Thread: The Reign of King Charles III begins

• Inquiry into King’s charity ‘would have offended important people’

Asked about the Metropolitan police decision to take no further action in the cash-for-honours allegation involving King Charles’s Prince’s Foundation, the author and former Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker said wearily: “I’m not actually surprised. To have taken action would have offended important people in society.”

Baker, the author of the 2019 criticism of the royal family, And What Do You Do?, wrote to the Met in 2021 calling for an investigation after press reports emerged that a longtime senior aide of the then-Prince Charles had offered a Saudi billionaire (and donor to causes close to the king’s heart) help to secure a knighthood and UK citizenship in return for donations.

That offer, made in 2017 by Michael Fawcett, in a letter to Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, made it clear the Prince’s Foundation (founded by the king, who remains its president) would be “happy and willing” to use its influence to help smooth the way for Mahfouz.

After Baker’s letter, the Met set about considering whether there had been breaches of the laws around the sale of honours and bribery. After 18 months of interviewing witnesses and trawling through documents, and after advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, it decided the investigation would be discontinued.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on behalf of the king – who said he had no knowledge of Fawcett’s offers of help. Nor is there any suggestion of wrongdoing by Mahfouz. Spokespeople for the king have insisted in the past that his charities operate independently of the monarch in matters of fundraising and governance.

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In other news

• King Charles Meets a Notoriously Naughty Pony as He Begins Stay at Balmoral Castle — Just Like Queen Elizabeth

King Charles received an official welcome to Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Following the royal tradition beloved by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, King Charles will spend time at the 7,000-acre estate located in Aberdeenshire in the Scottish Highlands in the coming weeks. The stay in Scotland served as a summer break for the late Queen, where she would spend time with her family and relax (while still reading the diplomatic papers delivered daily in the famous "red boxes").

The King, 74, was welcomed to the royal residence on Monday with a small ceremony outside the castle gates. King Charles, who was recently announced as the new Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, inspected a Guard of Honour of the Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the Pipes and Drums of 4 SCOTS performed at the ceremony.

In what has become another royal tradition, King Charles met Corporal Cruachan IV — a Shetland pony who serves as the mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The King exchanged a few words with the pony's handler and even gave Cruachan a pet on the nose — but the mascot isn't always on his best behavior in the presence of monarchs.

In 2018, the pony relieved himself during the ceremonial welcome to Balmoral Castle, causing Queen Elizabeth to turn away and shield her nose from the smell with her hand.

The previous year, Cruachan tried to take a nibble of a bundle of flowers being held by the Queen during a visit to Stirling Castle.

Queen Elizabeth once quipped, "Here we are again," upon seeing the pony.

At Monday's ceremony, King Charles wore traditional Scottish garb, including a kilt, knee socks and a sporran (a pouch — after all, kilts traditionally don't have pockets!).

The King was also spotted chatting with members of the public who came to see the official welcome.

On Thursday, Balmoral Castle announced that the grounds, gardens and exhibitions of the estate were now closed to the public, hinting that King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family would be gathering at the residence in the coming weeks.

Since 1845 — when Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, purchased the castle and the surrounding estate located — Balmoral has been used by the royal family to entertain friends, hold dances, picnic and go on shooting parties.

Returning to Balmoral will no doubt be bittersweet for members of the royal family this year. In addition to holding special memories through the years, Queen Elizabeth died at age 96 at her beloved summer residence on Sept. 8, 2022 — just days after her final royal duty.

• Royal family announces state visit to France during Rugby World Cup

King Charles will address members of both houses of the French parliament and will have a bilateral meeting with French president, Emmanuel Macron, during a state visit to France with the queen later this month.

The visit, originally due in March, was postponed when pension-reform protests in France spiralled into violent clashes.

The king and queen will be guests of honour at a state banquet hosted at the Palace of Versailles and will meet sports stars as France hosts the Rugby World Cup and prepares to host the 2024 Olympics.

King Charles will address senators and members of the national assembly at the senate during the visit from 20-22 September. Meanwhile, the queen, with the president’s wife, Brigitte, will launch a Franco-British literary prize at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

The king and Macron will attend a sustainability reception for British and French business leaders to hear more about their plans to invest in order to protect biodiversity and combat the climate crisis.

The royal couple will then travel to Bordeaux, which is home to a large number of British residents and is twinned with Bristol. The king will meet emergency workers and communities affected by the 2022 Bordeaux wildfires at the Forêt Experimentale, a site designed to monitor the responses of urban forests to global heating. He and the queen will also meet UK and French military personnel to hear more about how France and Britain are collaborating on defence.

The couple will end their tour with a visit to an organic vineyard that has pioneered a sustainable approach to winemaking. The vineyard generates its own solar energy and captures and converts the carbon dioxide it produces.

Chris Fitzgerald, deputy private secretary to the king, said: “The state visit will celebrate Britain’s relationship with France, marking our shared histories, culture and values. It will also provide an opportunity to look forwards and demonstrate the many ways the UK and France are working together, whether that be to promote and protect biodiversity, combat climate change, strengthen security and defence ties in response to the conflict in Ukraine or recognise outstanding cultural achievement.

“As well as speaking to the strength of the UK’s bilateral relationship with France, their majesties’ visit will include engagements highlighting sustainability and the power of community – key themes of importance to the citizens of both our nations.”

A senior Foreign Office official said it would be an “important” visit taking place in the context of a relationship that had been “steadily improving” since Rishi Sunak’s Paris summit with Macron in March.

“This really is an absolutely massive relationship, both government to government and people to people,” he said. “It’s what we call a full-spectrum relationship, ranging through defence, trade, migration … and a key part of it is sustainability and our work together on the environment, both with each other and in the world.”

The fact it had been rearranged so swiftly, thanks to great flexibility on both sides, he added, was “testament to how important we both see this”.

• King Charles: What sort of monarch has he been in his first year?

On the first anniversary of his reign, King Charles will be spending the day "quietly and privately" at Balmoral, with prayers and reflections on the life of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died one year ago.

It's the way the late Queen used to mark the date of her own accession to the throne and the death of her father.

It's a highly appropriate image of continuity, because this year has been much more about stability and reassurance than about change or reform.

Any expectations of a modernising monarch have so far been put on hold.

"It's been surprising in its lack of surprises," says royal commentator, Pauline Maclaran. "People have very quickly become used to him as King."

It has been a "softly, softly" approach, with an emphasis on keeping the ship steady rather than a dramatic new direction, says Prof Maclaran, of Royal Holloway, University of London.

"He's been his mother's son this year," adds royal historian Anna Whitelock.

It's almost felt like an "unofficial mourning period", with any changes likely to come later in his reign, says Prof Whitelock, professor of the history of modern monarchy at City, University of London.

"It's been a sense of 'not much to see here', which would be seen as a positive," she says.

The rhythm and rituals of the royal year have largely been kept in place. The rotation through big annual events and stately homes has stayed much the same.

"Monarchy is a long game," says royal historian Heather Jones.

A monarch doesn't have a political cycle where they have to make an immediate impact. She believes King Charles has had a quietly successful first year, gaining public acceptance following his mother's long reign, managing the transition and avoiding any disasters.

The checklist of achievements includes a first state visit to Germany, widely seen as a diplomatic success.

And in terms of a change in tone, the Coronation ceremony was a carefully curated display of a more diverse, multi-faith Britain, made up of what the King has called a "community of communities".

There was embarrassment over the Ngozi Fulani race row - in which a black British guest at Buckingham Palace was repeatedly asked where she was "really from". Yet it was resolved swiftly and ended with messages of reconciliation.

Concerns about the King overstepping the mark into political matters haven't yet materialised, although he's maintained his interest in environmental campaigns.

The transition to "Queen Camilla" has also happened without ruffling too many feathers, with the halfway house of Queen Consort dropped at the Coronation.

Camilla has carried out one of the more modernising changes, scrapping the archaic sounding "ladies in waiting". She's also continued to campaign over domestic violence, a subject unlikely to have been addressed by previous generations of royals.

But there are still some doubters over her use of the title "Queen". Princess Diana's former private secretary, Patrick Jephson, says he would have preferred "Princess Consort".

"After all, Prince Philip managed as Prince Consort for all his time as the Queen's husband," he says.

Challenges ahead – much more in the article

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• King Charles Reflects On 1 Year Without Queen Elizabeth

King Charles Releases Emotional Statement Marking 1 Year Since Queen Elizabeth's Death

“In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us,” Charles said in a Buckingham Palace statement, shared with HuffPost on Thursday.

“I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all,” the king said.

• King Charles meets well-wishers on Tomintoul trip

The King has met school pupils and seen first hand the efforts to breathe new life into a village in Moray.

King Charles III visited Tomintoul during his summer break at the Balmoral Estate in nearby Aberdeenshire.

His itinerary included a new £3.3m energy efficient housing project which it is hoped will revitalise the village.

He again wore a kilt made from the King Charles III tartan, which was first seen in public a couple of weeks ago.

The Dufftown Pipe Band performed in anticipation of The King's arrival.

He was welcomed by local school and nursery pupils, some wearing homemade crowns and others waving both Saltires and Union flags.

When Charles met residents of an affordable housing site, he conversed in French with some of them.

Another member of the local community described the King as a neighbour.

Alasdair Sharp, 79, said: "It's very good for the community that the King is visiting.

"To come to our little community is pretty important, we are neighbours."

The King is continuing his mother's tradition of taking a summer holiday at Balmoral Castle on Royal Deeside in Aberdeenshire.

King Charles grew up visiting Balmoral every year. He went on to inherit the neighbouring Birkhall estate from his grandmother, the Queen Mother, upon her death in 2002.

• King Charles and Queen Camilla will begin three-day state visit to France today

Versailles Palace celebrates 400th anniversary; hosts King Charles III

France is rolling out the red carpet for King Charles III's state visit at one of its most magnificent and emblematic monuments: the Palace of Versailles, which celebrates its 400th anniversary.

Charles and Queen Camilla's three-day trip to Paris and Bordeaux, starting Wednesday, includes a grand dinner at Versailles in the presence of over 150 guests in the Hall of Mirrors.

The palace has recently opened a gallery retracing its history, from its creation as a modest hunting lodge in 1623 to last century's key diplomatic events — including the visits of Charles’ predecessors.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said Wednesday's dinner echoes the state visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1972, when she was greeted at the Palace by President Georges Pompidou. King Charles liked the idea of following in his mother’s footsteps, according to Macron's office.

Elizabeth II also visited the palace in 1958 and 10 years earlier, four years before her coronation in 1952.

Catherine Pégard, president of the Palace of Versailles, praised the “never-ending story” of the palace that “includes visits from French children who come to Versailles with their classes, as well as visits from His Majesty the King of England or tourists who arrive from Asia and are less familiar with the history."

"And we have a story to tell each one of them,” she told The Associated Press.

Usually filled with a chaotic crowd of photo-snapping tourists from across the world, the Hall of Mirrors will be closed to visitors Wednesday to prepare for the royal banquet.

On the menu : blue lobster and crab followed by Bresse poultry and a gratin of cep mushrooms prepared, respectively, by French chefs Anne-Sophie Pic and Yannick Alléno, both awarded three Michelin stars. The cheese course will feature France's Comté and Britain's Stichelton blue cheese. For dessert, world-famous pastry chef Pierre Hermé will prepare his rose macaroon cookie, composed of rose petal cream, raspberries and lychees.

Charles' visit will make one more date in the Palace's long history starting from King Louis XIII, to the French revolution and all the way to modern times that is being presented on its ground floor into the newly opened Gallery of the History of the Palace.

The gallery has 11 rooms, each thematic and largely chronological, presenting over 120 works aimed at providing visitors from across the world with an immediate understanding of the complex history of the palace.

It brings together recently acquired works alongside paintings and artworks that for many years had gone unseen as they’d been in storage, along with others that are now repositioned and better enhanced.

Laurent Salomé, director of the National Museum of the Palace of Versailles and Trianon, said the exhibit features a number of masterpieces.

“Our intention was to create a first great moment of pleasure for visitors. First of all, because they’ve traveled a long way. For a long time, they’ve dreamed of Versailles. We didn’t want to give them a boring lesson to start their visit," he said.

Some artworks come from the original version of the palace and its gardens under its great builder Louis XIV, who decided to expand his father’s hunting lodge.

It's “a history made by not just one monarch, it’s also an enormous team of artists — and the greatest artists. A good thing about absolute monarchy is to be able to gather all the best people at the same place,” Salomé stressed.

Today the Palace contains 2,300 rooms spread over 63,154 square meters (679,784 square feet).

The historical gallery also offers the opportunity to discover anecdotes about the Palace’s life — like some panels in the “Chinese chamber” of Queen Marie Leszczynska, Louis XV's wife, that she in part painted herself.

In the last rooms, visitors can see the famous desk where the 1919 Treaty of Versailles was signed that formally ended World War I, as well as photos and archival video of heads of states and royalty honored at the palace during the 20th century.

“The idea is also to show that there is a gradual transformation of the Château de Versailles, which has always remained alive through the centuries, from its creation to the present day,” Salomé said.

• France rolls out the red carpet for King Charles III's state visit

Britain’s King Charles III praised France’s “wonderful welcome” at a grand dinner held in his honor Wednesday night at the sumptuous Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles, marking his state visit meant to underline the friendship between both nations.

In a toast mostly pronounced in French, the king said that “once again, France and the French people have shown a warm welcome and profound kindness, for which we are most grateful.”

Charles and his Queen Camilla were greeted with great pomp earlier Wednesday in a ceremony at Paris’ Arc de Triomphe by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte.

The trip to France originally was planned for March but had to be postponed becasue of widespread demonstrations against Macron’s pension changes.

“It’s up to all of us to reinvigorate our friendship to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” Charles said in Versailles.

Macron called the visit “a sign of friendship and trust that we truly appreciate and that deeply touches us.”

Women in flowing gowns and men in tuxedos walked down a red carpet rolled out on the cobblestones of Versailles. Some of the guests paused and posed for photographers in a scene reminiscent of the Cannes Film Festival.

Camilla and Brigitte Macron appeared to have coordinated, wearing navy blue evening dresses.

Among those invited were British actor Hugh Grant, writer Ken Follett, Rolling Stones’ singer Mike Jagger, sport figures including football player Didier Drogba and the head of the Paris Olympics organization committee, Tony Estanguet, as well as many CEOs and senior politicians.

The menu included blue lobster and crab followed by Bresse poultry and a gratin of cep mushrooms prepared, respectively, by French chefs Anne-Sophie Pic and Yannick Alléno. Both have been awarded three Michelin stars. The cheese course featured France’s Comté and Britain’s Stichelton blue cheese. For dessert, world-famous pastry chef Pierre Hermé prepared his rose macaroon cookie, made of rose petal cream, raspberries and lychees.

Earlier at the Arc de Triomphe, Macron offered Charles a warm welcome, often putting his hand on his arm and his back. Both smiled as they chatted together.

National anthems were played before a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The jet fighters of the Patrouille de France and Britain’s Red Arrows, the acrobatic teams of the two air forces, flew together above the monument, leaving a trail of red, white and blue smoke in the Parisian sky.

Both the royal and the presidential couples appeared to struggle with a strong wind, which tousled Macron’s hair and forced Camilla to hold on tightly to her pink, beret-style hat.

Paris city centerwas under high security for the occasion, with thousands of police officers and surveillance drones being deployed.

Small crowds gathered behind a wide range of barriers on the Champs-Elysees to get a chance to see the royal parade.

Charles and Macron, followed by Brigitte and Camilla in another car, drove to the presidential palace under escort from the horses of the French National Guard, waving at the crowd.

Macron and Charles held a bilateral meeting at the Elysee Palace, where they were expected to discuss their joint commitment to better protect biodiversity and combat global warming.

The agenda was also due to include talks on Russia’s war in Ukraine and the migration issue as Italy’s southern island of Lampedusa was in recent days overwhelmed by people setting off from Tunisia.

Charles and Macron wrapped up their meeting with a short walk to the nearby U.K. ambassador’s residence.

As Parisians gathered along the way, some could be heard calling, “Long live the king.”

Samia Krari, a law student, said she waited for Charles because “it’s the first time he’s coming in France as the king of England so that’s something that is fabulous. We want to be there for this special occasion.”

Karim Madiou, a worker in the banking industry, noted that “we say in France that it’s the monarchy folklore … so I just want to see the big deal in real.”

While the U.K. royal family long ago ceded political power to elected leaders, members of the royal family remain Britain’s preeminent ambassadors as presidents and prime ministers jockey to bask in the glamour and pageantry that follows them wherever they go.

The visit comes amid a recent warming in the Franco-British relationship after years marked by Brexit talks and related disputes.

At a bilateral summit in March, Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed to strengthen military ties and step up efforts to prevent migrants from crossing the English Channel.

“We know that the British and French relationship has been difficult at times since 2016,” Ed Owens, a historian of the British monarchy, told The Associated Press.

“This move on the part of the British state to send the king to France is about reassuring the people of France, but also the people of the U.K. that this is a relationship of significant important and that it is based on history, heritage and that there are many other things in our shared futures that connect us.”

On Thursday, Charles will address French lawmakers at the Senate.

He will later rejoin Macron in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral to see the renovation work aimed at reopening the monument by the end of next year.

Charles and Macron will also attend a reception for British and French business leaders about financing climate-related and biodiversity projects.

The king will end his trip Friday with a stop in Bordeaux, home to a large British community. He will meet emergency workers and communities affected by the 2022 wildfires in the area and visit the Forêt Experimentale, or experimental forest, a project designed to monitor the impact of climate on urban woodlands.

He will also tour a vineyard that has pioneered a sustainable approach to wine making.

In Pictures: King Charles and Queen Camilla on state visit to France

I see Chas, the 'ahead of his time' environmentalist, flew there.

His mother travelled there by train on her last two visits.

• King Charles III proposes France-UK ‘partnership for sustainability’ to tackle climate emergency

King Charles III on Thursday followed in his mother Queen Elizabeth II's footsteps by addressing lawmakers in the French upper chamber of parliament with a speech calling for strengthened ties to help tackle the world's environmental challenges.

Charles focused on a message of unity between France and the UK, ending with a personal pledge to strengthen what he described as the “indispensable” relationship between the two countries during his time as monarch.

"For the time that is granted to me as king, I pledge to do whatever I can to strengthen the indispensable relationship between the United Kingdom and France," he said.

He emphasised the political, historical and cultural links between the two nations as well as the mutual challenges France and the UK both face. A shared determination and alliance were “more important than ever” in the context of the war in Ukraine, and to protect the world from environmental threats, he said.

Charles suggested that France and Britain should team up to jointly tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies with a new version of the 1904 Entente Cordiale pact that sealed the friendship between Paris and London.

"I would like to propose it also becomes an 'Entente pour la Durabilité' (Partnership for Sustainability) in order to tackle the global climate and biodiversity emergency more effectively," he said.

The king also referenced the late Queen Elizabeth II, herself a popular figure in France, who addressed the Senate in 2004. Charles thanked France for the “great kindness” it had shown the royal family and the UK following her death in September 2022.

The king’s speech, which he delivered in English and French, received a warm reception from French lawmakers, who gave a standing ovation as it came to a close.

Charles' speech at the Senate, France's upper house of parliament, was the diplomatic high point of a more informal day.

He will then visit the northern Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis – home to the French national stadium used for the Rugby World Cup, and the Olympics next year – where he is expected to see residents and sports stars.

Also heading to the Île de la Cité on the river Seine, Charles will tour a flower market named after Queen Elizabeth II on her last state visit in 2014.

From there, he will view renovation and reconstruction work at the nearby Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was partially destroyed by a devastating fire in 2019.

Following the fire, Charles said in an emotional message to Macron that he was "utterly heartbroken", calling Notre-Dame "one of the greatest architectural achievements of Western civilisation".

The Paris leg of the state visit wraps up with a formal farewell from Macron at the Élysée Palace.

• King Charles ends state visit to France in Bordeaux with focus on the environment

King Charles III and Queen Camilla end their three-day state visit to France with a stop in Bordeaux.

After pageantry and politics in Paris, Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla ended their three-day state visit to France with a trip to the world renowned Bordeaux wine region. And a focus on one of the King's more personal passions, the environment.

Severe drought last year forced Bordeaux's earliest-ever harvest, and the region - which depends heavily on wine exports - has long been working to adapt to climate change.

The British monarch met emergency workers affected by last year's region wildfires and visited an experimental forest designed to monitor the impact of climate change on urban woodlands.t.

The couple also visited a vineyard known for its sustainable approach to wine making, in a region where wine exports are a pillar of the economy.

The overall visit was aimed at shoring up Britain and France's 'entente cordial' alliance, which has been strained in recent years by disputes over Brexit, migration and other issues.

Locals waved French and British flags, and some shouted “God Save The King," as the royal couple greeted well-wishers outside Bordeaux's town hall.

Charles’ warm words toward France have been met with a standing ovation in the Senate and even cheers of “Long Live the King!”

King Charles goes to Bordeaux to visit urban forest and sustainable winery

Originally Posted by S Landreth

After pageantry and politics in Paris, Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla ended their three-day state visit to France with a focus on one of the King's more personal passions, the environment.

I expect it actually ended at the airport. He must have the footprint of fookin godzilla in carbon terms.

Sounds like a man after your own heart, spamdreth.

'Large scale' is more globally important than personal changes, of course.

You are still a laughable, spamming hypocrite though.

^facts hurt, don't they?

Originally Posted by S Landreth

^This is always fun. We’ve been over this before.

Remember it’s policy not just what one individual can do. As what recently happen in the US, Australia, Brazil and the EU.

Voting is critical. Everything starts at the voting booth.

What a rubbish cop out.

no,..........just the truth

So, you c&p incessantly because your brain is wired weird, and you don't make much sense at all.

OK.

On a lighter note, this group of bikers (pedal bikes) bumped into King Charles during their bike ride near Balmoral Castle. They saw the king at ~05:00.



It was recommended by my YT algorithm. Channel only has 39k subscribers but this vid has almost 900k views already. Meeting the royal one is good for a YouTuber, I guess.

^I was going to post it shortly

'That was pretty cool': Cyclists enjoy chance meeting with King Charles on Balmoral estate

Nice article, but a bit long. So,……..some highlights.

• Royal diplomacy hits the world stage on 2 fronts — Charles in France and William in New York

On both sides of the Atlantic Ocean this past week, senior members of the Royal Family stepped onto the world stage — and put a prime concern they share front and centre.

In what appeared to be carefully co-ordinated timing, King Charles made his first state visit to France as monarch, landing in Paris the day after his eldest son and heir, Prince William, wrapped up a two-day trip to New York City.

"There has been speculation that King Charles III's reign was going to be more focused on the United Kingdom than on the world stage, because some of these longer tours weren't taking place," Toronto-based royal author and historian Carolyn Harris said in an interview.

"But now we are seeing King Charles III and the Prince of Wales stepping onto the world stage and that is likely to continue in the months to come."

Charles's three-day visit, which wrapped up on Friday, was postponed from March, when there were mass protests over pension reform in France.

This week's trip is only the latest in a long line of royal visits to the country across the English Channel. Charles made 34 visits there as Prince of Wales.

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Victoria's successor, King Edward VII, made a visit to France early in his reign that was "a diplomatic triumph," Rowbotham said, and, among other things, saw Edward speaking in fluent French and "coming up with the soft diplomacy that enabled the Entente Cordiale."

That agreement in 1904 was a friendly understanding between Britain and France that aimed to settle territorial disputes, and it was on Charles's mind as he delivered the first speech by a British monarch to representatives of both houses of the French parliament.

"Together, our potential is limitless," Charles said in French.

"That's why we must cherish and take care of our entente cordiale. For future generations, so it becomes an entente for sustainability to tackle more efficiently the global urgency in terms of climate and diversity."

Rowbotham was struck by how Charles's visit showed "clever management" of both continuity and change.

"Like Edward VII, [Charles] spoke fluent French to his audiences. Like him, he emphasized the long-standing ties and promoted an Entente Cordiale. But Charles's vision was of an entente of cordiality over environmental issues."

Environmental issues were also at the forefront of William's visit to New York, whether he was donning hip waders to step into the East River and get a closer look at an oyster reef restoration project, speaking at an environmental summit or announcing finalists for his Earthshot prize.

"The presence of Prince William wading into the river in rubber overalls meant that the New York Times was giving this project a great deal of coverage," said Harris.

"Wherever Prince William goes, the press follows. And so he has this real opportunity to raise the profile of these environmental initiatives."

Harris saw William's trip as an example of the "shorter, more targeted royal tours focusing on particular issues" that are more common these days, unlike previous generations of the Royal Family undertaking longer overseas visits that focused on a variety of issues.

Rather than a state visit like his father's, William's "was more of a 'private' excursion in that it was not something formally organized by the government," said Rowbotham.

"But that doesn't mean that there are no diplomatic dimensions here, for the monarchy in the longer term and for William, the person who happens also to be Prince of Wales and the next monarch in succession to his father."

Rowbotham also saw William's trip as a "cleverly and carefully managed visit that was timed to whet the appetite for more royal news in the shape of the subsequent state visit" Charles made to France.

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Royally quotable

"I think if we remark on how pessimistic and doom-and-gloom everything is, even though there is a healthy dose of that needed ... it doesn't provoke the reaction from us humans that we would like."

— Prince William, warning against pessimism in discussions tackling climate change, during his trip to New York.

Aussies will need to get used to a new face

• King Charles coins to circulate by the end of 2023

Australian coins featuring King Charles III are set to be released by the end of the year.

Six different effigies of Queen Elizabeth II have adorned the nation's coins since her 1953 coronation.

Now Aussies will need to get used to a new face, as assistant minister for treasury Andrew Leigh revealed when they could expect the change.

"There's a range of things we need to get right," Dr Leigh told ABC Canberra.

"The Mint's dies need to be appropriately tested, each of the dies need to sustain some 200,000 to 300,000 coin printings, so all of that testing process is in place.

"You can be confident that it will take place before the end of the year and we'll have a big announcement on that."

In line with tradition King Charles' portrait will face left on the coins, the opposite direction to his mother.

"I'm keen to make sure we get a lot of those new coins out because I know for the vast majority of Australians, this will be the first time they hold a coin in their hand which has a King rather than a Queen on it. So it could be a big moment," Dr Leigh said.

He said the new coins wouldn't come at a major cost as the mint was regularly updating its dies.

"They'll run their dies with the Queen's effigies on them to the end of their natural life and then they'll just substitute in dies with the King's effigy.

"We have actually had half a dozen different effigies of Queen Elizabeth II during the course of her reign, so to change an effigy isn't as big a thing as you might imagine.

"But of course, it's seismic when suddenly you've got a different Monarch on the coin facing the opposite direction."

Following the Queen's death in September 2022 the Royal Australian Mint produced a memorial coin design which read "Elizabeth II 1952-2022".

Coins featuring the Queen's image will remain in circulation as legal tender.

While King Charles will adorn Australia's coins, he is not replacing the Queen on the $5 bank note.

The Reserve Bank instead decided the new note would feature a design that "honours the culture and history of the First Australians".

The new bank notes are set to take years to be designed and printed, with the RBA to consult with First Australians on the design.

• King Charles coins unveiled at Royal Australian Mint in Canberra

After more than 70 years Australia’s currency is getting a facelift, with images of King Charles III to appear on our coins within months.

An effigy of the king, released on Thursday by the Royal Australian Mint, will start circulating before Christmas.

The first coin to bear the effigy will be the dollar, with other denominations to be rolled out in 2024, based on demand from banks.

Royal Mint unveils new coin design inspired by King Charles

A new collection of coins bearing the face of the king has been unveiled by the Royal Mint, breaking tradition with designs inspired by plants and animals found across the four nations.

The eight designs, overseen by King Charles, depict the flora and fauna found in different parts of the UK and reflect his interest in conservation and nature.

The 1p depicts a hazel dormouse, the 2p the red squirrel, the 5p an oak tree leaf, the 10p the critically endangered woodland grouse the capercaillie, the 20p a puffin, the 50p a salmon, the £1 sees two bees and the £2 coin features a rose for England, a daffodil for Wales, a thistle for Scotland and a shamrock for Northern Ireland.

These coin designs will eventually replace the current shield, which features an emblem of the home nations: a rose, a thistle, a shamrock and a leek, and was introduced under Queen Elizabeth II in 2008.

The coins, ranging from the 1p to the £2, will be in circulation by the end of the year.

Chris Barker, information and research manager at the Royal MintMuseum, said traditionally British colony design had been dominated by heraldry.

“That’s been the key theme for centuries, barring a couple of exceptions. These are a real watershed moment in the history of the British coinage because what we see is a complete gear change, to focus on flora and fauna.”

He added: “These [coins] are very much of our era. They’re reflecting the era of climate change, and also reflecting the monarch from which they are issued under. Charles has spent a lot of his life dedicated to nature and conservation.”

A repeating pattern of three interlocking C’s features on all of the coins, which takes its inspiration from history and the cypher of Charles II. The coins also feature large numbering, which is different from previous designs, and makes the coins more accessible, he said.

Nicola Howell, chief commercial officer at the Royal Mint, said they were hoping to engage younger audiences, not only in the skill of numeracy but also the value of money “and actually being able to have these talking points about the coins.

“The big visual numbers will also help tourists who aren’t as familiar with the British coinage system, and the designs allow everyone to celebrate British nature,” she said. “I hope people can have conversations and [the coins] will spark an interest about conservation.”

The Latin inscription surrounding the edge of the £2 coin was chosen by the king and reads In servitio omnium, which translates as “In the service of all”. It was taken from the king’s inaugural speech in September last year.

The chief Royal Mint engraver, Gordon Summers, oversaw the designs, alongside an advisory committee at the Royal Mint. The coins were created with the support of the RHS and the RSPB.

• Charles meets African business leaders before trip to Kenya with Camilla

The King met African business leaders before his state visit to Kenya and heard about steps to help employment prospects for the continent’s youth.

Charles sat down with members of the African Advisory Board of the Prince’s Trust International (PTI), an organisation he founded and serves as president, and met trust supporters including actor Idris Elba and men’s fashion designer Ozwald Boateng.

At the end of the month, the King and Queen will fly to Kenya for a five-day state visit for a series of events which will highlight UK-Kenya collaborations in areas ranging from tackling climate change to promoting youth opportunity and employment.

Arunma Oteh, a PTI trustee, opened the meeting and told guests: “We carry responsibility to help the next generation.

“Globally it is a particularly challenging period because of the recent pandemic, cost-of-living crisis and various conflicts around the world.

“Prince’s Trust International is uniquely positioned to support young people even more so today.”

The PTI has been working in Africa since 2019 and has 13 programmes in six countries – Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda – tackling the crisis in youth employment, with 4,500 young people supported in Kenya during that period.

During the state visit the King will meet young people in Nairobi who have taken part in the charity’s Enterprise Challenge, a schools-based programme aiming to equip young people with the skills to set up their own businesses.

After the private meeting, Charles posed with members of the advisory board and other supporters for a group photograph which also featured Prince’s Trust global ambassador, Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief of British Vogue.

Today was about how to close the gap between business needs and chronic youth unemployment

Bernard Mensah, co-chairman of PTI’s Africa Advisory Board and president of Bank of America, said after the meeting: “The King took great interest in the practical steps we can take to help more young people into stable employment.

“Africa has the world’s youngest population with 60% under 25 and existing challenges have been exacerbated by the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.

“Despite this, there is much opportunity for young people in growth sectors such as green, creative, digital and healthcare.

“Today was about how to close the gap between business needs and chronic youth unemployment.”