Thread: The Reign of King Charles III begins

• South Korean President Yoon kicks off three-day UK state visit

King Charles welcomes South Korean President and First Lady to UK at start of three-day state visit

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee begin a three-day trip to the UK on Tuesday, with King Charles III hosting his first state visitors since his coronation.

Yoon will receive the full red carpet treatment, attending a state banquet at Buckingham Palace and lunching with the king and his wife, Queen Camilla.

But it will also be about business, with Yoon and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set to agree on deepening cooperation and launch negotiations on an upgraded free-trade deal.

"Trade and investment is expected to be a key focus of the visit, with... trade secretaries from both countries preparing to sign an agreement to launch the negotiations for an upgraded modern, world-leading Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Wednesday," said Downing Street.

The UK government is keen to strike new deals with countries around the world following its departure from the European Union, particularly with fast-growing economies in the Indo-Pacific region.

President Yoon will address parliament in a visit that his office says is a "sign that London considers Seoul a key partner in global cooperation and the Indo-Pacific region".

Yoon will deliver the speech, expected to be in English, on bilateral ties between the two countries and how to boost the relationship going forward, according to South Korean media.

• Blackpink Takes Buckingham Palace in Royal-Ready Fashion

Blackpink in your area! Well…if you’re in the United Kingdom, that is. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to London has birthed one of the most noteworthy international pop-culture crossovers in recent memory: K-Pop group Blackpink at Buckingham Palace.

Not since the Spice Girls palled around with Prince Charles in 1997 has a girl group of this magnitude visited with the now-King. Their contribution to Korean culture wasn’t lost on Charles, who shouted out the group in his address, much to their surprise. While he nodded to Korean contributions to British culture—including Squid Games, BTS, and Bong Joon-ho’s filmography—he lauded the K-Pop group for their environmentalism. “I applaud Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé, better known collectively as Blackpink, for their role in bringing the message of environmental sustainability to a global audience as Ambassadors for the U.K.’s Presidency of COP 26, and later as advocates for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

The bandmates marked the momentous occasion with their own takes on regal fashion. Jisoo pulled a black, textured puff-sleeved dress from Christian Dior’s resort 2024 collection, which hails from Maria Grazia Chiuri’s ode to Frida Kahlo. Keeping the look in the family, Jisoo carried a Dior monogram top-handle purse as well. Rosé, who was seen chatting with King Charles after the dinner, wore a black strapless velvet dress with a sweetheart neckline, which she coordinated with a bow in her hair. She completed her classic look with a black pointed-toe pump.

Jennie contrasted with her bandmates in a sweet, bridal ensemble. The long-sleeved dress was simple, but elegant thanks to its off-the-shoulder neckline and train, which she dressed up with a black platform sandal and a sparkly clutch. Lisa, the only to venture out of neutrals, opted for an aquamarine dress with a regal, cape dress from Georges Hobeika. She accessorized the beaded tulle dress with a metallic gold platform and a diamond necklace.

We have to wonder though, what’s King Charles’s favorite Blackpink song? Our money is on “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du.”

• From Shakespeare to K-pop, Yoon and King Charles celebrate partnership in state banquet

The guy is ancient. He will snuff it soon.

• Blackpink Receive Honorary MBEs From King Charles III at Buckingham Palace

Blackpink were named honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) at Buckingham Palace earlier today. King Charles III bestowed the honor on the K-pop group due to the members’ commitment to raising awareness about climate change. The king specifically recognized Blackpink’s role as COP26 Advocates for the COP26 Summit in Glasgow 2021, where they encouraged millions of young people to engage with the United Nations climate change conference.

While Blackpink members Jennie, Jisoo, and Lisa received honorary MBEs, Rosé was given a traditional MBE, The Associated Press notes, because she has citizenship in New Zealand, where Charles is officially head of state.

Charles presented Blackpink with their medals at a ceremony attended by South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, and first lady, Kim Keon Hee, who are currently on a state visit to London.

• King and Queen bond with South Korean First Lady over pet dogs on state visit

The King and Queen bid a warm farewell to the South Korean President and the First Lady at Buckingham Palace, having bonded over their love of dogs.

Camilla told the President’s wife Kim Keon Hee at the Grand Entrance: “Lovely to meet you”, with the King saying: “Hope the dogs are ok”, as he gave the First Lady a gentle double pat on the arm.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Mrs Kim have a menagerie of 11 pets – six dogs and five cats – some of them rescue strays, waiting for them at home.

Camilla has two beloved terriers, Beth and Bluebell, which she rehomed from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

Charles, in a smart morning suit ahead of audiences at the Palace, and Camilla, in a bright blue royal dress, waved and smiled to Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim, who was dressed in a white jacket and skirt and yellow blouse, as they departed.

Mr Yoon thanked the King for his hospitality, giving him a warm double handshake.

Just before stepping into his car, the President turned and bowed to Charles.

Shortly after, the King met four Korean war veterans from the Royal Hospital Chelsea in the grand Marble Corridor after they were invited to the Palace in recognition of their service during the conflict.

Peter Fullelove, 91, who served in the Black Watch, John Riley, 91, and George Reed, 90, of the Royal Engineers and Trevor John, 92, of the King’s Liverpool Regiment – all dressed in their scarlet Chelsea pensioners coats, chatted with the King and Queen.

The UK visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean War.

Mr Fullelove, who was parachuted into what was then known as Malaya, joked with the King about the perils of all the “bloody trees” and trying to find space to land.

He said of the King, who is Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment: “That brought a smile to his face.”

Charles has his own experience of tricky parachute drops and once got caught upside down during his first skydiving attempt in the 1970s.

Mr John, who was seriously wounded with a mortar bomb in Korea in 1952, chatted to Charles about the conflict, with the King describing what he went through during the war as a “tough” experience.

The three-day state visit saw Mr Yoon honoured with a glittering state banquet attended by more than 170 guests including K-Pop girl band Blackpink, who were later personally presented with honorary MBEs by the King for their green efforts.

On Tuesday, the Queen gave Mrs Kim a pashmina hand embroidered with the Mugungwha – the national flower of South Korea – and the names of the First Lady’s dogs, created by embroiderers from The Royal School of Needlework.

Mrs Kim has been a vocal critic of dog meat consumption.

It was reported last week that South Korea aims to ban eating dog meat and put an end to the controversy over the ancient custom amid growing awareness of animal rights.

Mr Yoon was welcomed to Downing Street on Wednesday by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to sign The Downing Street Accord – a long-term agreement covering defence and technology co-operation.

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• Revealed: King Charles secretly profiting from the assets of dead citizens

The king is profiting from the deaths of thousands of people in the north-west of England whose assets are secretly being used to upgrade a commercial property empire managed by his hereditary estate, the Guardian can reveal.

The Duchy of Lancaster, a controversial land and property estate that generates huge profits for King Charles III, has collected tens of millions of pounds in recent years under an antiquated system that dates back to feudal times.

Financial assets known as bona vacantia, owned by people who died without a will or known next of kin, are collected by the duchy. Over the last 10 years, it has collected more than £60m in the funds. It has long claimed that, after deducting costs, bona vacantia revenues are donated to charities.

However, only a small percentage of these revenues is being given to charity. Internal duchy documents seen by the Guardian reveal how funds are secretly being used to finance the renovation of properties that are owned by the king and rented out for profit.

The duchy essentially inherits bona vacantia funds from people whose last known address was in a territory that in the middle ages was known as Lancashire county palatine and ruled by a duke. Today, the area comprises Lancashire and parts of Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Cumbria.

A leaked internal duchy policy from 2020 gave officials at the king’s estate licence to use bona vacantia funds on a broad array of its profit-generating portfolio. Codenamed “SA9”, the policy acknowledges spending the money in this way could result in an “incidental” benefit to the privy purse, the king’s personal income.

Properties identified in other leaked documents as eligible for use of the funds include town houses, holiday lets, rural cottages, agricultural buildings, a former petrol station and barns, including one used to facilitate pheasant and partridge shoots in Yorkshire.

Upgrades include new roofs, double-glazing windows, boiler installations and replacements of doors and lintels. One document references the renovation of an old farmhouse in Yorkshire, helping transform it into a high-end residential let. Another upgrade is helping turn a farm building into commercial offices.

Three sources familiar with the duchy’s expenditure confirmed the estate was using revenues collected from dead citizens to refurbish its profitable property portfolio, making considerable savings for the estate. One said duchy insiders regarded the bona vacantia expenditure, which has until now not been publicly disclosed, as akin to “free money” and a “slush fund”.

The diversion of bona vacantia funds in this way has proven a financial boon to the king’s estate. The practice is helping make rental properties more profitable, which indirectly benefits the king, who receives tens of millions in duchy profits each year – income that Buckingham Palace says is “private”. Earlier this year, in his first annual payout since inheriting the estate from his mother, Charles received £26m from the Duchy of Lancaster.

The Guardian identified dozens of people whose money has been transferred to the king’s hereditary estate after they died in the north-west in places such as Preston, Manchester, Burnley, Blackburn, Liverpool, Ulverston and Oldham. Several had been living in rundown properties or social housing that contrast with the high-end duchy properties being transformed with the money they left behind.

Some of their surviving friends were aghast to learn their assets were being used to renovate the king’s properties, calling the practice “disgusting”, “shocking” and “not ethical”.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment. A Duchy of Lancaster spokesperson indicated that, following his mother’s death, the king endorsed the continuation of a policy of using bona vacantia money on “the restoration and repair of qualifying buildings in order to protect and preserve them for future generations”.

Nice to see BlackPink at the Palace getting an award

http://https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/23/revealed-king-charles-secretly-profiting-from-the-assets-of-dead-citizens

Not a story that should be buried under some piffle about royal pets.

Originally Posted by cyrille

buried

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• King’s estate facing questions over £14m in ‘bona vacantia’ not donated to charity

Aroyal insignia shines from the heart of a stained glass window in the Savoy chapel in London. The ornate 150-seat church is tucked incongruously between the theatres of the Strand, the Savoy hotel and the Thames.

It was built on land previously occupied by a palace that was torn down during the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt against the inequities of feudalism. More than 600 years later, a remnant of that feudal system still funds the chapel.

he Duchy of Lancaster, a land and property estate that raises “private” income for the king, collects the assets of people who die with no will or known relatives hundreds of miles away in Lancashire, as well as in parts of Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Cumbria.

The duchy then helps divert millions of pounds of those assets south to help pay for the maintenance of what is sometimes called “the king’s chapel”.

There are plaques on the walls recognising philanthropic donations from illustrious benefactors such as Harriet De Wint and King George VI. Yet there are no signs marking the contributions from thousands of deceased northerners whose assets – known as bona vacantia – maintain the chapel.

he duchy has for decades said that, after it collects bona vacantia funds and deducts certain costs, the proceeds go to charities, such as the charity that funds the chapel. However, the Guardian has revealed that a significant portion of bona vacantia funds are secretly being spent on renovating properties owned by the king that are rented out for profit by his estate.

Duchy accounts suggest it has collected £61.8m in bona vacantia funds over the last decade. Of those, only £9.3m or 15% of the total has gone to charities. Now there are fresh questions about a further £14m, earmarked for charitable causes, but seemingly not donated. The duchy is refusing to explain why the funds have not been transferred to charities.

‘Historical obligations’

The king’s estate has never provided the public with a detailed breakdown of how tens of millions of bona vacantia revenues are spent, but analysis of the duchy’s accounts over the last 10 years provides some clues.

About £8.6m or 13% of bona vacantia revenues have been parked in a late claims fund, which is used for relatives of deceased people who may turn up in the future to make a claim on their rightful inheritance.

Almost half of bona vacantia revenues – £29.5m over the last decade – have been spent by the duchy on what it calls “costs of palatinate administration and historical obligations”. The administrative costs are understood to be a reference to the operation of the bona vacantia system, including solicitors’ fees.

The reference to “historical obligations” is more opaque. It includes the Savoy chapel but appears in large part to be spent on “upkeep of castles and historic monuments”. The expenditure on this line item has increased significantly over the last decade, from £39,000 in 2013 to £3.5m in 2023.

Once administrative costs and so-called historical obligations are deducted from the duchy’s bona vacantia funds, the remaining revenues are supposed to go to charity. The duchy’s website states that “the balance is distributed” among three registered charities. However, only a portion of the balance appears to have been distributed to those charities.

The charities

The oldest of the trio of charities is the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund, which over the last 10 years has received £1.7m in bona vacantia funds. It uses the revenues and the proceeds of a huge endowment fund to issue grants to support charitable causes in places such as Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

It distributed the money to youth work charities, bursaries for a grammar school that charges boarding fees, churches, clerics as well as the king’s own charity, the Prince’s Trust, which received £6,500 over three years.

The Duchy of Lancaster Jubilee Trust has received £5.4m in bona vacantia revenues since 2013. More than 99% of its payouts over that period have gone to maintaining the Savoy chapel.

The third charitable recipient of bona vacantia funds is the Duke of Lancaster Housing Trust, set up in 2007 with the express aim of providing rural affordable housing. It owns 38 properties, according to its latest accounts. Two-thirds of the properties are rented to tenants with a Duchy of Lancaster connection.

Several of the trust’s properties have been purchased from the duchy itself.

Between 2011 and 2013, the duchy gave £3.3m in bona vacantia funds to the housing trust. Over the following two years, the trust then bought eight properties from the duchy costing in total £1.3m.

The three charities have received £9.4m in bona vacantia funds in total from the Duchy of Lancaster. However, that leaves £14m that has not been paid out to charity but instead appears to have been put aside by the king’s estate.

The Duchy of Lancaster declined to explain why the £14m had not been donated to charities in accordance with its stated policy. It also declined to say whether it intended to use any of the money renovating the king’s properties.

King’s estate collecting assets of the dead is ‘bizarre feudal remnant’, says Andy Burnham

• King’s estate to transfer £100m into ethical funds after bona vacantia revelations

King Charles’s estate has announced it is transferring more than £100m, including funds collected from dead people under the archaic system of bona vacantia, into ethical investment funds after an investigation by the Guardian.

The surprise announcement came amid growing pressure on the king over the Duchy of Lancaster’s use of funds collected from people who die in the north-west of England with no will or next of kin.

On Thursday, the Guardian revealed some of the funds were secretly being used to renovate properties that are owned by the king and rented out for profit by his estate. The duchy conceded that some bona vacantia revenues are financing the restoration of what it calls “public and historic properties”.

However, the king’s estate has also been battling separate questions over its management of another portion of bona vacantia funds that are given to its charities.

Two of those charities have used bona vacantia to build major endowment funds worth more than £40m. Their accounts state that there are “no specific constraints on the investment portfolio in terms of ethical, social or environmental (ESG) matters”, although investment managers are advised to take such matters “into consideration”.

Contacted by the Guardian this week, the Duchy of Lancaster initially declined to say whether its charities had invested in any oil or gas, tobacco, weapons or mining companies. However late on Friday, a spokesperson for the estate announced a change in policy.

“In line with the king’s longstanding support of ethical investing, the Duchy of Lancaster has begun the process of transferring its investment portfolio into ESG funds. This process is expected to be completed by the end of the financial year,” the spokesperson said.

There been no suggestion from the king’s estate that it plans to cease collecting bona vacantia or change how it is spent.

However, the shift in investment policy will bring the Duchy of Lancaster’s approach into line with that of the Duchy of Cornwall, another royal estate that receives bona vacantia funds, which has an ethical investment policy. The king previously owned and closely managed the Duchy of Cornwall, which raises profits for the heir to the throne. When Charles became king, it was inherited by his son Prince William.

At the same time Charles inherited from his mother the Duchy of Lancaster, which exists to raise “private” income for the monarch. Both the duchy itself, and its charities, have investment portfolios. The duchy’s own portfolio, according to its accounts, include equities, bonds and other financial investments worth £74m. That too is now being transferred to ethical funds.

The charities the duchy gives bona vacantia revenues to, the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund and Duchy of Lancaster Jubilee Trust, have also built large endowment funds, worth £18m and £26m respectively.

Both charities’ accounts state they aim for an annual return of £500,000 from their investments, and benchmark the success of the bulk of their stock investments against the FTSE All-Share Index, an index that includes companies such as Shell, BP and British American Tobacco.

Ben Faulkner, of the ethical investment company EQ Investors, said benchmarking against an index could mean replicating investments in the companies involved: “Using an index as a base for a replication strategy is very common, known widely as index tracking. When doing so you will typically have more invested in the biggest companies within the index you are tracking … Shell is the largest listed company within the FTSE All-Share Index.”

In the last five years, the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund has made nearly £2m in income from its investment portfolio, while the Jubilee Trust has made £2.5m.

The Duchy of Cornwall, which collects bona vacantia from Cornish residents, has a clear ethical policy in relation to investments by the Duke of Cornwall Benevolent Fund, which has built a £5m endowment. Its accounts state: “The fund is entirely invested in the Newton SRI Fund for Charities, a global and diversified portfolio of equities and fixed interest securities with particular emphasis on environmental, social and governance considerations, screened against negative socially responsible investment criteria.”

The Duchy of Lancaster’s announcement of a similar policy comes amid growing questions for the royal estate which has long claimed that bona vacantia proceeds go to charity after costs are deducted. In a shift in language, it now concedes funds are additionally spent on “restoration and repair” of qualifying buildings on the estate.

Leaked documents reveal properties deemed eligible for the funds include a suite of properties rented out to raise profit for the king, including holiday lets, farmhouses, a barn on a shooting range and a petrol station.

The duchy collects bona vacantia assets from residents of the ancient county palatinate of Lancashire – a territory that includes Lancashire and parts of Merseyside, Cheshire and Cumbria.

Cat Smith, MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood, said: “Like so many other local people I was surprised to learn the anomaly that means those dying without a will or heir in the county palatine see their assets passed to the king rather than the state. It’s an unjust and archaic hangover from the medieval times and I’ll be seeking advice on how to bring my constituents’ rights out of the feudal era.”

Her comments come after criticisms from two mayors from the north-west of England. “This appears to be a bizarre remnant of feudal Britain,” said the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham. “At the very least, people in the north-west are owed transparency and accountability. They should also have a say on how these proceeds are used. I would call on the government and the Duchy of Lancaster to initiate a public consultation on this issue to work towards a set of arrangements that could command greater public consent.”

Steve Rotheram, the mayor of the Liverpool city region, also expressed concern. “Worthy causes have been bypassed and instead it appears that funding has been spent renovating royal properties. I hope the situation will be clarified urgently and, if money has been misused, it is put back where it should be: with those charities it was promised to.”

• The King will visit Dubai to attend COP28 UAE

His Majesty The King will visit Dubai, from Thursday 30th November to Friday 1st December 2023, to attend COP28 UAE, where His Majesty will address Heads of State, Heads of Government and delegates at the Opening Ceremony. The visit is at the invitation of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and at the request of His Majesty’s Government.

During the visit, The King will meet the President of the UAE and undertake a series of engagements in Dubai, ahead of COP28. The King will have the opportunity to meet regional leaders, to support the UK’s efforts to promote peace in the region, and to demonstrate His Majesty’s strong interest in bringing together people from different faiths and backgrounds.

On Thursday 30th November, His Majesty will meet students and graduates, from across the Commonwealth, and hear about green tech and sustainable innovations, celebrating entrepreneurial business and the younger generation’s role in delivering climate and nature solutions.

The King will later join a Commonwealth and Nature reception, hosted jointly by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA). His Majesty will meet global and Commonwealth indigenous leaders to talk about the role of using traditional knowledge alongside scientific knowledge to address the climate and nature crises, particularly in tackling the increased threat of devastating wildfires.

Afterwards, His Majesty will meet female climate leaders working to address climate change, and to hear about the particular risks that climate change poses to women and girls around the globe. The King will also meet representatives from Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

On the evening of Thursday 30th November, The King will join His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at a reception to launch the inaugural COP28 Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum. The reception, hosted by the COP28 Presidency in strategic partnership with the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), will be attended by global Heads of State and Government, business CEOs, philanthropists and heads of NGOs.

On Friday 1st December, The King will join world leaders at the Opening Ceremony of the World Climate Action Summit, at Expo City Dubai, for COP28 UAE. His Majesty will join Heads of State and Heads of Government for the ‘family photo’ and deliver an opening address at the Summit.

Background

For over 50 years, The King has championed action for a sustainable future. His Majesty believes that everyone has a role to play in tackling even the most complex environmental challenges facing our world. From Heads of State to young people, and from chief executives to local community projects, The King’s unique ability to bring people together has proved a powerful way to inspire solutions and motivate people and organisations at all levels and all around the world.

The King, as The Prince of Wales, previously delivered the opening address at the Opening Ceremony of COP26 in Glasgow in 2021 and COP21 in Paris in 2015.

The 28th Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), will take place from 30th November to 12th December 2023 in Expo City Dubai.

• COP28: 'The Earth does not belong to us'

King Charles III has said humans are carrying out a "vast, frightening experiment" on the planet, taking the natural world "outside balanced norms and limits".

Speaking at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, the monarch said unless we restore this balance, "our survivability will be imperilled". The King campaigned about protecting the environment many years before it was a highly talked about issue, a personal passion that has lasted decades.

King Charles Opens 'Fantastic' University Science Campus in Dubai

King hails ‘fantastic’ climate technologies as he opens Dubai science campus

The King has described new climate technologies as “fantastic” during a visit to open a university science campus in Dubai.

Charles spoke to engineers and students at the new Dubai campus of Heriot-Watt University, which is based in Edinburgh, and was shown a host of technologies designed to combat climate change.

The visit is one of a number of engagements for Charles on Thursday, including several bilateral talks with world leaders, before he gives the opening address at the Cop28 climate summit on Friday.

After greeting well-wishers, Charles was joined on the tour of the university’s Cop28 Cleantech exhibition by Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron, with the UK Government sponsoring the exhibition.

Greeting the King, Lord Cameron said he “would not have missed it for the world”.

Charles said new technology designed to capture greenhouse gases is “really encouraging” as he was shown several green inventions.

They also include fishing nets that can release fish if they are the wrong species, and new kinds of solar panels.

Charles also met Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, with Thursday being St Andrew’s Day. The pair shook hands and shared a brief conversation before the King spoke to dozens of students and staff outside the building.

Before leaving, he formally opened the campus and unveiled a plaque.

Richard Williams, principal and vice-chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, said: “We are deeply honoured by the visit of His Majesty King Charles III to open our campus in Dubai.

“Heriot-Watt was the first British university to open a campus in Dubai back in 2005 and since then, we have grown to become the largest international university in the UAE.

“When our university was founded more than 200 years ago, it set out a clear purpose to benefit society by making education accessible, inclusive and industry-focused – helping our students and academics to have a positive impact on the world.

“We are committed to taking a global lead on sustainability and, as the UAE hosts Cop28, we will be showcasing some of our deep expertise in areas including industrial decarbonisation, energy transition and sustainable logistics.

“Universities play a vital role in advancing knowledge and solutions around climate change, and we are proud to be hosting a dynamic Climate Hub here at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, to help move conversations into action.”

• King given ‘Happy holidays, I love you’ drawing by six-year-old girl on church visit

King Charles was given a hand-made Christmas drawing signed “Happy holidays I love you” by a young girl during a visit to an Orthodox church in Hertfordshire on Tuesday.

The monarch was attending an advent service and Christmas reception at the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre UK in Stevenage.

His visit was part of continued efforts to encourage inter-faith dialogue and a greater understanding of different religions in Britain and abroad.

Six-year-old Taormina approached the King through the crowd and handed him the letter, which included love hearts and the words “Happy Holidays!” and “To: King Charls”.

The King was greeted on arrival by Robert Voss, the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, local councillors and Alan Smith, the Bishop of St Albans.

A 15-minute service including prayers, gospel readings and the Orthodox Creed was held in the Cathedral of St George, with the monarch sitting in the front row of pews.

After hearing a cello and violin performance, the King was led to the church hall, where he stopped to speak to individuals at four stalls showcasing different services held across the diocese.

He shook hands and exchanged laughs as he moved through the congregation of around 500 people, and was also given a fragment from the Coptic Orthodox Altar within the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem by Archbishop Angaelos, the Coptic Orthodox Bishop of London.

• Santa meets King Charles and tells him he's been a 'very good boy' this year

Santa told King Charles he's on the "very good boy" list this year.

The 75-year-old British monarch surprised shoppers at Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre in West London on Tuesday (07.12.23) as he attended the Christmas Market and met with Santa himself at the grotto.

Santa impersonator, Keith Flaherty, revealed his conversation with the sovereign, who he was pictured placing his arm on as Charles beamed, including the king confirming he will be at Sandringham over the festive period as his family has been for years.

Keith said: "I told him he's on Santa's 'very good boy' list and he replied, 'Really?' I also said to him if he was at Sandringham this year and when he said he was, I asked him if there was room for my sleigh to park?"

Charles witnessed a festive carol performance by the local Polish choir.

Earlier in the day, the king met with the various charities awarded the King's Award for Voluntary Service.

• Royal Family members reveal family Christmas card images

Royal Family members have revealed their Christmas card images - with King Charles III choosing a picture from his Coronation earlier this year.

The King and Queen Camilla shared a photo of them wearing their robes and crowns in Buckingham Palace's throne room on 6 May.

Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales have released a monochrome photograph of their family.

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• King Charles criticised for appointing pro-homeopathy doctor

King Charles’s appointment of a pro-homeopathy head of the royal medical household has been described as worrying and inappropriate by academics and campaigners.

Dr Michael Dixon, who has championed faith healing and herbalism in his work as a GP, has quietly held the senior position for the last year, the Sunday Times reported.

While Dixon, 71, is head of the royal medical household, for the first time the role is not combined with being the monarch’s physician. Duties include having overall responsibility for the health of the king and the wider royal family – and even representing them in talks with government.

Dixon, who has a penchant for bow ties and a long association with the king, worked in the NHS for almost half a century and is an outspoken advocate of complementary medicine.

• King Charles visits High Court ahead of Prince Harry’s hacking claim outcome

King Charles III made a surprise appearance at the High Court a day before his son the Duke of Sussex is to discover the outcome of his hacking claim against a tabloid newspaper publisher.

The King, while touring the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Thursday 14 December to celebrate the work of the judiciary, met with students who had just participated in a mock trial in a courtroom.

Charles also addressed a reception of judges and magistrates in the building’s Painted Room.

“Maybe I’d be permitted just to thank you all enormously for the amount of effort you put into maintaining the system of justice in this country,” he said.

• King Charles Kicks Off Christmas at Sandringham Entertaining Kate Middleton's Close Charity

King Charles is getting into the Christmas spirit at Sandringham.

On Thursday evening, the King, 75, held a soiree for local charity volunteers and others at the country home where he'll host the royal family’s Christmas festivities in the coming days.

The reception was at Sandringham House, in Norfolk, where members of the royal family are set to gather over the coming weekend, before being seen on Christmas Day for the walk to and from the morning church services at St. Mary Magdalene.

Buckingham Palace had no comment on the soiree at Sandringham as it was a private event.

One of the groups invited to Thursday's party was the West Norfolk branch of Baby Basics, which Kate Middleton works closely with on her Shaping Us campaign to support the early years. Baby Basics is a network of baby banks that help families in need across the U.K, and posted a peek of the invite for the drinks reception.

“We are so so proud of Baby Basics West Norfolk who are heading to Sandringham House for a drinks reception with HM King Charles lll in recognition of their amazing work in their community,” Baby Basics wrote on X with hearts and a clapping emoji.

A few of the groups, plus other food and baby banks, were invited to Princess Kate's "Together at Christmas" carol concert at Westminster Abbey earlier this month. The Princess of Wales' third annual holiday concert was linked to Shaping Us, marking a full-circle moment for the initiative she launched in January.

That invitation, alongside many other organizations and professionals who have helped with Kate's Shaping Us campaign during its first year, recognized the key role that baby banks are playing during difficult times. Pauline Byrne, center manager for Baby Basics in Barry, south Wales, was one of those guests. She told PEOPLE of the Baby Basics' mission, “It doesn’t matter how big or small your center is, it’s who you’re helping at the end of the day."

“We are trying to break this myth that there are undeserving poor out there. The majority of people are in this situation through no fault of their own and we are trying to give dignity back to those people that they have lost,” she says.

Byrne adds that Princess Kate “has a lot of empathy and compassion. I think she doesn’t take her life for granted."

"She must recognize that there are families who are not as fortunate and that your surroundings and resources actually shape how you develop in your adult life," she says. (A film of the Royal Carols: Together At Christmas concert will be it will be broadcast on ITV on Christmas Eve.)

In fact, the Princess of Wales — who is spearheading an appeal for kids’ clothing and food and gifts over the holiday season — gave her three children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, an experience of what it was like to give back, when they helped pack boxes and choose toys for families at a baby bank in Maidenhead, Berkshire, recently.

The carol service and Christmas campaign "is the culmination of a lot of things that the Princess has led on this year,” CEO of Baby Basics Cat Ross told PEOPLE.

Charles' drinks reception at Sandringham came only a day after he hosted his wider family at Windsor Castle for a pre-Christmas lunch. Among those who attended on Wednesday were Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, and Charles' youngest brother Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh. Prince William, Princess Kate and their three kids were not snapped entering or exiting — perhaps because of an especially quick commute! In 2022, the family moved to Adelaide Cottage on the vast grounds of Windsor Castle.

This weekend, the festivities will continue for the royals when they exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, following a German custom that Queen Victoria’s Bavarian-born husband, Prince Albert, introduced in the mid-19th century.

After the present swap on Christmas Eve and morning service at St. Mary Magdalene Church on Christmas Day, the royals retreat to Sandringham House for a traditional Christmas lunch of roast turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry, bread sauces and Christmas pudding.

Following the holiday meal, the family tunes in to the monarch’s annual televised address, which airs at 3 p.m. in the U.K.

Who’s In, Who’s Out, at King Charles’ Royal Family Christmas: https://www.thedailybeast.com/whos-i...mily-christmas

King Charles' Christmas Message From Buckingham Palace

King Charles III's annual Christmas message from Buckingham Palace to include sustainable touches

King Charles III will give his second Christmas message from Buckingham Palace in front of a live tree decorated with sustainable ornaments.

The message to be broadcast at 3 p.m. on Monday will be the king’s second holiday address since he ascended the throne but the first since his coronation in May.

The natural decorations adorning the tree were made from wood, dried oranges, brown glass, pine cones and paper. The tree will later be replanted, the palace says.

Charles has promoted environmental causes, such as protecting wildlife and combating climate change long before it became popular, throughout much of his life. He spoke at the beginning of the month at the U.N.'s COP28 climate summit in Dubai.

Last year, in his first Christmas message as monarch, Charles evoked memories of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and paid tribute to the “selfless dedication” of Britain’s public service workers.

Many of those workers spent much of the past year in a fight with the government over pay, creating disruptions in transportation, education and adding to already long wait times at hospitals as doctors, nurses and ambulance workers walked off the job — some for several days at a time — throughout the year.

While Elizabeth delivered her address from a desk, Charles last year stood by a Christmas tree at the church on the grounds of Windsor Castle where his parents are buried.

This year, he will speak from a room in Buckingham Palace that leads to the balcony where members of the royal family assembled after his coronation ceremony. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...63e_story.html


Royal family at Sandringham live: Charles joins William and Kate for church service ahead of King’s Speech | The Independent

Full text of the King’s Christmas broadcast:

• “Many of the festivals of the great religions of the world are celebrated with a special meal. A chance for family and friends to come together across generations; the act of sharing food adding to conviviality and togetherness.

“For some, faith will be uppermost in their hearts. For others, it will be the joy of fellowship and the giving of presents. It is also a time when we remember those who are no longer with us and think also of those whose work of caring for others continues, even on this special day.

“This care and compassion we show to others is one of the themes of the Christmas story, especially when Mary and Joseph were offered shelter in their hour of need by strangers, as they waited for Jesus to be born.

“Over this past year my heart has been warmed by countless examples of the imaginative ways in which people are caring for one another – going the extra mile to help those around them simply because they know it is the right thing to do: at work and at home; within and across communities.

“My wife and I were delighted when hundreds of representatives of that selfless army of people – volunteers who serve their communities in so many ways and with such distinction – were able to join us in Westminster Abbey for the coronation earlier this year.

“They are an essential backbone of our society. Their presence meant so much to us both and emphasised the meaning of coronation itself: above all, a call to us all to serve one another; to love and care for all.

“Service also lies at the heart of the Christmas story – the birth of Jesus who came to serve the whole world, showing us by his own example how to love our neighbour as ourselves.

“Throughout the year, my family have witnessed how people of all ages are making a difference to their communities. This is all the more important at a time of real hardship for many, when we need to build on existing ways to support others less fortunate than ourselves.

“Because out of God’s providence we are blessed with much, and it is incumbent on us to use this wisely.

“However, service to others is but one way of honouring the whole of creation which, after all, is a manifestation of the divine. This is a belief shared by all religions.

“To care for this creation is a responsibility owned by people of all faiths and of none. We care for the Earth for the sake of our children’s children.

“During my lifetime I have been so pleased to see a growing awareness of how we must protect the Earth and our natural world as the one home which we all share.

“I find great inspiration now from the way so many people recognise this – as does the Christmas story, which tells us that angels brought the message of hope first to shepherds. These were people who lived simply amongst others of God’s creatures. Those close to nature were privileged that night.

“And at a time of increasingly tragic conflict around the World, I pray that we can also do all in our power to protect each other. The words of Jesus seem more than ever relevant: ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you.’

“Such values are universal, drawing together our Abrahamic family of religions, and other belief systems, across the Commonwealth and wider world. They remind us to imagine ourselves in the shoes of our neighbours, and to seek their good as we would our own.

“So on this Christmas Day, my heart and my thanks go to all who are serving one another; all who are caring for our common home; and all who see and seek the good of others, not least the friend we do not yet know. In this way, we bring out the best in ourselves.

“I wish you a Christmas of ‘peace on Earth and goodwill to all’, today and always.”

This is King Charles’s second new year honours list.

A total of 1,227 people have received an honour in this year’s list.

2024 list in full

ORDER OF THE COMPANIONS OF HONOUR

Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)

• Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey DBE. Singer. For services to Music

ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)

• Sir William Blackledge Beaumont CBE DL. Chair, World Rugby. For services to Rugby Union Football and to Charity. (Lytham, Lancashire)
• Professor Sir James Rufus McDonald FREng FRSE. President, Royal Academy of Engineering. For services to Engineering, to Education and to Energy. (Stewarton, Ayrshire and Arran)
• Sir Ridley Scott. Director and Producer. For services to the UK Film Industry
• Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
• The Rt Hon Dame Margaret Mary Beckett DBE MP. Member of Parliament for Derby South. For Parliamentary, Political and Public Service. (Derby, Derbyshire)
• Professor Dame Carol Mary Black DBE. Independent Adviser on Combatting Drugs. For Public Service. (London, London)

ORDER OF THE BATH

Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)

• Max Benjamin Rowland Hill KC. Lately Director of Public Prosecutions, Crown Prosecution Service. For services to Law and Order. (London, London)

ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)

• Dr Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin MBE. Chancellor, University of Leicester. For services to Science Education and to Diversity. (Guildford, Surrey)
• Amanda Jayne Blanc. Group Chief Executive Officer, Aviva. For services to Business, to Gender Equality and to Net-Zero. (Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire)
• Professor Sonia Boyce OBE. Artist. For services to Art. (London, London)
• Jilly Cooper CBE. Author. For services to Literature and to Charity. (Stroud, Gloucestershire)
• Felicity Ann Dahl. Founder, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity and the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre. For services to Philanthropy, to Literature and to Young People. (London, London)
• Dr Jennifer Dixon CBE. Chief Executive, The Health Foundation. For services to the NHS and to Public Health. (London, London)
• Tristina Adele Harrison. Chief Executive Officer, TalkTalk Group. For services to Telecommunications. (London, London)
• Dianne Michele Jeffrey CBE DL. Lately Trustee and Founder Chair, Age International. For services to Older People Abroad and to the community in Derbyshire. (Hope Valley, Derbyshire)
• Professor Valerie Joan Lund CBE. Emeritus Professor in Rhinology, University College London. For services to Rhinology. (Staines-upon-Thames, Berkshire)
• Siobhain Ann McDonagh MP. Member of Parliament for Mitcham and Morden. For Parliamentary and Political Service. (London, London)
• Ruth Elizabeth Miskin CBE. Children’s Reading Expert, Read Write Inc. For services to Education. (West Sussex)
• Marit Mohn. Philanthropist. For services to Philanthropy. (London, London)
• Professor Molly Morag Stevens FRS FREng. John Black Professor of Bionanoscience, University of Oxford and Professor, Imperial College London. For services to Medicine. (London, London)
• Cristina Alicia Taylor. Philanthropist and Co-Founder, The Taylor Family Foundation. For charitable services to Children and Young People. (London, London)
• Judith Weir CBE. Master of the King’s Music. For services to Music. (London, London)

Many, many more in the link above.

• King Charles III and Queen Camilla: a year of history

It was a year of history for King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The first few months were a build up to the spectacular ceremony of the Coronation but 2023 contained many more major moments, including their first outgoing State Visits. Here, we look back at a truly memorable twelve months for The King and Queen.

January 2023

The King stepped into a New Year as further details of his Coronation were announced. Plans for street parties, an extra Bank Holiday and a spectacular Coronation concert were all shared in greater detail as the month progressed.

February 2023

As preparations for the Coronation progressed, King Charles and Queen Camilla continued visits around the UK. In February, there was a spectacular show to greet them as they headed to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and a walk along the legendary Brick Lane.

March 2023

Politics intervened in a first for King Charles and Queen Camilla as their debut outgoing State Visit had to be postponed after riots broke out in France against planned pension reforms by President Emmanuel Macron. Instead, Their Majesties ended up making their first State Visit to another country by heading to Germany which had actually been lined up as their second historic trip. It was a huge success, marked by cordial relations with their host, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and popular visits which brought out considerable crowds, despite the drizzly weather. A glittering State Banquet was a high point.

April 2023

As the Coronation Chair of Mary II was removed from Westminster Abbey for rehearsals for the crowning of Charles III and the exquisitely decorated invitations, designed by Andrew Jamieson, was sent out, Their Majesties headed to York where King Charles III later handed out the first Maundy Money of his reign at the special service, held this year at the famous Minster.

May 2023

It was a moment of history. Nine months after his accession, Charles III arrived at Westminster Abbey. The King processed through the ancient church with Queen Camilla for a ceremony that has changed little in centuries but which was altered subtly to reflect the changing times of Charles III. Only his heir, the Prince of Wales, made the Homage of the Blood Royal while everyone in the Abbey and beyond was invited to join in a voluntary Homage to the newly crowned king. But at the heart of the ceremony was a moment that linked the new King to all his predecessors. The Archbishop of Canterbury lifted St. Edward’s Crown high in the air and placed it on the Monarch’s head before ‘God Save The King’ rang out around Westminster Abbey.

June 2023

The spectacle and celebration of the Coronation was followed by a packed month of royal traditions with King Charles and Queen Camilla at their very centre. Trooping the Colour took place with a King riding at the front of the procession for the first time in seven decades and Her Majesty in a coatdress inspired by the uniform of the Grenadier Guards of which she is now Colonel. Royal Ascot followed with a big royal turnout and a rather emotional Charles III watching Desert Hero, a horse bred by his beloved mother, secure him his first win as Monarch. And, for the very first time, The King was at the Service of the Order of the Garter as Sovereign of the Order. It was a truly special month for The King and Queen.

The remaining 6 months are in this link: https://royalcentral.co.uk/royal-new...istory-196179/

Just wait until he has to fork out for the next "handy Andy" payout, should wipe the grin of Camilla the adulterer's slab.