Royal news - live: King Charles celebrates milestone birthday with passion project after Gladiator II premiere
Charles will open the first two Coronation Food Hubs on the first anniversary of the launch of his Coronation Food Project
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.King Charles is celebrating his 76th birthday, marking the occasion with a visit to a surplus food festival.
The King is treating the day as a normal working one and carrying on with his duties despite facing a personally challenging year in which both he and the Princess of Wales were diagnosed with cancer.
The monarch will open the first two Coronation Food Hubs on the first anniversary of the launch of his Coronation Food Project, designed to bridge the gap between food need and food waste in the UK amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Charles will attend the event solo, with the Queen, who had hoped to join him, still recovering from a chest infection.
Last night, the King, in black tie, walked the red carpet, meeting stars Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal at the glitzy global premiere of Gladiator II.
On Wednesday afternoon, he hosted a special celebrity reception at Buckingham Palace in honour of the UK’s film and television industry, where he and Camilla, who attended for part of the event, chatted with a host of famous faces including actors Damian Lewis, Emily Mortimer and Lucien Laviscount, and Gladiator director Sir Ridley Scott.
‘Fairytale’ picnic cottage enjoyed by Queen Victoria is restored to its former glory
A “fairytale” picnic cottage enjoyed by Queen Victoria on her visits to Balmoral has been saved from ruin by a conservation charity.
Built by Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Louise, around 1850, the cottage had fallen into disrepair but has been restored to its former glory through work commissioned by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS).
Moxon Architects helped NTS develop the plans for the restoration work and contractors completed the work this autumn, having started in June this year.
They cleared rubble from inside the building, before repointing mortar and harling on the cottage walls, dismantling dormer windows and installing doors, windows and floors to make it watertight and accessible.
The cottage is situated in woodlands near Linn of Quoich on Mar Lodge Estate national nature reserve close to Braemar in Aberdeenshire.
King celebrates 76th birthday with day out on official duties
The King is celebrating his 76th birthday, marking the occasion with a visit to a surplus food festival.
Charles is treating the day as a normal working one and carrying on with his duties despite facing a personally challenging year in which both he and the Princess of Wales were diagnosed with cancer.
The monarch will open the first two Coronation Food Hubs on the first anniversary of the launch of his Coronation Food Project, designed to bridge the gap between food need and food waste in the UK amid the cost-of-living crisis.
He will head to Deptford in south London to formally unveil the first hub, tour the centre with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and attend the surplus food festival being staged to celebrate the royal visit, before virtually opening another hub in Merseyside.
The event will be a solo one for Charles, with the Queen, who had hoped to join him, still recovering from a nasty chest infection.
Pictured: King celebrates film and TV industry at Buckingham Palace
Princess of Wales shares behind-the-scenes glimpse of Christmas carol concert arrangements
Princess Kate shares behind-the-scenes glimpse of Christmas concert arrangements
The Princess of Wales has shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her upcoming Christmas carol concert. Kate, who is recovering from cancer, is going ahead with her televised festive event at Westminster Abbey on 6 December, Kensington Palace announced. In an Instagram video, posted on Wednesday (13 November), the princess gave followers a glimpse at invitations being printed for this year’s concert. The caption reads: “Something exciting is coming. The invitations are fresh off the press for this year’s Together At Christmas Carol Service, which will be returning to Westminster Abbey on Friday 6 December.We can’t wait for you to join us too.”
Dame Imelda Staunton says she ‘absolutely adored’ playing Queen Elizabeth II
Actress Dame Imelda Staunton has said she “absolutely adored” portraying the late Queen Elizabeth II as she received her royal title at Windsor Castle.
The 68-year-old, who earned Bafta TV and Golden Globe nominations for the role in Netflix’s hit drama The Crown, was honoured for her services to drama and charity by the Prince of Wales on Tuesday.
Asked if it felt surreal to be recognised with her damehood by Charles in the King’s Birthday Honours having played his mother, Dame Imelda told the PA news agency: “They’re two very different worlds and you have to sort of get serious about that and go, ‘We were on the television and this is for real’.
“[William and I] didn’t talk about that, but it was a huge privilege. That was two years of filming, and I absolutely adored it.
“It was of course devastating when Her Majesty died – we were filming as well, it was tricky.”
Dame Imelda starred as the former monarch in the fifth and sixth series of the royal drama, following in the footsteps of Claire Foy and Olivia Colman – who played younger versions of Queen Elizabeth II.
She said she was “inconsolable for quite some time” after the Queen’s death, and that subsequent filming of The Crown was “very strange”.
Pictured: Queen Camilla at Booker Prize reception
ICYMI: ‘I think I’m on the mend’: Queen attends Booker Prize reception after illness
The Queen said she is “getting much better” as she arrived at a Booker Prize reception in her first public engagement since falling ill with a chest infection.
Camilla congratulated shortlisted authors at Clarence House on Tuesday afternoon and the winner of the prestigious literary prize will be announced in the evening.
It is her first public engagement since she contracted the seasonal bug following her long-haul tour to Australia and Samoa two-and-a-half weeks ago.
The Queen was greeted in the Garden Room by chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, Gaby Wood, and chair of the 2024 judges, Edmund de Waal.
She shook their hands and told Ms Wood: “I’m obviously getting much better. A bit of sort of coughing going on.”
“I really wanted to come,” Camilla added.
Rebecca Ferguson has said it is “so easy to forget yourself” in the entertainment industry as she was recognised with a royal honour at Windsor Castle.
The Liverpool-born singer-songwriter finished runner-up on The X Factor in 2010 but has turned more towards activism in recent years.
She was made an MBE by the Prince of Wales on Tuesday for her services to the music industry, having campaigned for the introduction of the new regulatory body for the sector to ensure artist welfare.
Ferguson likened her experience of finding her way in the music industry after The X Factor, where she finished behind winner Matt Cardle, with boy band One Direction third, to the character Pip in Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations.
The real reason why King Charles doesn’t own a phone
Following her death, royal insiders disclosed that although the late queen detested smartphones, she did have one available to her.
King Charles, however, is not interested in carrying on the custom of royals using mobile phones.
The King doesn't have a phone, according to Hello!, since he has a vast army of staff members ready to connect him to anyone at any time.
Queen Elizabeth was also known for her fondness of classic landlines, however, it has been reported she only answered the phone when her daughter, Princess Anne, and racing manager John Warren called.
King to celebrate film and TV industry and meet stars at Gladiator II premiere
The King is celebrating the UK’s film and television industry at a special reception in Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, before a night out at the star-studded Gladiator II premiere.
Charles will welcome directors, actors, TV presenters, stunt performers and costume designers to the historic royal residence in London.
At his side for part of the event will be the Queen, but Camilla is not expected to stay for the whole engagement with her diary adjusted this week to aid her recovery from a chest infection.
On the eve of his 76th birthday, the King will later make a solo outing to the glitzy global premiere of the highly anticipated Gladiator sequel at the Odeon Luxe in London’s Leicester Square after Camilla pulled out of attending the red carpet affair.
Charles will meet the film’s stars including Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and Pedro Pascal, and director Sir Ridley Scott.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments