Today, November 14, is King Charles’ birthday. An event celebrated soberly in the United Kingdom, and punctuated by cannon fire.
It’s almost a normal day for King Charles. The sovereign, who celebrates his 75th birthday this Tuesday, November 14, will devote himself to his traditional activities. He will thus launch the “coronation food project”, an initiative aimed at combating food waste.
He is also on the cover of the Big Issue magazine, sold by the homeless in the United Kingdom. “On my 75th birthday, in this Coronation year, I couldn’t ask for a greater gift than to see the Coronation Food Project create a lasting legacy to help others – and help the planet,” y evokes the king.
The king is also due to host a reception to salute the work of nurses and midwives at Buckingham Palace, as part of the anniversary of the British health system, the NHS, which is also 75 years old.
The king was also treated to a cake on Monday, which he shared with contemporaries at his home in Highgrove.
Public service and cannon shots
The king’s commitments this November 14 emphasize public service, underlines BBC News. The event will also be celebrated during a dinner this evening, with family and a few friends.
Cannons will be fired in several places across the country to mark the event. Forty-one cannons will be fired from Green Park in London at midday (British time). Others will be fired from the Tower of London. And a coin celebrating these three-quarters of a century was minted. But this anniversary will not give rise to special celebrations.
Because King Charles, like Queen Elizabeth before him, is entitled to two birthdays, one official celebrated in June and with great pomp, the other celebrated in private, corresponding to the true date of birth of the sovereign.
At 75, Charles III is the sixth oldest monarch in the history of the United Kingdom, after Queens Elizabeth II and Victoria, and Kings George III, Edward VIII and George II.
The official account of the royal family has also published a photo album retracing the life of the sovereign, with one photo per year. We see Charles as a child in the arms of his mother, Elizabeth not yet queen, with his grandfather, King George VI, then a helicopter pilot in 1976. There is even a photo with Diana, who is holding the Prince Harry in his arms, leaving the maternity ward in 1984. Princes William and Harry both appear in several photos with the king.
This is one of the big questions that shook the British media, had Prince Harry been invited to his father’s birthday, and was he going to come? The Sunday Time initially claimed the Sussexes had been invited, but declined the invitation. Then their spokesperson said they had not been invited.
This article is originally published on bfmtv.com
