at the National Railway Museum, to select the images featured on the stamps. They were chosen from among hundreds of period photographs.
The King has asked theDuke and Duchess of Sussex to move out of Frogmore Cottage for good to allow Prince Andrew to move in, The Telegraph understands.
It is understood that talks between Buckingham Palace and the couple have been going on for some time but have picked up pace recently.
A friend of the Sussexes suggested that they leave Frogmore, but the couple refused, stating that “they made that place their home.”
They are understood to view the cottage as “the only place left that’s safe” for them and their children in the UK, not least given the ongoing row between Prince Harry and the Home Office over its decision to withdraw his security detail.
It comes as the Duke of York had feared he would be forced out of the Royal Lodge by King Charles, who is on a drive to slim down spending.
The Duke is set to have his £249,000 annual allowance cut from April, and has told friends that this will leave him unable to maintain the 98-acre Windsor property.
However, the King does not intend to leave his brother “homeless or penniless,” a Royal source told The Telegraph, suggesting that alternative arrangements have been made for his accommodation.
Frogmore cottage is much smaller than Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion at Windsor Great Park which has been the Duke’s home since 2003.
Frogmore cottage, with its relatively modest ten rooms, is much smaller than Royal Lodge – Westbury2006/flickr
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex lost their taxpayer-funded police protection in the aftermath of their quitting as senior working royals. In July, Prince Harry won the right to challenge a Home Office decision not to grant him automatic police protection whenever he is in the UK.
The Duke, 37, argued that he inherited a risk at birth and that, as such, he, his wifeMeghan, and their children, Archie, 2, and Lilibet, 1, should be afforded permanent protective security in the UK, regardless of their status as non-working royals.
Prince Andrew horse riding in Windsor Castle – Kelvin Bruce
In asking for a judicial review, he said he had been denied a “clear and full explanation” of the composition of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, otherwise known as Ravec, and others involved in the decision to rescind his security status.
Ravec said at the time that the Sussexes’ plan to live abroad as private citizens did not “fit readily” into any category of its framework.
However, it recognised that the Duke occupied a “particular and unusual position” and that he may need protection in certain circumstances, to be considered on a case by case basis.
The Sussex’ spokeswoman could not be reached for comment.
In a message commemorating the conflict’s first full year, Britain’s King Charles praised the people of Ukraine for their “really incredible fortitude and resilience in the face of such human sorrow.”
The monarch stated in a statement on Friday that “the people of Ukraine have now suffered unimaginably from an unjustified full-scale attack on their nation.”
“In the face of such a disaster affecting people, they have displayed genuinely tremendous fortitude and resiliency. The unnecessary pain inflicted upon Ukrainians, many of whom I have had the privilege of meeting here in the UK and, in fact, all over the world, from Romania to Canada, has been witnessed by the entire world in horror.
The King added that it was “heartening” to see the UK and its allies “doing everything possible to help at this most difficult time.”
King Charles reaffirmed his support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he met at Buckingham Palace earlier this month, and expressed his “personal support” for the people of Ukraine.
When Zelensky was in London in early February, he praised Britain for its steadfast support of his homeland in the year since Russia’s unprovoked invasion. Standing in the historic surroundings of Westminster Hall – the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, where the late Queen Elizabeth II lay in state a few months before – he namechecked former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, an early and steadfast supporter, and commended UK lawmakers for their “strong British character.”
Earlier this week, King Charles visited an undisclosed location in southwest England where Ukrainian military recruits are being trained.
King Charles watched as the troops – many of them civilians with little to no military experience – were taught basic combat training as part of a five-week course delivered by the UK and international partner forces.
He viewed defensive training exercises, including a scenario where recruits stormed a trench amid a gun battle. Scenes reminiscent of World War I trench warfare have been commonplace in Ukraine over the past year.
The course, which has been in operation since last summer, is designed to provide recruits with hostile-environment training. Over 35 days, they learn basic fieldcraft, medical care, marksmanship, weapon handling, and awareness of the laws of armed conflict, among other subject areas.
“You are amazing, I don’t know how you do it. I am full of admiration,” the King said to a senior Ukrainian officer shortly after his arrival, UK news agency PA Media reported.
The British Army’s Chief of General Staff, Gen. Patrick Sanders, accompanied the King during his visit and outlined the training being delivered. He later described the monarch’s visit as “an honour” before adding that the international training effort had so far made 10,000 troops combat-ready.
A 32-year-old Ukrainian high school teacher, who volunteered to fight in the war, told PA: “We’ve been mostly digging trenches for now, how to defend a trench and counter attack and take it back.
“One of my favorite parts was the urban terrain which will be particularly useful for fighting in the Donbas (region of Ukraine). The hard fight there is mostly urban and we look forward to putting these skills to use and pushing the enemy back,” he added.
As well as meeting many of the Ukrainian recruits and their interpreters, the King also spoke with some of the military personnel providing the training – including instructors from New Zealand, Australian and Canadian forces.
One of them said the royal visit had boosted morale. “To hear that The King was coming to visit was very exciting, not only for the Ukrainian recruits but also for those of us who are training them,” said Capt. Freddie Bradshaw, Company Second in Command, 1st Battalion Irish Guards. “It means a lot to us all to know that he is keen to understand what is taking place here.”
The new monarch has enlisted famed British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber to write the flagship anthem for his upcoming May 6 coronation. The King has personally selected the musical program for the service, which will see “a range of musical styles and performers blend tradition, heritage and ceremony with new musical voices of today,” according to Buckingham Palace. Twelve new pieces have been prepared for the occasion. Lloyd Webber, whose hit musicals “Cats” and “Phantom of the Opera” have been performed around the world, said he was “incredibly honoured” to be involved. Lloyd Webber isn’t the only familiar name the King turned to. Find out more here.
Top UK defense minister criticizes Prince Harry.
The UK’s Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, has said he disagrees with the Duke of Sussex’s decision to reveal how many Taliban fighters he killed while serving in the British Army in Afghanistan, adding that “boasting about tallies” lets down others in the armed forces. Prince Harry faced criticism last month from some British security and military figures, as well as the Taliban itself, after he revealed in his autobiography, “Spare,” that he had killed 25 of the insurgent group’s fighters. “So, my number: Twenty-five. It wasn’t a number that gave me any satisfaction. But neither was it a number that made me feel ashamed,” Harry wrote. Wallace, a former soldier himself, told British radio station LBC Thursday that “every veteran makes their own choices about what they want to talk about,” but “the armed forces is not about a tally.” Read more here.
Catherine, Princess of Wales put a thrifty spin on regal elegance at the 2023 BAFTAs on Sunday night, pairing an upcycled Alexander McQueen gown with $28 earrings from fashion retailer Zara. Arriving at the British film industry’s equivalent to the Oscars with her husband, Prince William, the princess turned heads on the red carpet outside London’s Royal Festival Hall in a dress she previously wore to 2019’s awards. But she transformed the look with an altered shoulder design and a pair of opera gloves. Read the full story.
Speaking of the BAFTAs, the Waleses appeared visibly moved when veteran screen star Helen Mirren took center stage to lead a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday night. Take a look:
Watch Helen Mirren pay tribute to late Queen Elizabeth at the BAFTAs
02:46 – Source: CNN
A childhood letter written by King Charles to his “granny” has been discovered by a couple living in Warwickshire, England, as they cleared out their attic during the Christmas break.
“Dear Granny, I am sorry that you are ill. I hope you will be better soon,” the letter reads on one side, carefully written on lined Buckingham Palace notepaper and dated March 15, 1955, when the King was 6 years old.
It was discovered inside an envelope addressed from Queen Elizabeth II to the Queen Mother, providing a “three generation run,” Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers and who is responsible for the sale of the letter, told CNN.
Read more on this story.
Norwegian King’s first ever motorbike restored for 86th birthday.
Norway’s King Harald turned 86 on Tuesday and as a gift from all employees at the Royal Court, the monarch received a “repaired and restored” motorbike that was first given to him 70 years ago. In a press release to mark the King’s birthday, the Royal Court said the King had received a “Husqvarna light motorcycle, model 30 Sport, for his 16th birthday in 1953,” which was “a gift from his father, then Crown Prince Olav.” The Royal Court said the King used the bike until he received his full driver’s license in 1955, when it was sold. During a visit to an exhibition of royal vehicles last year, the King had “asked if anyone knew where his first motorcycle was kept today.” The refurbished bike was presented to the King with its original license plate number in the Royal Palace in Oslo. (With contributions from CNN’s James Frater)
Disgraced art dealer’s family returns rare royal jewels to Cambodia.
While most monarchies’ crown jewels are heavily protected or given pride of place in a museum, dozens of Cambodia’s were, until recently, stashed away in four boxes near London. The pieces have now been safely returned to their home. The crown jewels were among 77 pieces of centuries-old gold jewelry handed over by the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British antiquities dealer and leading scholar of Khmer art who in 2019 was accused by US authorities of trafficking artifacts looted from Cambodia. Get the full story on the return of the royal jewels.
“I can only hope the outpouring of solidarity from across the globe may bring not only practical aid, but also strength from the knowledge that, together, we stand united.”King Charles III in a message marking one year of conflict in Ukraine.
King Charles III has praised Ukrainians for their resilience in fight againstRussia.
The Monarch in a tweet expressed his support for Ukraine and encourage global unity and solidarity.
“It has now been a year that the people of Ukraine have suffered unimaginably from an unprovoked full-scale attack on their nation,” the British monarch said in a statement.
“They have shown truly remarkable courage and resilience in the face of such human tragedy,” he added.
“The world has watched in horror at all the unnecessary suffering inflicted upon Ukrainians … I can only hope the outpouring of solidarity from across the globe may bring not only practical aid, but also strength from the knowledge that, together,we stand united.”
"I can only hope the outpouring of solidarity from across the globe may bring not only practical aid, but also strength from the knowledge that, together, we stand united."
A message from His Majesty The King marking one year of conflict in Ukraine:
The King will be installed on May 7 at Westminster Abbey, with a subsequent ceremony taking place at Windsor Castle.
But, it’s assumed that the two international superstars were ‘too busy’ to perform for royalty.
According to a source, The King had a list of performers he would like to see, and Adele and Ed were included.
‘He was very keen that they were part of the concert.’
They added to Mail on Sunday: ‘There is a team set up to get the talent signed up so they approached the two of them, but got replies saying that they were unavailable, which was a massive disappointment.
The King’s Coronation takes place on May 7
‘They are titans of the showbiz industry and are quintessentially British but also known across the globe.’
‘It’s such a shame,’ the insider claimed.
Thinking Out Loud hitmaker Ed, 32, does in fact have commitments around the time of the Coronation.
A representative for Ed also told Metro.co.uk that neither the star nor his team has even been ‘approached’ about a possible performance.
Ed actually has a show in Texas the day before the Coronation gig, meaning it would be pretty hard (not to mention tiring) for him to make the trip back home.
Ed has a show in the States the day before the Coronation gig Adele is currently performing in Vegas, but her May diary is unknown
However, since Ed has used a private jet in the past, insiders claim it would be possible for him to do so again for the nine-hour journey.
Meanwhile, it’s unknown what Adele, 34, will be doing around the time of the Coronation.
She is currently performing her Las Vegas residency, Weekends With Adele, which have been sell-out hits.
But, these shows come to an end on March 25, with no public events listed in her May diary at the moment.
The Mail also claims the King would like Harry Styles – who is also in the midst of a world tour – to perform, adding that Lionel Richie is ‘close to agreeing’, as are the Spice Girls. It’s unknown whether Victoria Beckham has been involved in the supposed conversations.
‘He was very keen that they were part of the concert.’
They added to Mail on Sunday: ‘There is a team set up to get the talent signed up so they approached the two of them, but got replies saying that they were unavailable, which was a massive disappointment.
The King’s Coronation takes place on May 7 (Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
‘They are titans of the showbiz industry and are quintessentially British but also known across the globe.’
‘It’s such a shame,’ the insider claimed.
Thinking Out Loud hitmaker Ed, 32, does in fact have commitments around the time of the Coronation.
A representative for Ed also told Metro.co.uk that neither the star nor his team has even been ‘approached’ about a possible performance.
Ed actually has a show in Texas the day before the Coronation gig, meaning it would be pretty hard (not to mention tiring) for him to make the trip back home.
Ed has a show in the States the day before the Coronation gig (Picture: AAPIMAGE)Adele is currently performing in Vegas, but her May diary is unknown (Picture: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AD)
However, since Ed has used a private jet in the past, insiders claim it would be possible for him to do so again for the nine-hour journey.
Meanwhile, it’s unknown what Adele, 34, will be doing around the time of the Coronation.
According to King Charles III, Queen Camilla is making progress following a COVID diagnosis.
The King, 74, made a fleeting remark about the condition of his wife while attending Milton Keynes’ celebration of becoming a city on Thursday. Wisher Tazmin Farringto visited Church of Christ the Cornerstone while out and about.
“After suffering the symptoms of a cold, Her Majesty The Queen Consort has tested positive for the Covid virus,” the palace said in a statement on Monday. “With regret, she has therefore cancelled all her public engagements for this week and sends her sincere apologies to those who had been due to attend them.”
The news came nearly a year to the day Camilla’s first COVID diagnosis was announced.
n asked the King how Camilla, 75, was doing.
“She’s getting better,” the sovereign said, according to Hello!.
Charles’ outing came three days after Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen Consort tested positive for the viral disease and would be canceling her week’s planned public engagements.
On Feb. 14, 2022, a spokesman at Clarence House said, “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating. We continue to follow government guidelines.” The palace added at the time that Camilla was tripled-vaccinated.
The Queen Consort had planned to join her husband in Milton Keynes before her latest COVID diagnosis. There, Charles ignored protestors holding “Not My King” signs when he arrived at Church of Christ the Cornerstone.
Royals correspondent Richard Palmer of the Daily Express tweeted that there were about 20 demonstrators. The effort was organized by the anti-monarchy group Republic, which plans to protest King Charles’ coronation on May 6.
Despite jeers from the crowd gathered outside of King Charles III’smost recent engagement, he maintained his composure and continued.
The King, 74, visited Milton Keynes on Thursday to mark the city’s promotion to that status as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. Protesters held up yellow signs that said “Not My King” as he approached the Church of Christ the Cornerstone.
Twenty protesters, according to Daily Express Royals correspondent Richard Palmer’s tweet, were present. The anti-monarchy group Republic, which intends to demonstrate against King Charles’ coronation on May 6, organised the effort.
The King appeared to ignore the protestors and seemed to be in good spirits as he shook hands with people who came out to see him, some waving Union Jack flags. As seen in a video shared on Twitter by Heart News East, a chorus of “God Save the King” rang out in a show of support.
ARTHUR EDWARDS/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY
In December, King Charles kept his cool during a walkabout in Luton when an egg was allegedly thrown in his direction. He was greeting well-wishers gathered outside Luton Town Hall when an egg flew towards where he stood, the Associated Press reported. According to the outlet, protection officers redirected the royal to another point, where he continued shaking hands with the people who came out to see him. Bedfordshire Police said that a man in his 20s was detained and taken into custody, the BBC reported.
Similarly, in early November, the King and Queen Camilla were on a walkabout in York when someone in the crowd threw eggs in their direction, the projectiles landing just inches away. King Charles and Queen Camilla, both 75, were out at Micklegate Bar, a historic gateway in the northern English city where the monarch traditionally enters, when the food was thrown. A protester — who reportedly called out, “This country was built on the blood of slaves” — was detained by four police officers, according to the Northern Echo.
Charles followed in his late mother’s footsteps at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone. The hub was the first ecumenical city centre church in the U.K. and was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1992.
Inside, King Charles attended a reception to meet local groups dedicated to charity, business, faith, the environment and the arts in Milton Keynes, which is about a two-hour drive north of London. He then moved to the Milton Keynes Food Bank to learn more about the organization’s outreach and impact in the area.
The monarch gave a short speech, in which he said he was “delighted” to celebrate Milton Keynes’ new city status.
“So ladies and gentlemen, as you mark your well-deserved status as one of England’s newest cities, I can only offer my heartfelt congratulations and my very best wishes for the future,” he said.
MARK CUTHBERT/UK PRESS VIA GETTY
The sovereign was alone during Thursday’s outing, as his wife, Queen Camilla, has tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time. Buckingham Palace announced the news Monday and confirmed the Queen Consort would be canceling her engagements for the rest of the week.
“After suffering the symptoms of a cold,Her Majesty The Queen Consort has tested positive for the COVID virus,” the palace said in a statement. “With regret, she has therefore cancelled all her public engagements for this week and sends her sincere apologies to those who had been due to attend them.”
Although the royal family was reportedly hurt and blindsided when Prince Harry, 38, and Meghan Markle, 41, shockingly announced that they would be stepping down as working royals in January 2020, rumour has it that King Charles never actually wanted Meghan to be a working royal in the first place and actually wanted her to “carry on working” as an actress. Wow!
The unexpected revelation came from the Duke of Sussex himself, when recalling a conversation he had with his father about Meghan’s future in the royal family in his bombshell memoir, Spare.
When recalling a conversation he and his father had, King Charles reportedly asked his son, “Does she want to carry on working?” to which Prince Harry replied, “Say again?” King Charles then reportedly replied, “Does she want to keep on acting?” which led Prince Harry to say, “Oh. I mean, I don’t know. I wouldn’t think so. I expect she’ll want to be with me, doing the job, you know, which would rule out Suits… since they film in… Toronto.”
King Charles then allegedly said, “Hmm. I see. Well, darling boy, you know there’s not enough money to go around.” Prince Harry then wrote in his memoir that he “stared” at his father after he said this, and then thought, “What was he banging on about? He explained. Or tried to. ‘I can’t pay for anyone else. I’m already having to pay for your brother and Catherine.’”
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