Tag: Queen Elizabeth

King Charles thanks public for their love as he marks death of Queen Elizabeth

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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King Charles on Friday thanked the public for their love and support on the first anniversary of the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth and his accession to the throne, echoing her words as he vowed to be of service to all.

Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning sovereign, died aged 96 on September 8 at Balmoral Castle, her Scottish summer retreat after a 70-year reign.

“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 statement.

“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.”

Those latter words were an echo of the mantra that Elizabeth repeated throughout her reign.

Charles, who immediately succeeded his mother as king of the United Kingdom and 14 other countries including Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and his wife Camilla will spend the day quietly at the Scottish royal home.

No ceremonial event was planned to mark his Accession Day but the couple did attend the nearby Crathie Kirk for private memorial prayers. Afterwards, they chatted to a small crowd outside, including some of those who had worked for the queen on her estate

Buckingham Palace also released a portrait of the late queen, chosen by Charles, which had previously only been seen in an exhibition.

‘SOLEMN’

Charles’ eldest son and heir Prince William and wife Kate paid their own tribute to the queen and will attend a private church service to commemorate her life.

The Prince and Princess of Wales will visit the 12th Century St Davids Cathedral, a place of pilgrimage for centuries on the Welsh coast which also has a special stall for the sovereign.

“We all miss you,” the couple said on social media.

There will also be gun salutes fired in a London park and at the Tower of London. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the thoughts of the nation would be with Charles and his family on “the solemn anniversary”.

“With the perspective of a year, the scale of her late majesty’s service only seems greater,” he said. “Her devotion to the nations of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth only seems deeper. And our gratitude for such an extraordinary life of duty and dedication, only continues to grow.”

The queen’s death marked an end of an era for Britain. During her seven decades on the throne, she had become not just Britain’s figurehead but also a huge presence on the world stage.

Charles first year on the throne has been dominated by his coronation, Britain’s biggest ceremonial event for generations, full of pomp and pageantry.

Polls suggest most Britons have a favourable view of his reign so far, although younger generations appear much less enthusiastic.

He is also still dealing with issues within his own family, most notably the rift with his younger son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, and what to do with his own younger brother Prince Andrew, who had to quit royal duties over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

King Charles’ Coronation: A look at how he has backed environment and sustainability

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Coronation ceremony of King Charles III who has been a lifetime campaigner for sustainability and the environment, will be held on May 6 at London’s Westminster Abbey. Prior to the event, Buckingham Palace had announced that the King will re-use the clothing previously worn by his predecessors, for his coronation in a bid to promote sustainability and efficiency, Buckingham Palace said in a release.

Charles will be re-using garments which have been used at coronations since 1821 “in the interests of sustainability and efficiency”, Buckingham Palace said.

The re-using vestments 

The vestments include the coronation glove with gold embroidery made for his grandfather, George VI’s 1937 coronation.

During the ceremony, the glove is placed on the right hand of the monarch as a reminder that the sovereign should exercise gentleness in raising taxes.

ALSO READ | Explained | King Charles’ coronation emblem, created by former Apple designer

He will also wear his grandfather’s ‘Colobium Sindonis’ and the sword belt, going against the tradition of having a new one made for every monarch.

Other regalia which will be re-used in the service include the ‘supertunica’, a full-length, sleeved coat of gold silk, made for King George V and worn by subsequent monarchs including Elizabeth.

He will also wear the Imperial Mantle made for the coronation of George IV in 1821.

The sustainability theme is not just limited to the regalia. King Charles III will also be re-using St. Edward’s Chair or Coronation Chair.

The Chairs of Estate which were made in 1953 for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II will also be used along with the central St. Edward’s Chair which was made over 700 years ago, as per the official release.

A look at how King Charles has backed environment and sustainability

King Charles has been a lifelong environmental activist who has established several initiatives and spoken at key global gatherings on sustainability.

At the young age of 21, the Prince of Wales spoke at the Countryside Steering Committee for Wales, on his concern over the environmental impact of oil pollution and plastic waste.

ALSO READ | King Charles’ Coronation: Here’s how much the three-day gala event will cost

King Charles also showed a willingness to step up environmental activism when famously he invited delegates of the UN Earth Summit of 1992 to an informal reception at the Royal Yacht Britannia.

The UN summit in Rio, marked the first event in over 20 years that United Nations Members were to convene.

He is said to have challenged the delegates and business leaders to discuss environmental concerns.

In 2008, he gave a speech at the European Parliament highlighting the “doomsday urgency” of fighting climate change.

ALSO READ | No Kohinoor, but check the royal regalia that will glitter in King Charles’ coronation

Recently, he spoke on the role of the private sector in supporting decarbonisation at the UN Climate Summit COP26 in 2021.

Apart from speaking at notable events, King Charles established several initiatives on his own too. He established the Sustainable Markets Initiative in 2020 with an aim to kickstart action towards a greener future by encouraging the private sector to increase its efforts.

Since then, over 500 CEOs have become a part of the initiative.

Wool initiative

King Charles also helped launch the Campaign for Wool initiative, which aims to educate consumers about the benefits of wool, a naturally biodegraded material which doesn’t add to the problem of landfills.

He has also spoken about the swaps he made like switching the heating of Birkhall to biomass boilers, installing solar panels at Clarence House and converting his Aston Martin to run on bioethanol fuel obtained from cheese and wine.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

London Eye: A Mother of All Queues

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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It’s been called the mother of all queues, and not without reason. Over the four days, the coffin of the Queen was kept in state at Westminster Hall, the queue that formed to file past was more talked about than the Queen herself.

The queue was of course for the Queen. That it formed as long as it did, and for the length that it did, was a greater tribute by far than any of those adjective-ridden clichés spoken by politicians with only minor changes along the way. But the way the queue formed was a tribute to those who formed it and to Britain itself. The British are not always at their best, but this was the British at their best.

At peak, the queue stretched all of eight kilometres. The reason it ended there is not that people stopped coming to join it. It was because the authorities stopped it. They stopped it not because they could not handle a long queue, they did prevent waiting hours even longer than there have been.

Typically people in the queue waited for 12 to 14 hours, often over the last couple of days through cold nights, all in order to get to walk past the Queen’s coffin in less than a minute. It wasn’t easy in the queue; ambulance staff attended to about 500 cases of people needing medical attention, and about 50 had to be hospitalised. They had mostly sustained head injuries through fainting and falling.

Also read: Queen Elizabeth’s funeral to take place on September 19: All you need to know

Walking up and down the queue over the last few days and hearing what some had to say was not even fractionally indicative of the extent of the outpouring of tribute that the queue marked. Walking briskly backwards along the queue would have taken all of two hours and more. Being in the queue of course took far longer.

Management

If that queue was a triumph of reverence and of patience, and of affection for the late Queen, it was a remarkable success also of management. Those joining the queue were given coloured wristbands to wear. These were changed every few hundred, to enable to leave the queue for refreshments or to use the toilet, and rejoin in more or less the same place.

As t turned out, it was always the same place. After all those hours one behind the other, everyone knew who was in the queue around them. There have been no known instances of anyone trying to break the queue or jump the queue.

About 500 mobile toilets were set up all along the route. Ambulances dotted the route. Water machines were set up every few hundred metres, refreshment kiosks were close by. Stewards and crowd marshals were at hand all along the way to guide people along. Sections of the move were moved forward in a platoon-like fashion in order to leave some gaps along the way, both for crowd safety and to let other people pass.

Also read:This secret letter from Queen Elizabeth II cannot be opened for 63 years

The one word nobody mentioned, and perhaps nobody thought, was the word ‘stampede’. A stampede results invariably from a loss of patience or panic arising from an incident or perceived incident. This queue was the personification of patience. The British have lost a great many of their traditional virtues along the way, but they have lost none of their natural ability to form queues and to stay in them as long as it takes.

Religious

True, there are long queues witnessed elsewhere and on other occasions. Principally, religious queues, to visit some revered shrine, or to seek the blessings of one regarded as holy. But there was a fundamental difference between those queues and this one. A religious queue eventually is formed to seek something for oneself, by way of advantages or alleviation. This one was just about veneration. The Queen had no way to know who was in it or to offer a royal blessing.

Nor did other royalty. King Charles and Prince William stepped up to the queue in a surprise visit to thank many they found in it, and to reassure them they were on their way. But the only perhaps self-seeking motive here was to know, and perhaps to say to anyone who cared to listen, that they had reached out and touched a turning point in history. Not that self-seeking a drive.

Also read: A Look at Queen Elizabeth II’s net worth and money that the royal family makes

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Key things to know about the new King and Queen Consort of the UK

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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 With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her eldest son Charles ascended to the throne as King Charles III. The official coronation will happen on September 10 during the First Proclamation, with Charles officially stepping into his duties as the constitutional monarch of the UK as well as 14 other Commonwealth realms. King Charles’ wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, has now become the official queen consort of the UK, a title reserved for a woman marrying the ruling sovereign of the UK.

With their elevation, here are key things you should know about them.

King Charles III, 73, is the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. Upon his birth, he was immediately the heir apparent – the next in line for the throne in the UK – a position that he held for nearly 70 years. After completing his education, Charles served in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, a time-honoured tradition of the Royal Family.

ALSO READ:  When will King Charles be crowned and what is the coronation procedure?

His courtship, subsequent marriage, and disastrous implosion of the same marriage with Princess Diana nee Spencer catapulted Charles into global media attention. He had two children with Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry. The marriage was tumultuous and difficult. The two finally separated in 1992, just 11 years after they had been married due to incompatibility and 13-year age difference. The whole episode resulted in Charles having a terse relationship with the press.

As Prince of Wales, Charles undertook official duties on behalf of the Queen. Charles made several hundred appearances each year as part of his duties. Additionally, he was deeply involved with several philanthropic and charitable causes with environmentalism, sustainability, and built environment being some of the causes that he cares about. King Charles has also authored and co-authored several books.

Queen Camilla is the second wife of King Charles III. The duo got married in 2005. The two had been in a romantic relationship during Charles’ first marriage to Diana. Queen Camilla was blamed for the breakdown of the marriage between the two and as a result, was vilified by the British tabloids. Since her marriage to King Charles in 2005, Queen Camilla was elevated to the Duchess of Cornwall though she did not receive the title of Princess of Wales which was kept with Princess Diana. She has accompanied King Charles during his foreign trips and on his various appearances in her duties as the Duchess of Cornwall.

ALSO READ:  King Charles III promises to uphold the constitutional principles in his maiden speech

Much like King Charles, Queen Camilla is also a patron of several philanthropic and charitable causes. Some of the causes that she advocates for are osteoporosis awareness, rape and sexual abuse, literacy, animal welfare, and poverty.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

What happens next after the Queen’s death? Events that are set to take place today

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The death of Queen Elizabeth II is being mourned by her family, people, and admirers. Her demise at the age of 96 has thrown a state apparatus into motion that sat idle for 70 years since Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, died in 1952.

The British government has set in motion “Operation London Bridge” which included protocols that range from succession rules to the process of bringing the queen’s coffin from Balmoral Castle in Scotland to London.

Since the announcement came late in the day September 8, the plans have been shifted by a day to allow the complex arrangements to be put in place, the Independent UK reported. This means D-Day+0 will be considered as Friday, September 9.

Also read: Queen Elizabeth II no more: A look at her life and the exceptional seven-decade reign

Here are the events that are set to take place on D-Day+0 – Friday, September 9.

The King and Queen return to London:  Charles and Camilla will return from Balmoral Castle to London on Friday.

Audience with the Prime Minister: As duty calls for the new sovereign, Charles and his first audience as monarch with Prime Minister Liz Truss is expected to happen soon.

Also read: Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral: When and where to watch in India

Confirming funeral plans: Charles will meet the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, who will oversee the accession and the Queen’s funeral. They will approve the carefully choreographed schedule for the coming days.

The arrangements of Operation London Bridge have long been planned in consultation with the government.

They will then incorporate Operation Unicorn, which includes the contingency plans for the death of the Queen in Scotland.

Court mourning:  Charles will then decide on the length of court or royal mourning. This will be for members of the royal family and royal households and is expected to last a month.

National mourning: The government will confirm the length of national mourning (likely to be around 12 to 13 days) from now up to the day after the Queen’s funeral.

It will also announce that the funeral day will be a public holiday, the Day of National Mourning.

Charles’s televised address: The King will make a televised address to the nation, which will be pre-recorded.

In his address, he will pay tribute to the Queen and pledge his duty to his service as the new sovereign.

Service at St Paul’s Cathedral: The PM and senior ministers will attend a public service of remembrance at the St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Also read: Queen Elizabeth II dies: What is Operation Unicorn that was activated after her demise

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Queen Elizabeth II passes away at 96

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday after suffering from health issues since last October, which had left her unable to walk or stand.

Fears for the queen’s health grew today when Buckingham Palace said her doctors were “concerned” about her and advised her to remain under medical observation.

The announcement comes a day after the 96-year-old monarch cancelled a meeting of her Privy Council and was told to rest.

The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022

Following reports of the queen’s worsening health, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince William travelled to her Scottish estate, Balmoral Castle. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are also reportedly heading to Balmoral.

A bout of COVID-19 had knocked her low in February this year; she admitted afterwards it had left her “exhausted.”

She had lost her husband of many years, Prince Philip, on April 9, 2021, and would often cut a lonely figure.

Queen Elizabeth II assumed the throne after the death of her father in February, 1952. At 96 years old, she’s held the crown for 70 years, making her the longest reigning monarch in the history of the world. She’s lived through over a dozen British Prime Ministers, 14 US, presidents and 20 Summer Olympics.

Also read: ‘London Bridge is Down’: The protocol followed if the queen dies — explained

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Doctors ‘concerned’ about Queen Elizabeth II’s health

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Buckingham Palace says Queen Elizabeth II is under medical supervision as doctors are “concerned for Her Majesty’s health.”

The announcement on Thursday comes a day after the 96-year-old monarch cancelled a meeting of her Privy Council and was told to rest.

The palace says the queen is “comfortable” and remains at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she has spent the summer.

Following reports about the Queen’s health, Britain’s Prince Charles and Prince William have travelled to her Scottish estate, Balmoral Castle.

Prime Minister Liz Truss said “the whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime.”

The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime.

My thoughts – and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom – are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time.

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) September 8, 2022

“My thoughts — and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom — are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time,” she said on Twitter.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

As Britons thank Queen Elizabeth for 70 years, monarchy looks to future

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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While millions watched the Platinum Jubilee festivities to thank Queen Elizabeth and reflect on her 70 years on the British throne, for the monarchy itself, the four-day celebrations have also very much been about looking to the future.

From parades in London and a party outside Buckingham Palace to a Service of Thanksgiving, many in Britain have been paying affectionate tributes to a 96-year-old who has reigned longer than any of her predecessors in 1,000 years.

But the queen’s absence at many of the Jubilee events because of health issues meant the celebration of her reign provided a focus on the next monarchs, her son Prince Charles and his son William. Royal biographer Robert Lacey, the historical consultant to Netflix’s hugely popular TV drama “The Crown”, said the queen was laying the ground for what comes next.

“The Jubilee had a double-edged significance,” he told Reuters. “Yes, it celebrated the queen and what will one day be the past, but it’s also provided a platform for the new formula and pattern for the future.”

The queen missed out on most of the big Jubilee events due to what the palace calls “episodic mobility problems”, which have forced her to cancel public appearances recently and have highlighted her advancing years.

In her absence, son and heir Charles,73, and his son William, the second in line, have been to the fore. In a notable finale on Sunday, the queen appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace flanked by the three next monarchs – Charles, William, and his eldest child Prince George.

Journalist Tina Brown, a longtime observer of the British royalty, also said Elizabeth had been focused on succession.

“Her feelings and her sentiments right now are all about estate planning for the monarchy,” she told BBC TV. “Her only care right now is that things should be put in a good order for Charles and that everything can be done to make his reign easier.”

Brown and Lacey said that was why the queen used the actual 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne in February to announce she wanted Charles’s second wife Camilla to be queen consort, removing any future controversy over her role.

Fluctuating Fortunes

During Elizabeth’s long tenure, the fortunes of the monarchy have often fluctuated, such as from a low that followed the 1997 death of Princess Diana, Charles’s captivating first wife, to the highs of the wedding of grandson William and his spouse Kate, and the birth of their children.

The last three years have been particularly tough on the institution.
First, the queen’s second son Prince Andrew was forced to quit public duties over his friendship with the late, disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, and he later settled a lawsuit with a woman who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was 17. He denied the allegation and has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing, but his reputation was shattered.

Meanwhile, William’s younger brother Harry and his American wife Meghan moved to Los Angeles from where they have delivered stinging attacks on Buckingham Palace, most notably an accusation of racism in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

“We’re very much not a racist family,” William said. While both events stained the reputation of “The Firm”, as Britain’s royal family calls itself, opinion polls in Britain suggest the lasting damage has mainly been to Andrew and Harry themselves.

Lacey said the Jubilee had reminded many people of the positives a monarchy brought, adding: “Charles and Camilla are associated with that in a way you would not have thought possible a few years ago.” But for all the celebrations this week and plans for the future, there remain some dark clouds on the horizon.

Polls show the queen is hugely popular and older Britons are overwhelming in favour of the monarchy, but they also indicate young people are far more indifferent and support has slipped over the last decade.

While Harry and Meghan have kept a low profile during the Jubilee, the prince is writing a memoir due to be released later this year that could contain more explosive details.

Barbados removed Elizabeth as its head of state last November and there is a growing feeling that republican sentiments will grow in the 14 other countries that have the British monarch as their queen. The new centre-left Labor party in Australia, which voted against ditching the monarchy in 1999, has named the country’s first “assistant minister for the republic”.

“I don’t know that it will ever be the same when she’s not here anymore, that’s how we feel about it (in New Zealand),” said Patricia Burrowes, 80, who travelled from Auckland for the Jubilee celebrations.

Some at the festivities felt the monarchy would remain integral to Britain even as the queen’s role might be drawing to an end.

“It’s easy to be critical of it and say it isn’t for these times,” said Ian Higgins, 62, a mental health nurse. “But I think having something that brings people together that isn’t political but unites people is so important for this country, and the rest of the world loves it as well.”

As to whether there would be a similar outpouring for Charles when he becomes king, the feeling was mixed.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” said Amanda Mackenzie, 51, a yoga teacher from London. “We’ll have to wait and see.”

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow