Tea dancing, cannon fire and euphoria… This Tuesday, London celebrated the 75th birthday of King Charles III. Despite his age, the sovereign shows no sign of wanting to slow down and is very present in public on the causes that are dear to him, such as the environment.
The king, who likes to give the image of a hard worker, marks his three-quarters of a century with a busy schedule, like his first year on the throne marked by official visits to Germany, France and Kenya , as well as his coronation last May. The festivities began on Monday with an “afternoon tea”, a tea dance with giant cake in the gardens of Highgrove, in the west of England, where he created an organic farm, with local residents drawn at random among all those who, like him, were born in 1948.
The “Salute to the Colors”
On Tuesday, 41 cannon shots were fired near Buckingham Palace at midday, before a further 62-gun salvo an hour later from the Tower of London. For the rest of the official ceremonies, we will have to wait until next June, as is tradition for British sovereigns, with the “Salute to the Colors” parade organized in a season more conducive to outdoor activities.
The sovereign also has several official commitments on the agenda. He is to visit a food aid distribution center with Queen Camilla to launch a charitable project aimed at combating waste and hunger. The king, who acceded to the throne in September 2022 upon the death of his mother Elizabeth II, appears this week on the front page of the homeless magazine “Big Issue” to defend this initiative.
Much lower popularity than Elizabeth II
In the afternoon, a reception is planned at Buckingham Palace with 400 nurses and midwives invited to mark the 75th anniversary of the public health service, the NHS, an institution beloved by the British but in the midst of a crisis. The day must end with a private dinner with his loved ones, once again without his youngest son Harry, in exile in California with his wife Meghan and their two children.
The 39-year-old duke, who has made harsh remarks about his father and older brother William in recent months, was due to send his wishes to the king by telephone, according to the BBC. Born Prince Charles Philip Arthur George at Buckingham Palace on November 14, 1948 when his mother was still a princess, the old King Charles III, with 52% favorable opinions according to the YouGov institute, remains far from the immense popularity of Elizabeth II, despite his strong public presence.
A “difficult” king on “gifts”
His heir William, appreciated by 69% of the British, is far ahead of him. But there was no question of Charles handing over directly to him, after almost a lifetime of preparing for the throne. The sovereign appears more committed than the late queen, discreet about his opinions, on causes such as the defense of nature, one of his long-standing fights. He will therefore go to the COP28 climate conference in Dubai at the beginning of December where he will give a speech.
For her 65th birthday, Camilla confided that her husband loved birthday parties for “the cake and a bit of song” but was “the most difficult person there is when it comes to gifts”: “So, he likes to make a list of what he wants so that we don’t make a mistake. »