Thread: The Reign of King Charles III begins

Prince William Greeted by President Joe Biden in Boston

The Future King and the President! Prince William Joins President Joe Biden in Boston

Prince William received the ultimate American welcome during his latest outing in Boston when President Joe Biden welcomed him.

On Friday, the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne visited the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, where he was joined by the president.

Also on hand to greet the prince were Ambassador Caroline Kennedy (the daughter of JFK) and her children, Jack Schlossberg and Tatiana Schlossberg, who accompanied William on a tour of the building.

Prince William, 40, chose Boston as the host city for the second annual Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony in tribute to President Kennedy. Inspired by President Kennedy's famed 10-year goal of landing on the moon (known as Moonshot), the Earthshot Prize aims to promote impactful approaches to the world's most pressing environmental challenges over the next decade. (Fittingly, the announcement that the 2022 awards ceremony would be held in Boston came on the anniversary of the moon landing in July.)

During his visit to the Boston landmark, William viewed exhibits from the pivotal years of the Kennedy Administration in the 1960s, ahead of the moon landing in 1969.

At a private luncheon following the tour, William gave brief remarks, saying: "Thank you, Ambassador Kennedy, for that warm welcome and for hosting us here in this iconic building. Caroline, just over a year ago, we committed to bringing the Earthshot Prize to Boston, the birthplace of your father, and the man who inspired our mission. The 2022 winners announced later today are the next step on our collective journey. Their stories are inspiring, and their solutions are game-changing."

"Humans have an extraordinary capacity to set goals and strive to achieve them," William said in a TED Talk last year. "I've long been inspired by President John F. Kennedy's 1961 mission to put a man on the moon within a decade. He named it the Moonshot. It seemed crazy. We'd only just launched the first satellite. Putting a man on the moon that quickly seemed impossible."

But Kennedy inspired people "to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills. In taking that giant leap for mankind, the team behind the Moonshot united millions of people around the world — that this crazy ambition wasn't so crazy after all."

According to Prince William, that kind of ambition continues to be critical as we "start this new decade knowing that it is the most consequential period in history."

"If we do not act in this decade, the damage that we have done will be irreversible," he said. "And the effects felt not just by future generations but by all of us alive today. And what's more, this damage will not be felt equally by everyone. It is the most vulnerable, those with the fewest resources and those who've done the least to cause climate change who will be impacted the most."

On Friday night, the star-studded Earthshot Prize ceremony will be held at the MGM Music Hall. There, five winners from the pool of finalists will be announced. They will each receive $1 million grants to accelerate their project's goals, in addition to support from the Earthshot network.

Earthshot Prize: Prince William announces five winners

Childhood friends in Oman who figured out how to turn carbon dioxide into rock are among five winners chosen for the Prince of Wales's prestigious Earthshot Prize.

The annual awards were created by Prince William to fund projects that aim to save the planet.

Each winner will receive £1m ($1.2m) to develop their innovation.

Prince William announced the winners on Friday at an awards ceremony in Boston in the US.

"I believe that the Earthshot solutions you have seen this evening prove we can overcome our planet's greatest challenges," Prince William said during the ceremony.

"By supporting and scaling them we can change our future," he said.

The winning projects are based in Kenya, India, Australia, the UK and Oman.

This is the second set of Earthshot Prizes awarded, after the first ever awards last year. The prize's name refers to the "Moonshot" ambition of 1960s America by then-President John F Kennedy, who pledged to get a man on the Moon within a decade.

Five Earthshot Prizes of £1m ($1.2m) are being awarded each year until 2030 in support of environmental innovation projects for the future. Nominations for the 2023 prize open up on 5 December.

This year's winners were chosen from a list of 15 finalists by a panel that includes Prince William, Sir David Attenborough, actress Cate Blanchett, footballer Dani Alves, Fijian activist Ernest Gibson and singer Shakira.

William and Catherine handed out awards to the five winners during a star-studded ceremony in Boston on Friday - with celebrities there including Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding, Chloe x Halle and David Beckham.

Who are the winners?

Clean Our Air:

• Mukuru Clean Stoves, Kenya: Kenya's Mukuru Clean Stoves is a female-founded business with mostly female staff. They produce stoves that are fired by processed biomass made from charcoal, wood and sugarcane instead of solid fuels, which can lead to air pollution and accidents that claim four million lives each year, the Earthshot Prize said.

Protect and Restore Nature:

• Kheyti, India: In India, Kaushik Kappagantulu's Greenhouse-in-a-Box helps small-hold farmers protect their crops from extreme weather and pests, in a country that has been severely impacted by climate change.

Build a Waste-free World:

• Notpla, United Kingdom: A waste-free solution from the UK was also among the winners, where Pierre Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez have been able to create natural, bio-degradable plastic made out of seaweed. The company made more than one million takeaway food boxes for the food delivery platform Just Eat this year. More on the UK winner here

Revive Our Oceans:

• Australia: The Indigenous Women of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia were chosen for a programme that has trained over 60 women in both traditional and digital ocean conservation methods.

Fix Our Climate:

• 44.01, Oman: In Oman, Talal Hasan's project 44.01 promises to turn carbon dioxide into peridotite, a rock that is found in abundance both in Oman and globally, including the US, Europe and Asia. It offers a low-cost and safe alternative to traditional methods of storing carbon, which include burying it underground in disused oil wells.

Talal Hasan, founder of 44.01 said winning the Earthshot Prize was "a proud moment" for his team.

"We started 44.01 two years ago because we saw the very real impact of climate change here in Oman," he said.

"Winning the Earthshot Prize will help us scale our solution around the world, and ultimately eliminate billions of tonnes of CO2. Climate change is the greatest challenge we have ever faced but being part of this amazing group of finalists give us hope."

Charlot Magayi, the CEO of Mukuru Clean Stoves, said 200,000 households in Kenya have had access to her product since she launched the business in 2017.

"The Earthshot Prize is going to help us reach one million households," she added.

Pierre Paslier, co-founder of the London start-up Notpla, said when the project started eight years ago in a student kitchen, "we would have never imagined we would be here today".

"No one wants to live in a world full of plastic waste but it's not too late to act," he said.

The ceremony is due to be broadcast at 17:30 GMT on Sunday on the BBC in the UK, and on Monday in the US.

Earlier on Friday, Prince William met US President Joe Biden as part of the royal couple's three-day trip to the US. It is Prince William and Catherine's first big international appearance since the death of the Queen.

The Best Photos from the 2022 Earthshot Prize Green Carpet

A positive of the royal family is the ability of Prince William to focus causes such as Earthshot and generate positive worldwide publicity, unlike the ginger whinger and his bint.

Fvckin’ freak

Originally Posted by Hugh Cow

A positive of the royal family is the ability of Prince William to focus causes such as Earthshot and generate positive worldwide publicity, unlike the ginger whinger and his bint.

What's the difference?



As the tour of the Caribbean showed, the royal family is facing a credibility crisis.

William and Harry are two sides of the same coin, though Harry won't be on one.

^..........

Originally Posted by S Landreth

Jealousy is character flaw.

Proud of your ineptitude with the language, eh?

^Not going to be you who will be crowned.

St Edward's Crown leaves Tower of London ahead of Coronation

The St Edward's Crown has been removed from the Tower of London to be resized for the King ahead of the Coronation.

The historic centrepiece of the Crown Jewels was taken away to allow for its modification before the ceremony on 6 May, Buckingham Palace said.

The movement of the crown was kept secret until its safe delivery. Its current location has not been divulged.

A version of it has been used during the coronations of English and British monarchs since the 13th Century.

This St Edward's Crown was made for King Charles II in 1661, as a replacement for the medieval crown that was melted down after the execution of his father in 1649.

The original is thought to date back to Edward the Confessor, the 11th Century royal saint who was the penultimate Anglo-Saxon king of England.

It is the 1661 St Edward's Crown that appears in the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, the Royal Mail logo and in badges of the British armed forces.

In a statement on Saturday, Buckingham Palace said: "St Edward's Crown, the historic centrepiece of the Crown Jewels, has been removed from the Tower of London to allow for modification work to begin ahead of the Coronation on Saturday 6 May 2023."

The ceremony will take place in Westminster Abbey, eight months after the monarch's accession and the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

It is understood the ceremony will include the same core elements of the traditional service, which has retained a similar structure for more than 1,000 years, while also recognising the spirit of 21st Century Britain.

However, the Coronation is expected to be on a smaller scale and shorter, with suggestions that it could last just an hour - Queen Elizabeth II's lasted about three hours.

It is also expected to be more inclusive of multi-faith Britain than in the past, but will nonetheless be an Anglican service, with the Queen Consort being crowned alongside Charles III.

Guest numbers will be reduced from the some 8,000 of 1953 to about 2,000, with peers expected to wear suits and dresses instead of ceremonial robes, and a number of rituals, such as the presentation of gold ingots, not being performed.

Wanted to get this out before it gets late.

I know the climate denier; who couldn’t tell you the difference between a carbon sink and a kitchen sink, Hugh Cow who was first to praise the Earthshot post wouldn’t want to miss it.

• The Earthshot Prize 2022

The award ceremony was recorded and will be broadcast for the first time on Sunday (4 December). You can watch the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in the UK on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 5:30pm.

It will also be available in the US via PBS platforms on Monday (5 December). The ceremony can also be streamed on the Earshot Prize’s official YouTube channel from 5:30pm tomorrow and is available to stream all across the world.

___________

In other news……

• King Charles donates fridges and freezers to food banks

Funds donated by the King will help hundreds of food banks across the UK store more food by providing them with fridges and freezers.

The white goods will be distributed to local charities and food banks identified by London-based charity, The Felix Project.

Up to 800 fridges and freezers will be delivered between now and spring.

Felix Project boss Charlotte Hill said freezers will enable them to store more food which can be drawn out later on.

"At Christmas we see a huge increase in surplus donations, yet unfortunately in previous years we have had to turn down tens of thousands of kilos of food," she said.

"The new fridges and freezers will enable us to store more food, which can be drawn on later down the line at times when donations dip, as well as reducing food waste."

The £1m fund includes a "substantial personal donation" from the King, a grant from The Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund and donations from a range of funders, the charity said.

Food banks and charities are experiencing unprecedented demand but also fewer donations, as the cost-of-living crisis deepens, it added.

'Beyond excited'

Sarian Karim, the founder of Keep the Drums and Lose the Knife, a partner charity that provides community food and is based in Southwark in south London, will be getting a freezer in the next few months.

"Every day we hear heart-breaking stories from our recipients about how they cannot afford to eat and are skipping meals," she said.

"They rely on the food we give, but we want to help more and to do that we need more food.

"We are beyond excited to be receiving this freezer. It will be incredible and mean we can store more and do more for those in need."

Baroness Louise Casey, a trustee of The Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund, said: "This action will mean many more food banks and charities across the UK will be able to store more fresh food and reduce the tragedy of food waste in the winter months ahead.

"This is the right thing to do for those in need, the sustainable environment, and especially at this time of year when so many citizens want to offer their help."

Could be interesting to learn more about the King, from family.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Netflix Docuseries Release Date Revealed: 'We Know the Full Truth'

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Netflix series has a release date.

Volume one of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's six-episode docuseries, which is titled Harry & Meghan, will begin streaming on Netflix on Dec. 8. Volume two will premiere on Dec. 15.

The intimate first look at the documentary series will shed light on the highs and lows of the couple's love story. In a new trailer released alongside the premiere date, Harry says, "It's really hard to look back on it now and go, 'What on earth happened?'"

"There's a hierarchy of the family," Harry continues. "You know, there's leaking, but there's also planting of stories."

"It's a dirty game," he says.

Meghan then says, "I realized, they're never going to protect you."

Referring to his late mother Princess Diana, Harry says, "I was terrified. I didn't want history to repeat itself."

"No one knows the full truth," Harry adds. "We know the full truth."

The project comes from Oscar-nominated director Liz Garbus, whose previous celebrity-focused features include Love, Marilyn, What Happened, Miss Simone? and Becoming Cousteau.

According to Netflix, "the series explores the clandestine days of their early courtship and the challenges that led to them feeling forced to step back from their full-time roles in the institution.

"With commentary from friends and family, most of whom have never spoken publicly before about what they witnessed, and historians who discuss the state of the British Commonwealth today and the royal family's relationship with the press, the series does more than illuminate one couple's love story, it paints a picture of our world and how we treat each other."

Meghan, 41, and Harry, 38, first signed a multi-year deal with Netflix in September 2020. At the time, The New York Times reported that the Sussex's production hub, later christened Archewell Productions, would exclusively create documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted shows and children's programming for the popular platform.

Meghan briefly spoke about what audiences can expect to see in the docuseries in an October interview with Variety.

"It's nice to be able to trust someone with our story — a seasoned director whose work I've long admired — even if it means it may not be the way we would have told it," the Archetypes host said of working with Garbus. "But that's not why we're telling it. We're trusting our story to someone else, and that means it will go through their lens."

"It's interesting. My husband has never worked in this industry before," she continued, referencing the entertainment business. "For me, having worked on Suits, it's so amazing to be around so much creative energy and to see how people work together and share their own points of view. That's been really fun."

In her August interview with The Cut, Meghan remained similarly vague when asked if the upcoming special would cover their love story.

"What's so funny is I'm not trying to be cagey," she said at the time, proceeding to praise Garbus' acclaim. "I don't read any press. So I don't know what's confirmed. I will tell you Liz Garbus is incredible."

Cameras were seen following Meghan and Harry around the Invictus Games in The Hague in April, likely for a feature on the prince's adaptive sports tournament for injured, sick and wounded service personnel and veterans.

In April 2021, the Invictus Games Foundation announced that a Netflix docuseries about the epic event was in the works through Archewell Productions. Heart of Invictus, the project's working title, would follow athletes as they prepared for the 2022 Games in The Hague.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

It will be a busy winter for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, with Prince Harry's memoir set to hit shelves on Jan. 10, 2023. Late last month, Penguin Random House confirmed that the prince will share his story in Spare, a 416-page memoir where Harry reflects with "raw, unflinching honesty."

___________

King Charles seen for the first time since Harry and Meghan trailer as he attends church service

King Charles is seen for the first time since Harry and Meghan's bombshell Netflix trailer as he attends church service in Sandringham

King Charles has been seen for the first time in public since Harry and Meghan's bombshell Netflix trailer was released, as he attended a church service today.

The Monarch looked pensive as he walked to church on the Royal Sandringham estate in Norfolk, accompanied by a friend.

The King, who was wearing a long brown overcoat and smart brown shoes, made the short walk to St Mary Magdalene Church for the 11am service.

He was greeted outside the church by the Reverend Canon Paul Williams and they shook hands before Charles headed inside.

As he left Charles was cheered up by a member of the public shouting: 'God Save the King' and he smiled and waved.

100+ posts about Charles ?

Are you OK ?

I am neither a monarchist, nor a republican, but I wasnt even aware of the Royal Family Channel. As Brit I cannot help but be amused by the fact that a you tube channel launched in 2010 was brought to my attention by an American.

Cheers SL. I am slightly disappointed that the Princess Royal does not feature much, but she was never one to blow her own trumpet anyway.

First King Charles 50 pence coins enter circulation in UK

The first coinage featuring King Charles III will start to appear in circulation at Post Offices around the UK from Thursday, with millions of the new 50-pence coins bearing the new monarch's portrait given out as change to customers.

The coin with the 74-year-old monarch's image reflects a transition from the Elizabethan age of the late Queen Elizabeth II to the Carolean era of Charles, with the coin also commemorating the life and legacy of the Queen on its reverse.

"Today marks a new era for UK coinage, with the effigy of King Charles III appearing on 50ps in circulation. It's a fantastic opportunity for coin collectors to add to their collections, or start one for the first time," said Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at the Royal Mint.

"We anticipate a new generation of coin collectors emerging, with people keeping a close eye on their change to try and spot a new 50p that bears the portrait of our new King. The Royal Mint has been trusted to make coins bearing the Monarch's effigy for over 1,100 years and we are proud to continue this tradition into the reign of King Charles III," she said.

A total of 9.6 million 50 pences will enter circulation, with the rest entering in line with demand.

According to the Royal Mint, a commemorative version of the coin released in October saw record visitors to its website in the 24 hours following.

"It is a tremendous honour for the Post Office and for Postmasters that the first coinage featuring King Charles III is being released into circulation via our extensive branch network," said Nick Read, Chief Executive Office of the Post Office.

"December is our busiest time of the year so the coin will be entering our network in a phased manner. If you don't receive the new 50p in your change on your first visit to a Post Office you may well get it in your change in a subsequent visit, so keep a lookout for it," he said.

Starting this week, Post Office branches throughout the country will receive the first batch of 4.9 million 50 pence coins bearing the King's portrait, including the Aldwych branch which is close to Clarence House in London - the official residence of King Charles III.

The portrait has been created by renowned British sculptor Martin Jennings and has been personally approved by Charles.

In keeping with tradition, the King's portrait faces to the left, the opposite direction to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II.

The reverse, or tails side, of the 50 pence features a design that originally appeared on the 1953 Coronation Crown, struck to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's coronation at Westminster Abbey and includes the four quarters of the Royal Arms depicted within a shield.

In between each shield is an emblem of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom - a rose for England, a thistle for Scotland, a shamrock for Northern Ireland, and a leek for Wales.

All UK coins bearing the portrait, or effigy, of Queen Elizabeth II will remain legal tender and in active circulation, as historically it has been commonplace for coins featuring the effigies of different monarchs to co-circulate.

This ensures a smooth transition, with minimal environmental impact and cost, the Royal Mint said.

There are approximately 27 billion coins currently circulating in the UK bearing the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, to be replaced over time as they become damaged or worn out. Other denominations of coins will be manufactured carrying the King's effigy in line with demand.

Originally Posted by helge

100+ posts about Charles ?

Are you OK ?

The king could live into his 90's so you'll see a few more posts from me

Originally Posted by Switch

I wasnt even aware of the Royal Family Channel. As Brit I cannot help but be amused by the fact that a you tube channel launched in 2010 was brought to my attention by an American.

you can find current news here: The Royal Family Channel - YouTube

A fine example of Royal brother and sister bombast.

He forces his first born to become PofW, while his sister insists on no titles for her kids. Mike Tindall gets to keep his low rugby club profile. All Zara inherited from her mum was a love of equine form.

Originally Posted by S Landreth

you can find current news here: The Royal Family Channel - YouTube

Seen thank you.

King Charles III meets Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney at Wrexham

A Philly guy, a Canadian and a king meet to talk soccer. It's not the pitch for an unlikely buddy comedy but the result of King Charles III's trip to Wales on Friday.

The British monarch and Camilla, the queen consort, visited Wales on Friday and the royal couple attended a ceremony at St. Giles Church in Wrexham, Wales. They were there to commemorate Wrexham earning "city status" during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebration earlier in 2022.

The visit led to some surreal images when King Charles III arrived at The Racecourse Ground, home of Wrexham AFC. There he met the club's famous owners: actor Ryan Reynolds, the star of "Deadpool," and Rob McElhenney, the creator and star of the FX TV series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

Reynolds, from Vancouver, and McElhenney, from Philadelphia, made the northern Welsh city known outside of the U.K. when they purchased Wrexham AFC in 2021. The club, which finished second in the National League of English Football in 2021-22, has had its ups and downs covered in the docuseries "Welcome to Wrexham."

Reynolds said that he and McElhenney wanted to elevate the club and the city.

"Having the king pay a visit is certainly one way to do it, that's for sure," he told Reuters.

King Charles III unveils first Christmas card as Britain's monarch

For the first time in 70 years, Britain has a new monarch at the helm to bring in the holiday season. The royal family unveiled the 2022 Christmas card on Sunday, featuring King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the queen consort.

"Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year," the card said, alongside a photo of the couple at the Braemar Games in September, a gathering of the Scottish highland games that has been held since 1832. The picture was taken by royal photographer Samir Hussein.

This is the second consecutive year that a photograph of Hussein's has been selected for a royal Christmas card. This year's image was captured on September 3, just five days before King Charles' mother and Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died at Balmoral Castle. She was 96 years old at the time of her death, which came 70 years after she ascended to the throne in 1952.

Charles and Camilla's 2021 card featured an image that Hussein took of the couple wearing face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In it, the then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were at the Royal Ascot horserace, with Charles helping his wife adjust her mask.

Christmas is a major holiday for the royals, with the family traditionally spending it at Sandringham House after attending a service at 16th-century church St. Mary Magdalene. During Elizabeth's reign, she would send about 750 Christmas cards every year to family, friends and members of the royal household, as well as some British officials.

The Royal Family https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/stat...61165600940032

'Edge of the seat' stuff, even by your standards.

King Charles III sent his first sprig of Glastonbury holy thorn

King Charles III will soon receive a cutting from a Glastonbury holy thorn to grace his Christmas dinner table.

The tradition of taking a cutting from the holy thorn to send to the monarch dates back to the reign of King James I in the early 17th Century.

It will be the first time the new King will receive a sprig, which will be sent to Sandringham in Norfolk.

The eldest child from St John's Infant School cuts the thorn, and this year Eris Collins Diaz did the honours.

Speaking after the ceremony, Rev David MacGeoch, vicar of St John's Church Glastonbury, said: "Buckingham Palace are expecting this (thorn) in two days time.

"They will post it or deliver it to Sandringham where the King spends Christmas and he pops it - we hope, because his mother used to do this - in the centre of the dining room table on Christmas Day."

Rev MacGeoch added: "It brings a piece of Glastonbury to the dining room table of the whole of the crown family, which is fantastic."

The Glastonbury holy thorn is unusual because, unlike normal hawthorn trees, it flowers twice a year - once in winter and once in spring.

Legend has it that the first such thorn sprang from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, the saint who buried Jesus, when he visited Glastonbury and thrust his staff into Wearyall Hill.

There was an outpouring of grief in December 2010 when vandals cut down the tree with a chainsaw.

Two years later, a replacement tree on Wearyall Hill was again cut down, and in 2019 the landowner took the decision to remove all vestige of the thorn from the location.

But it is believed the monks propagated the tree through cuttings, and similar thorns also grow in the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey and St John's churchyard.

The King's sprig was taken from the tree at St John's and was followed by a procession through the town.

Originally Posted by helge

100+ posts about Charles ?

Are you OK ?

Definitely not!
Some people need a Fuehrer

Jesus, Kings & Queens, Allah, Dictators, Trumps etc. Bunch of morons if you ask me

The King visits Parliament to unveil tributes to Queen Elizabeth II

The King’s visit

The King unveiled a gift from parliamentarians to the late Queen, which marked the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee, a pair of unique bronze sculptures featuring the heraldic beasts of the United Kingdom.

The King also unveiled a plaque on the floor of Westminster Hall, which marked the site of the Lying-in-State of the late Queen. The installation of the plaque continues a royal tradition that stretches back to King Edward VII in 1910, with today’s unveiling the first time that a reigning monarch has unveiled the tribute.

During the visit The King met with the Speakers of both Houses, as well as the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. The King also spoke to parliamentary staff who had helped to deliver the historic Lying-in-State ceremony, where over 200,000 members of the public paid their respects to the late Queen earlier this year.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, said: ‘Seeing King Charles unveil our traditional gift to his mother, Her late Majesty, was particularly poignant. We wanted to present something long-lasting, beautiful and emblematic of the esteem with which we held our Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee – and I believe these ornate lamps do just that.’

Lord McFall of Alcluith, the Lord Speaker, said: ‘It was an honour to welcome The King to Parliament today, especially for such an important occasion – to give thanks to his mother, Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. For 70 years the country had been privileged to witness her commitment to constitutional monarchy, and was rightfully admired for her loyalty and faithfulness to duty. These sculptures will serve as beacons to future generations, reminding them of the magnificence of her reign and the esteem in which the Queen was held.’

Platinum Jubilee gift

Commemorating a unique moment in the nation’s history, the Platinum Jubilee gift is situated between two previous gifts to Queen Elizabeth II - the Diamond Jubilee window in Westminster Hall and the Silver Jubilee fountain in New Palace Yard.

All four countries of the United Kingdom are represented in the work, including the Lion of England, the Unicorn of Scotland, the Dragon of Wales and the Irish Elk of Northern Ireland. The lanterns themselves, switched on for the first time today by The King, reflect the shape of St Edward’s Crown.

The Speaker and Lord Speaker asked Rt Hon Michael Ellis KC MP, who organised the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Gift in 2012, to lead on this year’s Jubilee project, which as in 2012 has been entirely funded by personal donations from members of both Houses and from across the political spectrum - with no expense to the taxpayer. Members of the public can view the gift from the free-to-access areas of the Palace of Westminster.

Cambridge-based sculptor Tim Crawley was chosen to design the sculptures, working alongside Hampshire fine art foundry Morris Singer. Taking inspiration from the architecture and heraldic art found within the Palace of Westminster, Crawley studied the stone carvings and masonry in the immediate area, creating pieces that are sympathetic to their environment.

Michael Ellis KC MP said: ‘This year’s Platinum Jubilee was unique in the long history of these islands and our magnificent late Queen was honoured across the world for her service and duty. It is a longstanding tradition that both Houses of Parliament present the Sovereign with a Gift marking a Jubilee and these bronze sculptures of the heraldic beasts of the United Kingdom are symbolic of Her late Majesty’s unifying effect on her people, the strength she showed throughout her reign and the elegance and style with which she undertook her duties. The gift has been a labour of love over the past two years for the wonderful artist and the specialist artisans working on it.’