Category Archives: UK news

Canaletto masterpiece has starring role at the proclamation of King Charles

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The painter’s view of Venice, now in St James’s Palace, once hung in George III’s bedroom

The father of the artist Canaletto painted stage scenery, and the theatrical tricks with light and perspective that he passed on to his famous son were evident in the splendid backdrop to the meeting of the accession council on Saturday in St James’s Palace.

The oil painting that featured so prominently was painted in 1744 and bought by George III in 1762. The Grand Canal With Santa Maria della Salute Looking East Towards the Bacino shows the great church of Santa Maria della Salute towering over the water in the strong morning sun. Measuring more that 2 metres (7 feet) wide, it was signed by the artist – real name Giovanni Antonio Canal – on the moored barge at the front of the composition.

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‘Pace yourself’: lessons for King Charles on working in your 70s

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From failing eyesight and tiredness to dealing with younger colleagues – some of the challenges facing the new king

The biggest challenge for those, like the King, who are working in their 70s is adapting to change, according to David Smith, 73, who, for the past 20 years, has been chief officer of the men’s charity, 15 Square.

“I think a lot of people get into their 70s and say ‘I’ve always done it this way and this is how I’m always going to do it’,” says Smith, who is the same age as Charles. “And that is a recipe for disaster. You have to embrace change.”

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Queen’s coffin leaves Balmoral en route to Edinburgh

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Cortege passing through villages of Royal Deeside where many considered monarch a dear neighbour

The Queen has commenced her final journey from her beloved Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire and is heading down the north-east coast to Edinburgh.

The cortege carrying her coffin left Balmoral at about 10am and was making slow progress through the villages of Royal Deeside, allowing the thousands who lined the route to bid a final farewell to the country’s longest-serving monarch and the woman many locally considered a dear neighbour.

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Man held over Manchester IRA bombing released without charge

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Man was interviewed by counter-terrorism officers in connection with 1996 attack that injured 200

A man who was arrested in connection with the 1996 Manchester IRA bombing has been released without charge.

He was held on suspicion of terrorism at Birmingham airport on Thursday and has now been released from custody, Greater Manchester police said. The man was interviewed by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West.

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Jacinda Ardern expects New Zealand’s royal ties to ‘deepen’ under King Charles III

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New Zealand and Australia hold ceremonies to recognise new head of state and pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Australia and New Zealand have held proclamation ceremonies for the new head of state King Charles III, with New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern saying she expected her country’s relationship with the royal family to “deepen”, and Australia declaring a one-off public holiday as a national day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II.

New Zealand held its formal ceremony on parliament’s grounds, with the proceedings led by governer general Cindy Kiro and Ardern, beginning with the national anthem and a prayer in te reo Māori – the Indigenous language.

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Antigua and Barbuda to hold republic referendum within three years, says PM

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Prime minister Gaston Browne reiterates plan for referendum in wake of Queen’s death

The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, has said he will call for a referendum on the country becoming a republic within three years, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Browne signed a document confirming Charles III’s status as the new King, but minutes later, said he would push for a republic referendum after indicating such a move earlier this year during a visit by the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

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King Charles III: royal family, including Anne, Andrew and Edward, greet wellwishers at Balmoral – live

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Charles publicly declared new monarch in series of proclamations after historic meeting of accession council

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have charted a path for themselves in California with King Charles’s stamp of approval. Will the Queen’s death change Meghan and Harry’s new chapter?

Lois Beckett writes:

The couple live in the celebrity enclave of Montecito, in a mansion reportedly purchased for $14.65m and have started Archewell, a combination of nonprofit and for-profit ventures that aims to “unleash the power of compassion to drive systemic cultural change”.

In a move that echoes the post-White House ambitions of Barack and Michelle Obama, the pair signed a reported $100m, multi-year deal with Netflix to produce TV shows, films and children’s programs. Meghan launched a Spotify podcast Archetypes, featuring interviews with American celebrity royalty such as Serena Williams, Mariah Carey and Mindy Kaling.

The duo is engaged in several humanitarian organizations, including Harry’s Invictus games, and frequently speak out on public issues…

More scrutiny of Windsor family dynamics and the role these two royal dissenters might play in the reign of Harry’s 73-year-old father, Charles III, is likely, especially given the anticipated release of Harry’s memoir, which is expected to delve into the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death, and Harry and Meghan’s life in the UK before their departure to California.

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MPs and peers retake parliamentary oaths to swear allegiance to King Charles III

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First MP to take new oath was Lindsay Hoyle, followed by Harriet Harman and Peter Bottomley, then Liz Truss

MPs and peers, among them Liz Truss, have formally retaken their parliamentary oaths to swear allegiance to the new King, followed by another round of tributes in both parliamentary houses to the late monarch.

The first MP to take the revised oath, which refers to the King rather than Queen, was the Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, followed by the two longest-serving MPs, Peter Bottomley and Harriet Harman, then Truss and a dozen or so other senior MPs, mainly ministers, shadow ministers and party leaders.

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Chris Kaba’s family demands suspension of Met officer involved in shooting

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Hundreds of protesters march through Whitehall demanding justice as police watchdog launches homicide investigation

The family of Chris Kaba has called for the immediate suspension of the Metropolitan police officer involved in his fatal shooting.

The 24-year-old, who was due to become a father for the first time, was shot dead by a firearms officer in Streatham, south London, on Monday night.

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Earl marshal: the duke coordinating the Queen’s funeral and King’s coronation

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The hereditary behind-the-scenes role involves organising state funerals of sovereigns and arranging the accession of monarchs

As the nation mourns a Queen and celebrates a new King, a key behind-the-scenes figure is the earl marshal.

This hereditary role has responsibility for arranging the state opening of parliament, as well as organising the state funerals of sovereigns and the accession and coronations of new monarchs.

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Class or crass? Brands walk a fine line in marking Queen’s death

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Posts by Playmobil and Legoland Windsor provoked comment, as did the Queen Elizabeth II workout

Content is king, in #marketingspeak at least, but many brands have discovered that the Queen is not content.

In the tumult of reaction to news of the Queen’s death, social media managers struggled to work out the best way to communicate to their customers.

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Revealed: Suella Braverman sets Home Office ‘No boats crossing the Channel’ target

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UK’s new home secretary upsets civil servants with speech on migrants, trashy TV and back-to-office call

The new home secretary has already prompted consternation among Home Office officials after telling them she wants to ban all small boats crossing the Channel, the Observer has learned.

During her inaugural address to departmental staff last Wednesday, Suella Braverman said a top priority would be stopping all Channel crossings. She has also asked all staff to watch “trashy TV” to help their “mental wellbeing”, a source said, specifically citing Channel 4’s Married at First Sight and First Dates as well as Love Island.

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Prime minister of Barbados says King Charles is a ‘man ahead of his time’

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Mia Mottley praised his environmental and social commitment and noted his recognition of the atrocities of slavery

The prime minister of Barbados, which became the world’s newest republic after removing the Queen as its head of state last year, has described King Charles III as a “man ahead of his time” because of his environmental views and commitment to young people, and noted his recent recognition of the atrocities of slavery.

Speaking to the BBC World Service programme The Newsroom on Saturday, Mia Mottley also paid tribute to the Queen, who congratulated the Caribbean island on a “momentous” day when it became a republic in November last year.

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Queen’s death intensifies criticism of British empire’s violent atrocities

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American commentators, academics and others are calling into reconsideration of monarchy’s lasting influences

The death of Queen Elizabeth II revived longstanding criticism in the US over the monarchy’s enrichment from the British empire’s violent colonization of African, Asian and Caribbean nations and their diasporas.

Since her death on Thursday, American commentators, academics, and a former US diplomat, among others, took to social media and elsewhere to call for fully wrestling with the British monarchy’s lasting influence in light of the monarch’s death.

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Australian travel industry braces for ‘influx’ as royalists plan to attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral

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Guardian Australia understands the few remaining Qantas seats from Australian capital cities to London have been quickly booked since the news of monarch’s death

Australia’s travel industry says it is bracing for an “influx” of Australians deciding to travel to London to attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.

Guardian Australia understands the very few remaining Qantas seats from Australian capital cities to London have been quickly booked since the news of the Queen’s death. Peter Hosper, the commercial director of Travel Authority Group, said his agency was preparing for more inquiries on Monday.

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King Charles’s ascension ignites debate over royals across Commonwealth

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Head of state role in doubt in realms from Jamaica to New Zealand after death of Queen Elizabeth II

King Charles’s ascension to the throne has reignited a debate over whether the royal family deserves a global role in the 21st century, no more so than in the 14 Commonwealth realms where the British monarch remains the head of state.

A legacy of empire and slavery that was entwined with British royalty for centuries has raised tough questions about the place of a foreign king, and republican movements from the Pacific to North America to the Caribbean will be assessing whether they should seize the moment.

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PM hails monarch as ‘absolute inspiration’ as leaders lay wreaths at Parliament House – as it happened

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Prime minister, opposition leader and governor general take part in ceremony. This blog is now closed

Prime minister Anthony Albanese and the governor general, David Hurley, are now walking towards the statue of the Queen, together with speaker of the house Milton Dick.

A crowd of parliamentarians and dignitaries are gathering at the Queen’s Terrace area of Canberra’s Parliament House, where a wreath-laying ceremony will take place at a statue of Queen Elizabeth.

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Queen’s death deepens UK’s downward spiral in global arena, US observers say

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Boris Johnson scandals, energy crisis – not to mention Brexit – have undermined Britain’s influence

The prevailing view from America of post-Brexit, post-Elizabethan Britain is principally one of a country of declining influence which is in danger of sinking on the world stage as a result of mostly self-inflicted crises.

The US news coverage of the day of the Queen’s death was overwhelmingly reverent, but by Friday there was already a backlash, pointing to the inseparable bond between the royal family and the country’s imperial past.

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Man arrested over deaths of a mother and daughter in Suffolk

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Police said the 44-year-old woman and 12-year-old girl were found at a home in village near Sudbury

A man has been arrested by police investigating the deaths of a mother and daughter who were found dead at a home near Sudbury in Suffolk.

Suffolk constabulary said the 44-year-old woman and 12-year-old girl were found at a house in the village of Great Waldingfield on Thursday morning after police received reports of concerns for the safety of the occupants.

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‘Everything kicked into gear’: how Australia’s media covered the Queen’s death

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Broadcasters launched well-rehearsed plans – including pre-planned outfits – when news broke in the early morning

The sombre black outfits have been ready for years, the studio rehearsals done many times and the obituaries and highlights packages were ready.

Like the BBC and ITV, Australian broadcasters had careful plans to launch on the death of the Queen.

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