Latest news with #CharlesIII

Gulf Today

11 hours ago

Politics
Gulf Today

King's visit

King Charles III is visiting one of the Commonwealth's countries, Canada, a symbolic trip to remind anyone who doesn't understand history and geography that it won't be the 51st US state. President Trump is still enthusiastic about his plan to conquer his neighbour but with all of his bluster and self-belief, it's not going to be enough to beat the British Royal family with over a thousand years of quietly handling all of the various upstarts that have annoyed them. Donald, stick with 50 stars on the flag, it's going to be messy to adjust and expensive to replace all the country's flags. Dennis Fitzgerald Melbourne, Australia

King Charles gifted Rolls-Royce as coronation present

Yahoo

21 hours ago

Business
Yahoo

King Charles gifted Rolls-Royce as coronation present

King Charles III received a Rolls-Royce as a coronation gift, an official register has revealed. Buckingham Palace has released records listing the official gifts received by members of the Royal Family from 2020 to 2023. The Rolls Royce Cullinan Series II motor car was given by the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. It is thought to be worth at least £300,000, and will be used on official occasions and not for personal use. Other gifts on the list also included a feather crown from Amazonian Indigenous leaders, two gold Blue Peter badges and a tea set from Smythson of Bond Street. In April 2023, just before his coronation, the King received two gold Blue Peter badges, one each for himself and Camilla. They received the famous badges for their environmental work, support for young people through the Prince's Trust, now the King's Trust, and work highlighting the importance of literacy and reading from a young age respectively. For the coronation itself, alongside the Rolls-Royce, the Bahraini king gave Charles a decorative clock. Meanwhile, former President of the United States Joe Biden gave Charles a leather folder containing printed letters between Elizabeth II and President Dwight Eisenhower inviting him to the United Kingdom, with a photograph of the visit. The list also includes gifts presented to other members of the royal family including the Prince and Princess of Wales and the late Queen Elizabeth II. For her Platinum Jubilee, the late queen was gifted two lamp-posts which stand outside the Houses of Parliament in the form of bronze sculptures of heraldic beasts and a Cedar of Lebanon tree from Pope Francis. Official gifts can be worn and used, but are not considered the royals' personal property. The royals do not pay tax on them. Gifts cannot be sold or exchanged - though perishable official gifts with a value less than £150 can be given to charity or staff - and eventually become part of the Royal Collection, which is held in trust for successors and the nation. Usually the palace releases records listing the official gifts received by members of the royal family annually, however due to delays caused by the Covid pandemic, death of Elizabeth II and the coronation this is the first time a list has been published in the King's reign. Sign up here to get the latest royal stories and analysis every week with our Royal Watch newsletter. Those outside the UK can sign up here. Canada 'strong and free' and other takeaways from King's throne speech Royal Family tree: Charles III and the line of succession Candles, wreaths, famous faces: VE Day at 80 in pictures

Brits told to look out for 50p coin as one just sold for £100

Daily Mirror

21 hours ago

Entertainment
Daily Mirror

Brits told to look out for 50p coin as one just sold for £100

"Check your mum's purse" for this highly sought-after coin, an expert said. Brits have been told to search through their coins at home after a relatively new 50p piece sold for an impressive £100. The coin in question was dubbed the 'rarest' 50p in circulation by the Royal Mint. According to an expert, we should all be keeping an eye out for the Atlantic salmon 50 pence. This coin was produced in 2023 as part of a new collection in honour of the coronation of King Charles III. ‌ As the name suggests, it features the image of an Atlantic salmon on its reverse (tail side) while King Charles' portrait is on the obverse (head side). What makes this coin particularly sought after is the fact that only 200,000 of these were ever made. ‌ This makes it the lowest-minted 50p in circulation, just beating the 2009 Kew Gardens coin, of which 210,000 were made. In a video uploaded to social media platform TikTok, an expert known as the Coin Collecting Wizard explained more. He said: 'Rare 50p coin sells for £100 and there are more out there. Did you know this is just a normal 50p coin? ‌ 'But wait, in the UK, 50p coins come in loads of different designs. But this, this is the Atlantic salmon 50p and it's not just any coin. 'It's already the new definitive 50p. Why is everyone freaking out about a fish on a coin?' In previous videos the expert had estimated that the coin could sell for around £80 to collectors. He continued: 'Well, one of these just sold online for £100. Yep, £100 for a 50p and it's rare. ‌ 'Only 200,000 of these were made. That makes it one of the lowest minted 50p coins ever.' He then urged people to get checking for this coin in their purses and coin jars. 'Coin collectors are literally checking their change for this thing. ‌ 'I've been checking every 50p I get now, like I'm on Antiques Roadshow. So next time someone gives you 50p in change don't just chuck it in a jar. It might be worth a hundred quid. 'Check your coins. Check your mum's purse. Check your Nan's biscuit tin.' On its website, the Royal Mint says: 'His Majesty King Charles III's 50p coin has been officially crowned as the rarest 50p in active circulation, following the latest mintage figures published by The Royal Mint. 'The coin depicting the Atlantic Salmon has knocked the highly collectable 2009 Kew Gardens 50p off the top spot for the first time, with just 200,000 released to UK banks and post offices at the end of last year. A total of 210,000 2009 Kew Gardens coins were released into circulation 15 years ago.' At the time of reporting, a number of these coins could be found on eBay listed at prices from £44.50 to £177.

Women's suffrage or He Whakaputanga? Holiday ideas to replace King's Birthday

The Spinoff

2 days ago

Politics
The Spinoff

Women's suffrage or He Whakaputanga? Holiday ideas to replace King's Birthday

A list of the best alternative public holiday ideas in place of celebrating the (fake) birth of King Charles III. This time last year, I wrote about why I was sick of celebrating the birth of the king of New Zealand. Not much has changed. My objections remain the same: colonisation is nothing to celebrate, and the relevance of an old white man on a throne in England continues to decline – especially for a country building its own independent identity. Matariki now gives us a beautiful, reflective mid-year break – somewhere around June or July depending on the maramataka. But the back half of the calendar, especially between July and October, remains a bit of a public holiday desert. Replacing King's Birthday with a holiday in that later period would not only be more meaningful, it'd make for a better spread across the year. And really, isn't that a much better reason for a day off? Sure, replacing the King's Birthday holiday might be mostly symbolic. You could argue it's just cutting the flowers off the gorse. But symbols matter – and public holidays are one of the clearest ways we show who and what we value as a nation. So, with another long weekend rolling in to honour 'our gracious king', here are some ideas for holidays Aotearoa could celebrate instead. Koroneihana – A celebration of Māori leadership Each year, thousands gather at Tūrangawaewae marae in Ngāruawāhia for Koroneihana – the anniversary of the Māori monarch's coronation. This year, it will be held from August 30 to September 5, marking a year since the passing of Kīngi Tūheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII and the ascension of his daughter, Kuini Nga Wai Hono i te Pō. It's a week of kapa haka, kōrero, whanaungatanga and wānanga. In contrast to the King's Birthday, Koroneihana celebrates a leadership tradition born of this land and carried by Māori, for Māori. That's a public holiday worth getting behind. Women's Suffrage Day – September 19 Aotearoa was the first country in the world where women won the right to vote. We commemorate it with speeches and social media posts – but why not with a public holiday too? September 19, the date in 1893 when women's suffrage was signed into law, would be an ideal opportunity to reflect on our democratic milestones and acknowledge the ongoing struggle for gender equity in all areas of life. He Whakaputanga – October 28 Waitangi Day commemorates the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. But before that, there was He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni – the Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand, signed on October 28, 1835. Recognised by the British Crown at the time, it affirmed the sovereignty of Māori hapū and rangatira. A public holiday for He Whakaputanga would be a powerful acknowledgment of this foundational document – and a reminder that the story of Aotearoa didn't begin with colonisation. Te reo Māori becomes official – August 1 In 1987, te reo Māori became an official language of Aotearoa. The move followed decades of activism, marches, petitions and protest from Māori determined to revive and protect their language. Given that Te Wiki o te Reo Māori often falls in September, August 1 could anchor the season with a national day honouring our indigenous language and those who fought for its survival. A national day of remembrance While Anzac Day is a cornerstone of national reflection, other tragedies in Aotearoa's history deserve dedicated space in our collective memory. The Christchurch mosque attacks (2019), the Tangiwai disaster (1953), the Erebus crash (1979), and the destruction of the Pink and White Terraces in the 1886 Tarawera eruption all shaped who we are. A single national remembrance day could honour any one of these events – or all of them – and the resilience of the communities affected. Our greatest sporting triumphs This one's a lot less solemn, but arguably considered just as unifying. Why not a public holiday marking a historic sporting achievement? The All Blacks' 1987 Rugby World Cup win, the Kiwis' stunning 2008 Rugby League World Cup victory, or even the Black Ferns' 2022 title? We shut down the country for the America's Cup, after all. 'Cook's death day' – February 14 February 14, 1779 – the day Captain James Cook was killed in Hawai'i. It's also Valentine's Day. 'Nuff said. Whether it's celebrating rangatiratanga, suffrage, language, resilience, or just good old-fashioned sporting excellence, there are plenty of meaningful, relevant and proudly local holidays that could take the place of King's Birthday. The monarchy may be slow to fade, but our calendars don't have to be stuck in the past.

Canada Parliament kicks off with new LoP as ‘Maple MAGA' Pierre Poilievre waits for by-polls

Time of India