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Prince Harry returns to be at King Charles’ side

Britain’s King Charles III has been diagnosed with a form of cancer, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Monday…reports Asian Lite News

Prince Harry has flown back to the UK to see his father King Charles III following news of his cancer diagnosis, as per media reports, CNN said.

Harry, who arrived in London on Tuesday from California, has been involved in a long-running, public falling out with his family in the years since he and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stepped back from royal duties, though the duke did make a brief visit to the UK for Charles’ coronation last year, as per CNN.

Prince Harry was photographed being driven into the gates of Clarence House, the King’s London residence, at around 2:45 pm (9.45 am ET).

Harry was seen in the photograph seated in the back of a black SUV. Harry flew from Los Angeles to London overnight, landing at about 12:30 pm, British media reported.

Harry’s return has sparked speculation of reconciliation with his family after years of estrangement. However, a royal source said there were no plans for Harry to meet his brother Prince William while he’s in London, according to CNN.

Britain’s King Charles III has been diagnosed with a form of cancer, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Monday.

The King of Britain has been advised by his doctors to postpone public-facing duties. He has already begun the schedule of regular treatments after the diagnosis.

However, he will continue to handle official documentation and state business as usual throughout this time.

“During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer. His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” the statement from Buckingham Palace read. (ANI)

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King Charles III discharged from hospital

Previously, Queen Camilla during her recent engagements said her husband was “fine” and “looking forward to getting back to work,” according to CNN report…reports Asian Lite News

Britain’s King Charles III has been discharged from a hospital in London after he underwent treatment for an enlarged prostate, CNN reported.

Buckingham Palace said that the British monarch had left the hospital and that his upcoming public engagements had been rescheduled “to allow for a period of private recuperation.”

According to Buckingham Palace, King Charles “would like to thank the medical team and all those involved in supporting his hospital visit, and is grateful for all the kind messages he has received in recent days,” according to CNN report.

The British monarch spent three nights at a private hospital London Clinic near Regent’s Park – after being admitted on Friday. He was said to be “doing well” following the procedure. Queen Camilla, who has been visiting her husband King Charles III every day, was by his side as he left hospital on Monday.

Previously, Queen Camilla during her recent engagements said her husband was “fine” and “looking forward to getting back to work,” according to CNN report.

British monarch’s discharge from the hospital comes hours after Kensington Palace announced that Princess of Wales Catherine had left the same hospital after undergoing abdominal surgery. She returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from abdominal surgery.

Two weeks back, Princess of Wales went to London Clinic for abdominal operation. A Kensington Palace spokesperson said Catherine is “making good progress,” CNN reported.

According to Kensington Palace spokesperson, Catherine and her husband, Prince William, were grateful to the staff at the hospital “for the care they have provided.” The spokesperson added, “The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world.” (ANI)

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King Champions Food Equality on 75th Birthday

An animation promoting the project will be shown on Tuesday evening on the digital advertising hoardings at Piccadilly Circus in London…reports Asian Lite News

 The UK’s King Charles III will mark his 75th birthday on Tuesday with the launch of the Coronation Food Project, which seeks to bridge the gap between food waste and food need across the the nation.

Besides launching the project, the monarch will also host a reception for 400 NHS nurses and midwives at the Buckingham Palace, while ceremonial gun salutes will mark the day, including at the Tower of London, reports the BBC.

Highlighting the Coronation Food Project in an article in the Big Issue magazine, the King said: “Food need is as real and urgent a problem as food waste.”

He told the magazine that “cost-of-living pressures” were resulting in “too many families and individuals missing out on nutritious meals”.

The project aims to create distribution hubs to connect surplus food with what it says are 14 million people facing food insecurity.

An animation promoting the project will be shown on Tuesday evening on the digital advertising hoardings at Piccadilly Circus in London.

When the King was born on November 14, 1948, there was still food rationing in post-war Britain.

On Monday, the monarch had joined a special tea party at the Highgrove Garden for individuals and organisations who also turned or were turning 75 this year.

“The event brought people together to celebrate their 75th birthdays and recognise their contributions to the community,” the UK Royal House said in a post on X.

“The celebration also marked other 75th anniversaries taking place this year, including Windrush 75 and the NHS’s 75th anniversary.”

At the age of 75, King Charles is now the sixth longest-lived British monarch, behind Elizabeth II, Victoria, George III, Edward VIII and George II.

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King Charles visits Kenya as colonial abuses loom large

Kenya nevertheless has special resonance for the royal family…reports Asian Lite News

King Charles III and Queen Camilla began a state visit to Kenya on Tuesday, facing widespread calls for an apology over Britain’s bloody colonial past.

Although the four-day trip has been billed as an opportunity to look to the future and build on the cordial modern-day ties between London and Nairobi, the legacy of decades of British colonial rule looms large.

It is the 74-year-old British head of state’s first visit to an African and Commonwealth nation since ascending the throne in September last year on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The royal couple, who arrived late Monday, were welcomed at a formal ceremony on Tuesday by Kenyan President William Ruto, who has hailed the visit as a “significant opportunity to enhance collaboration” in various fields.

The British High Commission said the tour, which follows trips to Germany and France earlier this year, will “spotlight the strong and dynamic partnership between the UK and Kenya.”

But it will also “acknowledge the more painful aspects” of Britain’s historic relationship with Kenya as the East African country prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence in December.

This includes the 1952-60 “Emergency,” when colonial authorities brutally suppressed the Mau Mau guerrilla uprising, one of the bloodiest insurgencies against British rule.

At least 10,000 people — mainly from the Kikuyu tribe — were killed, although some historians and rights groups claim the true figure is higher.

Tens of thousands more were rounded up and detained without trial in camps where reports of executions, torture and vicious beatings were common.

The royal visit also comes as pressure mounts in some Caribbean Commonwealth countries to remove the British monarch as head of state, and as republican voices in the UK grow louder.

Kenya nevertheless has special resonance for the royal family.

It is the country where Elizabeth learned in 1952 of the death of her father, King George VI, marking the start of her historic 70-year reign.

And it comes almost exactly four decades since Elizabeth’s own state visit in November 1983.

During two days in the capital Nairobi, Charles and Camilla will meet entrepreneurs and young Kenyans, and attend a state banquet hosted by Ruto.

Charles will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Uhuru Gardens, where Kenya declared independence in December 1963.

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King Charles’s coronation dodges Kohinoor debate

“Basically, [the palace have] decided to do the safe and sensible thing, to not have a separate debate about the jewels in the crown,” noted Tominey…reports Asian Lite News

Buckingham Palace would have been conscious about the potential for controversy around the colonial era Kohinoor diamond claimed by India and averted it becoming a side story of King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s Coronation ceremony next month, a royal expert has said.

Camilla Tominey is the Associate Editor of ‘The Daily Telegraph’ and has an inside track to the British royal family as the newspaper’s royal expert.

In an interview, she reflected upon the significance of Camilla choosing to forgo the traditional crown used for the monarch’s partner as the “consort crown” due to it being embedded with the Kohinoor – also known as Koh-i-Noor. Among the crown jewels unveiled by the palace for the Coronation ceremony on May 6, it was confirmed that Queen Mary’s Crown has been chosen by Camilla.

“I think the palace were conscious about the Koh-i-Noor perhaps being controversial and therefore have decided that they don’t want there to be a side story about the provenance of these diamonds,” said Tominey.

“Basically, [the palace have] decided to do the safe and sensible thing, to not have a separate debate about the jewels in the crown,” noted Tominey.

Earlier this month, the palace said that minor changes and additions to Queen Mary’s Crown are being undertaken, such as the inclusion of the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds which were part of Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewellery collection for many years. The design has been inspired by Queen Alexandra’s Crown of 1902 – which was originally encrusted with the Kohinoor, which now sits in the crown of the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the mother of Queen Elizabeth II, since 1937.

Last month, Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that manages Britain’s palaces, said that the infamous diamond will instead be part of a new Jewel House exhibition at the Tower of London classed as a “symbol of conquest” for the first time. According to its assessment, the diamond probably originated from the Golconda mines in southern India and weighs 105.6 carats. It was once much larger but was re-cut in 1852 to improve its brilliance and conform to contemporary European tastes.

Kohinoor, which means mountain of light in Persian, came into Queen Victoria’s possession from the treasury of Maharaja Ranjit Singh a few years before she was to be crowned empress of India in the wake of the 1857 Revolt and has played a starring role in British coronations of the past until its conspicuous absence in next month’s ceremony.

Camilla’s choice of Queen Mary’s Crown also marks the first instance in modern times of an existing crown being used for the Coronation of the monarch’s consort, with all past crowns being specially made for a new consort. It is among a series of departures from tradition made by Charles, 74, and Camilla, 75, in an attempt to strike a more sustainable tone that resonates with the times and also incorporate modern elements into the ceremony.

Another key modern aspect of the largely Christian religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London for the Coronation on May 6 are reports of the King’s plans to reflect some multi-faith elements that connect with the wider British public, as well as the Indian diaspora. According to reports, House of Lords peers of Hindu, Muslim, Jewish and Sikh faiths will carry key pieces of Coronation regalia on the day at the Abbey.

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Veterans, health workers get prime seats at King’s coronation

Invited guests and members of the public along the non-ticketed parts of the procession route will see the King and Queen Camilla travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach drawn by six Windsor Grey horses…reports Asian Lite News

Around 4,000 Armed Forces veterans and healthcare workers will be offered a prime viewing spot opposite Buckingham Palace in London for the Coronation of King Charles III, the British government announced on Sunday.

Around 3,800 seats will be created in a specially built grandstand in front of the Palace to host military veterans, workers from the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) and representatives of charitable organisations with links to Britain’s royal family. Additionally, 354 uniformed cadet forces will be offered the opportunity to watch the royal procession at Admiralty Arch in London on May 6.

“As a mark of the nation’s profound gratitude, it is right that in celebrating the Coronation we include and champion those who have dedicated their lives to public service,” said UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.

“The Coronation weekend marks the beginning of a new chapter in our national history and I’m delighted the procession will be lined by people and groups who contribute so much to our national life,” she said.

The King’s royal procession in London is due to travel along the Mall, through Admiralty Arch, along the south side of Trafalgar Square, before going down Whitehall through the east and south side of Parliament Square to Westminster Abbey for the ceremony.

Invited guests and members of the public along the non-ticketed parts of the procession route will see the King and Queen Camilla travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach drawn by six Windsor Grey horses.

The couple will travel back to their palace in the Gold State Coach and later make the customary appearance at the Buckingham Palace balcony to greet the crowds and view a Royal Air Force (RAF) flypast.

“The Armed Forces hold great importance to the nation as they work to protect us, our freedoms and our society’s way of life. We know that it will be a great privilege for members of the Armed Forces community to see their new Commander in Chief on this significant day,” said Philippa Rawlinson, Director of Remembrance at the Royal British Legion.

It was confirmed earlier that big screens will be put in place across various points across London and the rest of the UK for members of the public to watch the Coronation on May 6. Across the UK, more than 57 locations will be putting up big screens, meaning that more than 100,000 people will be able to watch the event in their hometowns. Some screens will also show the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle scheduled for May 7.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has said that the viewing spaces will include first aid facilities, water refill stations, welfare points, and concession kiosks selling food and drinks.

The Coronation of Charles as Britain’s King is being organised on a lavish scale and will be marked by street parties and volunteering initiatives over a celebratory long holiday weekend in the UK between May 6 and 8.

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King’s birthday celebrated for first time since 1951

Britain's King Charles III (C) delivers his first address to the parliament in Westminster Hall in London, Britain, Sept. 12, 2022. (Roger Harris/UK Parliament/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

Prior to the celebration, the British High Commissioner also added, “His Majesty the King has devoted his life to service; establishing more than 20 charities over four decades…reports Asian Lite News

To mark the British Monarch’s annual birthday, the British High Commission in New Delhi today hosted the King’s Birthday party, the first since 1951. The last time, the UK celebrated a King’s birthday party was in 1951. King Charles III was born in 1948 and became heir apparent on the accession of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. Speaking to ANI, British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis recalled the visit of the King to India and added that India and the United Kingdom are two old countries where he sees a huge opportunity in a much closer relationship.

“We are two old countries, India and United Kingdom in history. We have a King now, for the first time in 71 years. He loves India and is passionate about it. The King has visited India many times. I feel and think that the King really knows India”, said Ellis.

“We have a Prime Minister who has made Rangoli outside his home at Downing Street. So, it feels like a very different country from the country of 1952 when her Majesty, the Queen came to the throne. So, I see huge opportunity in a much closer relationship. I am sure that’s the King would want and the Prime Minister would want”, he added.

The King has undertaken 10 official visits to India, most recently in November 2019 when he visited New Delhi and Mumbai to celebrate British-India connections with a focus on sustainable markets, climate change and social finance.

In addition to his official and ceremonial duties in the UK and overseas, the King has championed a wide range of causes relating to the environment and sustainable development, the arts, healthcare and education for decades.

Prior to the celebration, the British High Commissioner also added, “His Majesty the King has devoted his life to service; establishing more than 20 charities over four decades. He has worked tirelessly for the United Kingdom around the world, including his enduring interest in promoting a modern partnership with India and its people. It is a privilege to celebrate his birthday with friends here in New Delhi”.

The Coronation of the King, a once-in-a-generation event, will take place at Westminster Abbey on 6 May. It is expected to be the most significant cultural event of 2023, with leaders and dignitaries from across the globe invited to attend.

The King’s birthday falls on 14 November. However, his official birthday in 2023 will be marked on 17 June, when the King’s birthday parade also known as Trooping The Colour is held in London. (ANI)

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Lawmakers sought King Charles’ nod for law affecting his property

In 2019, the report claimed that environment minister Rebecca Pow wrote to Charles- then Prince of Wales- asking if he would be willing to accept section seven of the environment bill…reports Asian Lite News

Before King Charles ascended to the throne following his mother late monarch Elizabeth II’s death, the UK government took his permission to pass its post-Brexit Environment Act, a report said.

The law touted as “world-leading” required landowners to enhance conservation which could affect the member of the royal family’s business interests, Guardian reported.

In 2019, the report claimed that environment minister Rebecca Pow wrote to Charles- then Prince of Wales- asking if he would be willing to accept section seven of the environment bill. The section became a law in November 2021. Its aim id “to conserve the setting of land with a natural environment or natural resources or which is a place of archaeological, architectural, artistic, cultural or historic interest.”

In the letter, the environment minister wrote to Charles, “This bill contains measures on conservation covenants which affect the interests of the crown, the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall. Part 7 (conservation covenants) of the bill applies to crown land as it applies to any other land.”

Charles’ private secretary, Clive Alderton, gave the consent writing that Charles was “content with the bill.” Charles’ Dutchy of Cornwall, which has now passed to the Prince William, brings the royal family nearly $21 million in revenue.

The report also said that beyond procedure, more than 1,000 parliamentary acts were shared with the late Queen Elizabeth II and Charles before they were implemented.

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King visits Gurdwara, lauds ‘langar’

“The Gurdwara encouraged other places of worship to tackle misinformation regarding vaccine hesitancy,” it added…reports Asian Lite News

In a nod to Britain’s diversity, King Charles paid obeisance at a newly-built gurdwara at Luton, a town just outside London, and mingled with the devotees. Children from across faiths were present to welcome him, holding the Union Jack and the Sikh flag of ‘Nishan Sahib’.

With photos and videos, social media posts by the royal family’s officials handles said the king also met volunteers who run the Luton Sikh Soup Kitchen Stand, “which provides vegetarian hot meals seven days a week, 365 days a year at the Gurdwara”.

He also lauded the community for their services during the Covid pandemic over the past almost three years. It ran a pop-up Covid vaccine clinic, which was one of the first of its kind in the UK, said the royal family’s Instagram post.

“The Gurdwara encouraged other places of worship to tackle misinformation regarding vaccine hesitancy,” it added.

The UK has over 5 lakh Sikhs who account for about 1 per cent of the country’s population. The UK Parliament has had several Sikh members — Labour Party’s Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi currently being among prominent MPs.

On the royal family’s Insta post today, among people who commented was one who said: “KC at his best. He is the Head of the Church of England. But he has frequently talked about being a Leader/Friend of the Faiths. I believe that his heart is well meant, contrary to other views.”

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Prince Harry gets warning from King Charles

Royal author Phil Dampier was not ­surprised at King Charles’ forgiving attitude, saying, “I am sure it is right that Charles will go to great lengths to maintain a relationship with Harry but there is a limit…reports Asian Lite News

King Charles III hopes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will eventually “run out of ammunition” and there will be a chance to rebuild the relationship, a report said.

“The King is a father who loves his son and like any parent is frustrated and worried that his two children have such a difficult relationship,” the Daily Express reported saying that the monarch is determined not to cut Prince Harry off and believes there may still be a way back for the Sussexes.

“The Royal Family is dreading this [Netflix] documentary but hope that once Harry and Meghan have said their piece, they can draw a line under it and move on. It is a very distressing time all round. We certainly hope grievances can be resolved and who knows where that might leave us?,” the report said.

Royal author Phil Dampier was not ­surprised at King Charles’ forgiving attitude, saying, “I am sure it is right that Charles will go to great lengths to maintain a relationship with Harry but there is a limit. King Charles would pretty much forgive Harry anything – except dragging Camilla through the mud. If Harry’s account of his parents’ divorce is too critical of Camilla, or places too much blame at Charles’s door while painting his mother as a saint, that will be the point of no return.”

“At that point what sanctions are on offer? What choice do they have but to say, ‘OK, you’ve crossed a line here and there is no way back. It’s time to go your own way, but not as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’.”

He wrote: “I see we have entered the ­predictable turn-the-victim-into-the-villain phase of the story. The gymnastics and lying some people are doing to excuse the racism of a woman they haven’t met is wild. No wonder so many who experience racism or bigotry keep it to themselves. Shameful.”

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