Category Archives: Monarchy

First major bank passes on rate hike – as it happened

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Asked whether he would swear allegiance, Albanese replied he “will do what is entirely appropriate as the representative of Australia” promising to “engage in that spirit” by swearing the oath – as he has done 10 times when sworn in to parliament and as a minister.

Albanese noted that Australians had voted at the 1999 referendum to remain a monarchy, but acknowledged that Australians have a “wide range of views” on whether to become a republic.

I think that Australia should have an Australian as our head of state, I don’t shy away from that. I haven’t changed my views.

But my priority is constitutional recognition – I can’t imagine going forward, for example, going forward as was suggested by some legitimately that we should be having another referendum on the republic before that occurs.

All Australians wish King Charles well regardless of the different views of people will have about our constitutional arrangements.

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Princess Anne: slimmed-down royal family ‘doesn’t sound like a good idea’

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King Charles’s sister responds to reports that monarch could reduce number of working royals and cut back staffing

Princess Anne, the 16th in line to the British throne, has said she does not think a slimmed-down monarchy is a “good idea”.

Speaking to the Canadian public broadcaster, CBC News, the princess royal was asking about reports that her brother King Charles intends to overhaul the institution, in a move frequently referred to as a “slimmed down” monarchy.

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Minister defends ‘offensive’ coronation-day oath to King Charles

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Mark Harper and Labour MP back ‘homage of the people’, but republicans say it ‘holds people in contempt’

A cabinet minister has said he “hopes people do” swear the proposed oath to the king on the day of his coronation, as republicans described it as “an offensive and tone-deaf gesture that holds the people in contempt”.

The transport secretary, Mark Harper, said he would be swearing the oath, to be known as a “homage of the people” and pointed out that MPs already “pledge allegiance to his majesty” on taking their seats.

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Public invited to swear their allegiance as king is crowned

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British subjects asked to form a ‘chorus of a million voices’ and make oath of loyalty while watching service

Members of the public watching the coronation on television, online and in parks and pubs will be invited to swear aloud their allegiance to the monarch in a “chorus of millions of voices” to be known as the Homage of the People.

People around the UK and abroad will be invited to say the words “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to your majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God”, in a declaration that replaces the traditional homage of peers.

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British public support for monarchy at historic low, poll reveals

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On eve of king’s coronation, survey shows only three in 10 Britons think monarchy is ‘very important’

Only three in 10 Britons think the monarchy is “very important”, the lowest proportion on record, a poll shows as the king’s coronation approaches.

A survey by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) shows public support for the monarchy has fallen to a historic low. A total of 45% of respondents said either it should be abolished, was not at all important or not very important.

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Ivory displayed at Prince William’s palace despite his criticism of trade

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Artwork exhibited at Kensington Palace among nearly 2,000 artefacts in royal collection

For more than a decade, Prince William has spoken out vehemently against the use of ivory, calling it “a symbol of destruction, not of luxury”. The royal patron of the anti-ivory charity Tusk has lobbied leaders in China, the US and countries across Africa.

He has even said that he wants to destroy all the ivory owned by the royals. In 2019, a spokesperson for William clarified that while destroying all the ivory in the royal collection was beyond the prince’s control, he had “ensured there is no ivory from the collection at Kensington Palace”, his place of residence.

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Prince Andrew held investments in shell company set up to keep holdings secret

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Prince was among at least five members of royal family who used Bank of England Nominees – set up in 1970s to prevent disclosure of queen’s investments

Prince Andrew held his shareholdings through a government-backed shell company that was created to conceal royal investments from public scrutiny.

The prince was among at least five members of the royal family who used the shell company Bank of England Nominees, which was set up in the 1970s to prevent the “embarrassing” public disclosure of Queen Elizabeth II’s investments.

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King Charles and Camilla choose coronation quiche as signature dish

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Recipe follows coronation chicken and platinum pudding as suggested centrepiece for parties and events

From coronation chicken to platinum pudding, royal occasions demand a signature dish and King Charles III’s coronation is no exception.

The “coronation quiche” has been personally chosen by the king and Camilla, the Queen Consort, in the hope it will be a centrepiece to many a coronation “Big Lunch” at street parties and community events on 6 May.

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Official jewellery gifts to royals worth £80m are not in national collection

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Palace refusing to explain why official state gifts worn by Princess of Wales and Camilla are not in the royal collection

Buckingham Palace is refusing to explain why 11 pieces of jewellery potentially worth £80m that were official gifts to the royal family are not held in a trove of national heritage.

The jewels, which have been worn by Queen Elizabeth II; Camilla, the Queen Consort, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are not contained in the royal collection, the custodian of culturally significant items held in trust for the nation.

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King’s green energy firm was investigated after 38-day greenhouse gas leak

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Health and Safety Executive also issued several notices related to worker safety and explosive substances at JV Energen

A green energy company set up by King Charles was investigated for numerous health and safety breaches after the unauthorised leak of more than 1,000 tonnes of global-heating gases.

Methane, CO2 and traces of the toxic gas hydrogen sulphide were released after a gas-holder at the plant split open in 2020. The incident, which lasted for 38 days, was described as “significant” by the Environment Agency.

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Over 850 people with community and charity roles to attend king’s coronation

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Guests will include more than 450 British Empire Medal recipients, many of whom helped in Covid lockdowns

More than 850 community and charity representatives have been invited to the coronation of King Charles III, mingling with the royals, heads of state, politicians, peers and diplomats at Westminster Abbey.

Buckingham Palace has announced more than 450 recipients of the British Empire Medal (BEM) will attend in recognition of the contributions made by volunteers and community champions across the country.

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Joe Biden accepts King Charles’s invitation for state visit

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News of invitation follows announcement that US president will visit Ireland and Northern Ireland next week

Joe Biden has accepted an invitation from King Charles III for a state visit, a White House spokesperson has said.

The invitation was made during a “friendly” 25 to 30 minute phone call in which Biden congratulated the king on his upcoming coronation, which the US president will not attend.

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Free portraits of Charles III for all public bodies, but £8m cost branded ‘shameful’

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Anti-monarchist claims the official portraits of the head of state are ‘scandalous’ at the time of spending cuts

Ministers have been accused of “losing the plot” after setting aside £8m to offer every public body a free portrait of King Charles.

In a move that drew criticism amid complaints of shrinking budgets across Whitehall and local government, Oliver Dowden, the cabinet office minister, said it was part of plans to celebrate the new reign and bring the nation together.

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Amid the Prince Harry circus lies a court battle with the highest stakes

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The Daily Mail’s owner, the prince and Elton John could be on the road to one of the biggest media trials in British history

When the Duke of Sussex unexpectedly arrived at the high court on Monday morning he became the most senior royal to appear in a courtroom since Princess Anne admitted being in charge of an English bull terrier that was dangerously out of control in a public space.

Prince Harry was there to allege that Associated Newspapers, the parent company of the Daily Mail, was similarly out of control.

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King Charles lays wreath in Hamburg to honour second world war dead

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Charles and Camilla also remembered the Kindertransport children, during a state visit to Germany

King Charles and Germany’s president have lain wreaths in remembrance of the victims of the second world war, in the ruins of a bombed-out church in Hamburg.

The monarch joined President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the mayor of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher, to leave floral tributes at St Nikolai memorial church, whose spire was a landmark used by bomber crews during the conflict 80 years ago and has since become a monument against war.

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King Charles to lay wreath to German victims of wartime air raids

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Planned visit to St Nikolai memorial in Hamburg contrasts with approach taken by his mother

King Charles will this week become the first British monarch to lay a wreath to the German victims of allied air raids in the second world war.

The move is a departure from his mother’s handling of the historically sensitive subject on previous royal visits to the country.

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Biden brings forward Belfast visit, putting meeting with king in doubt

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Charles and president likely to instead stage back-to-back visits to mark 25 years of Good Friday agreement

Hopes that Joe Biden’s landmark trip to Belfast next month will be rounded off by a meeting with King Charles are fading after the US president brought forward by a week his trip to celebrate 25 years of peace.

It now appears likely the king and the president will stage back-to-back visits in an echo of historic visits to Dublin by Barack Obama and the queen in 2011.

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King Charles’s visit to France postponed amid protests

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French president’s office confirms state visit off after mass strikes and demonstrations across the country

King Charles’s state visit to Paris has been postponed amid mass strikes and protests, the French president’s office has said.

The king had been scheduled to arrive in France on Sunday on his first state visit as monarch, before heading to Germany on Wednesday.

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French strikers won’t provide red carpets for King Charles’s ill-timed visit

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With uncollected rubbish lining Paris streets, critics are comparing the optics of the royal arrival to 1789

Striking workers in France are refusing to provide red carpets for King Charles’s first overseas trip as monarch amid protests over rises to the pension age.

French trade union CGT announced this week that its members at Mobilier National, the institution in charge of providing flags, red carpets and furniture for public buildings, would not help prepare a reception for the king upon his arrival in Paris on Sunday.

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