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Sunak announces bank holiday for coronation of King

Prince Charles,73, automatically became the King of the UK after his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s demise on September 8…reports Asian Lite News

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a bank holiday on Monday (May 8) after the coronation of King Charles III on May 6.

“The Coronation of a new monarch is a unique moment for our country. In recognition of this historic occasion, I am pleased to announce an additional bank holiday for the whole United Kingdom next year,” Prime Minister Sunak said.

“I look forward to seeing people come together to celebrate and pay tribute to King Charles III by taking part in local and national events across the country in his honour,” a statement by the UK PMO quoted the Prime Minister as saying.

Prince Charles,73, automatically became the King of the UK after his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s demise on September 8.

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Charles practiced being King, reveals Cameron

Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown believes King Charles III will streamline the monarchy, along the lines of other European ones…reports Asian Lite News

King Charles III practised for the day he would become Britain’s new monarch and Head of State by holding weekly audiences with the Head of Government, former Prime Minister David Cameron revealed on Sunday as he reflected upon the former Prince of Wales’ “longest apprenticeship in history” as the successor to Queen Elizabeth II.

Cameron, who was British Prime Minister between 2010 and 2016, disclosed that during his time at 10 Downing Street he had audiences with the then Prince of Wales so he could prepare for his elevation.

As the new sovereign following the death of his mother on Thursday, 73-year-old King Charles III would be holding weekly audiences with the Prime Minister as a key part of his regular schedule of events.

“I had audiences with Prince Charles when Queen Elizabeth II was on the throne because he wanted to start thinking about how to conduct those audiences,” Cameron told the BBC in an interview.

“From what I saw he will be brilliant at that job. Brilliant at listening, brilliant at asking questions, giving wise advice and sage counsel. This has probably been the longest apprenticeship in history,” he said.

The former Conservative Party leader described the new monarch as a “superb diplomat”, like the late Queen and said he would be a “very worthy successor” in supporting the British government as its new Head of State.

“I saw him in action at Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings and he knows everybody personally, he interacts with them brilliantly,” said Cameron.

“The soft power that the British monarch brings to help a Prime Minister and a government with all those international relations, it was obviously outstanding under Queen Elizabeth II. I think you will see Charles III will be a very worthy successor in that regard,” he said.

Other former British Prime Ministers, who were all present at Charles’ proclamation as King at St. James’s Palace on Saturday, have also been reflecting on the shift in monarchy styles under the new King.

Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown believes King Charles III will streamline the monarchy, along the lines of other European ones.

“I think what Prince Charles has already indicated is that the monarchy is going to be smaller,” Brown told the BBC.

“It’s going to be more like a Scandinavian monarchy in the future but not in a bad way, more in the sense of informal. He stopped before he entered Buckingham Palace to greet people in the crowd and that was a signal he was sending that he wanted people to feel he was approachable and he was not going to be absent from the public or, alternatively, approachable,” he said.

His predecessor as Labour Party leader and Prime Minister, Sir Tony Blair, writes in ‘The Sunday Times’ that King Charles III is an “intelligent, caring and good man” with a strong sense of service.

“Do not imagine for an instant that in the long years past he has not watched, absorbed and thought about what it means to be king. He is well prepared and, I have no doubt, resilient for the task ahead,” he said.

Meanwhile, a number of subtle changes have already taken place with the end of the Elizabethan Age and the new monarch being proclaimed.

The country’s national anthem switched to “God Save the King” and Her Majesty’s Government will be referred to as His Majesty’s Government.

Other changes, such as the image used on the nation’s currency, will be a more gradual process as coins and notes with the Queen’s image remain in circulation for at least a few years.

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Saudi King congratulate Charles on accession

In his cable, the Crown Prince said: “I am saddened by the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who devoted her life to serve her country…reports Asian Lite News

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have congratulated Britain’s new King Charles III, Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

In a message to the British monarch, the Kingdom’s leaders praised the ties between the two countries and affirmed their willingness to further bilateral cooperation, and wished the new monarch success and prosperity.

“We are pleased to mark your accession to the throne in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and we send to Your Majesty our congratulations and wishes for success,” the king said.

“We also praise the status of relations that unite our two countries, assuring you of our keenness to strengthen bilateral cooperation for the benefit of our two friendly countries and peoples,” King Salman added, wishing King Charles good health and happiness, and for the UK to have continuous progress and prosperity.

King Charles pledged on Saturday to follow the example of his late mother as he was officially proclaimed as Britain’s new monarch at a historic ceremony in St James’s Palace.

‘Queen example of wisdom, love and peace’

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister, has sent a cable of condolences and sympathy to King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

In his cable, the Crown Prince said: “I am saddened by the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who devoted her life to serve her country.

“She was an example of wisdom, love and peace. The world remembers today the great impact and deeds that she had throughout her reign.

“I express to Your Majesty, the Royal Family and the friendly people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland the deepest condolences and sincere sympathy, wishing you permanent good health and safety, and that you may never see any unpleasant thing.”

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CHARLES CALLS FOR UNITY

The heir to the British crown also rejected the campaign to against monarchy. He said it is upto the member nations to decide on the role of monarchy…reports Asian Lite News

“I believe that the Commonwealth is uniquely positioned to achieve such positive change in our world,” said Prince Charles. He was addressing the 24th meeting of the CHOGM in Rwanda. “And in speaking to you over the years, I know you agree.  Indeed, I can only applaud the focus you are bringing to supporting youth, business and civil society, not least through the Commonwealth professional associations of judges, teachers and midwives, to name but three. 

“I know the importance you attach to ensuring that support reaches the developing world and how important is the work you are undertaking to develop new approaches which take account of climate vulnerability to enable the better channelling of development assistance.  I was also greatly heartened at yesterday’s Business Forum to see Commonwealth Leaders and global C.E.O.s, including from my Sustainable Markets Initiative, identifying practical solutions to these vital challenges. 

“To achieve this potential good, however, and to unlock the power of our common future, we must also acknowledge the wrongs which have shaped our past.”

The heir to the British crown also rejected the campaign to against monarchy. He said it is upto the member nations to decide on the role of monarchy.

“Our Commonwealth family is – and will always remain – a free association of independent, self-governing nations.  We meet and talk as equals, sharing our knowledge and experience for the betterment of all citizens of the Commonwealth – and, indeed, the wider world.  The Commonwealth contains within it countries that have had constitutional relationships with my Family, some that continue to do so, and increasingly those that have had none. 

“I want to say clearly, as I have said before, that each member’s Constitutional arrangement, as Republic or Monarchy, is purely a matter for each member country to decide.  The benefit of long life brings me the experience that arrangements such as these can change, calmly and without rancour.  But, as I said in Barbados last November, we should never forget the things which do not change: the close and trusted partnership between Commonwealth members; our common values and shared goals; and, perhaps most importantly, the strong and enduring connections between the peoples of the Commonwealth which strengthen us all.

“These shared values, goals and friendships transcend the ties of shared history, as we saw in welcoming Mozambique and Rwanda to this great family of nations.  And now, coming to Rwanda for the first time, visiting the genocide memorial and speaking to survivors, I have been overwhelmed by the resilience, grace and determination of the Rwandan people. “

“In the diversity of the 2.6 billion people on whose behalf you speak, comes great strength, which you can use, for instance, to speak up for the values which bind us, to invest in a rapid transition to a sustainable future and to create opportunities for our young people.  Many of those wrongs belong to an earlier age with different – and, in some ways lesser – values.  By working together, we are building a new and enduring friendship.  In Canada recently, my wife and I were deeply touched to meet many of those engaged in the ongoing process of reconciliation – indigenous and non-indigenous peoples reflecting honestly and openly on one of the darkest aspects of history.  As challenging as that conversation can be, people across Canada are approaching it with courage and unwavering commitment, determined to lay a foundation of respect and understanding upon which a better future can be built. “

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Prince Charles pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth

In the clip on Saturday, she told Paddington she always kept the Bear’s favourite – a marmalade sandwich – in her ever-present handbag…reports Asian Lite News

Prince Charles paid an emotional personal tribute to his mother, Queen Elizabeth, on Saturday during celebrations to mark her Platinum Jubilee, praising the monarch for uniting the nation and continuing to make history during her 70-year reign.

Charles spoke at a pop concert that opened with a comic sketch of the 96-year-old monarch having tea with Paddington Bear and tapping out the tune to the Queen anthem “We Will Rock You” on her china teacup.

The heir-to-the-throne appeared towards the end of the concert at Buckingham Palace. As images of Elizabeth’s reign were displayed on the walls, Charles, 73, said the Jubilee had given the country the chance to say thank you.

“You pledged to serve your whole life – you continue to deliver. That is why we are here,” he said in a message to the queen, who was at her Windsor Castle residence outside London.

“You have met us and talked with us. You laugh and cry with us and, most importantly, you have been there for us, for these 70 years,” he added, referring to the queen as “mummy”.

The Saturday festivities were among a number of Jubilee events that Elizabeth has missed because of “episodic mobility problems” that have caused her to cancel engagements recently.

The opening video with the fictional character Paddington had echoes of 2012 when the queen appeared with Britain’s most famous fictional spy, James Bond, in a video for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.

In the clip on Saturday, she told Paddington she always kept the Bear’s favourite – a marmalade sandwich – in her ever-present handbag.

A palace spokesman said: “The opportunity to invite a famous bear to tea was just too much fun to miss.”

Queen’s “We Will Rock You” then opened the show before the cast of “Hamilton,” Andrea Bocelli, Alicia Keys and Diana Ross performed in front of tens of thousands of people crammed around the palace, down the Mall grand boulevard and in a nearby park.

Charles and wife Camilla; son William, wife Kate and their two eldest children sang along with the crowd before an aerial drone light show projected images into the sky, including the monarch on a stamp and the outline of her dogs.

The four days of celebrations to mark the monarch’s seven decades as queen began on Thursday with a military parade and a Royal Air Force flypast, and a National Service of Thanksgiving on Friday.

At the concert, Prince William spoke about his family’s record on the environment, while Charles also acknowledged his father, Prince Philip, who died last year aged 99.

“My papa would have enjoyed the show and joined us wholeheartedly in celebrating all you continue to do for your country and your people,” he said.

“You continue to make history.”

Elizabeth ascended the throne aged 25 on the death of her father, George VI, in 1952, inheriting dominion over a Britain still emerging from the ravages of World War Two and with Winston Churchill as prime minister.

In total, there have been 14 prime ministers and 14 U.S. presidents during her reign; the Berlin Wall rose and fell; Britain joined and left the European Union; and her nation’s own once-mighty empire disintegrated, replaced by a Commonwealth of 54 nations. Elizabeth was instrumental in creating the latter and many regard its success as her greatest achievement.

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