King Charles turned 76 yesterday. He spent several hours at an event at a foodbank, in which the slumlord king graciously donated new refrigerators and we weren’t supposed to remember that the man bills the NHS £11 million to rent a warehouse for ambulances. Some outlets made Charles’s birthday all about Prince Harry, because of course. GB News declared that Harry “has fumbled a public olive branch he received from members of the Royal Family” because he “opted not to send a public birthday message to King Charles on Thursday.” Why would Harry PUBLICLY wish his father a happy birthday when Harry could just call his father and speak to him? Oh, wait, Charles refuses to take his son’s calls. Oh well. Good luck with Peggington then! I don’t think William even saw his father on his birthday. It also sounds like Charles planned a small party for himself last night and didn’t invite his sons. Sounds about right. From Katie Nicholl’s latest in Vanity Fair:
Birthday plans: According to aides, the king is treating his birthday like any other day, but it is expected that there will be a small, low-key gathering attended by some family and close friends to mark the king’s birthday on Thursday evening. “There will be more to the birthday than going to the Coronation Food Project, but it will be a private celebration,” reveals a source close to the king.
Happier than he’s ever been?? Sources close to Charles tell VF that he is “happier than he has ever been” and is grateful to be able to carry out his work. “What’s happened since the King’s last birthday is incredible. No one had any idea of the challenges that would lie ahead on a personal and a family level. It’s been a year of highs and lows,” notes a royal source.
Ending 2024 on a high: King Charles is continuing with his weekly treatment which he is “tolerating well,” according to well-placed sources. It has not stopped the monarch from maintaining his busy schedule, which includes a recent tour of Australia and Samoa. “As we come to the end of what has been a terribly hard year there’s a feeling that 2024 will end on a high,” adds the palace source. “That the king was able to visit Australia and CHOGM in Samoa showed just how well he is doing. He was at the Cenotaph last weekend, which was incredibly important, it’s what the royal family do best – leading the nation in moments of national importance.”
More on his treatment: “As he celebrates his birthday, I think the king is getting on with life and feeling deep gratitude for all that he is able to do,” says a source close to the monarch. “He had treatment this week – he’s on a weekly cycle and the symptoms and side effects are manageable. He’s determined to be seen going about his business and doing what he loves doing.”
Human contact: “I think the past year has shown the king to be very human,” adds the source. “The late queen was a quasi-deity in some ways. The king is very human, he has human strengths, frailties and engages in human contact. Nothing could be more reductively human than a critical illness that affects so many and I think most people think he has conducted himself with dignity and courage. People think he’s done well with climate change, youth opportunity and is making a difference and actually see that he’s a good king doing good things, and it would be sad if he wasn’t here. He recognizes that there’s a limit to what he can do, but I do think he’s happier this year than last year. There’s a levity about him and a sense of joy. You see him hugging people and laughing. He’s happy to be here doing what he loves and I think people are paying more attention to him and what he’s doing than ever before.”
“People think he’s done well with climate change, youth opportunity and is making a difference and actually see that he’s a good king doing good things, and it would be sad if he wasn’t here.” I find it sad that Buckingham Palace’s communications team serves King Charles so poorly, that they lay it on so thick. He’s so human, he’s frail like the peasants, he’s managing without complaint, and you will miss him when he’s gone!! Aiming for sympathy, maybe even pity? Anyway, I do hope that Charles holds on. There’s definitely a growing sense of panic over William’s inability to take over.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- Deptford Trading Estate, London, UK. 14th November 2024. In celebration of His Majesty’s 76th birthday and the first anniversary of the Coronation Food Project, The King, joined by the Mayor of London, The Rt. Hon. Sadiq Khan, opened the initiative’s first two Coronation Food Hubs.,Image: 934338447, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Supplied by AVALON – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Photo by Amanda Rose / Avalon
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- King Charles III shakes hands with staff at The Felix Project in Deptford, London, England, UK on Thursday 14 November, 2024 after he opened a Coronation Food Hub to mark his 76th Birthday.,Image: 934341711, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- In celebration of the 76th birthday of His Majesty The King and 1st anniversary of The Coronation Food Project, the King will formally open the first Coronation Food Hub in Deptford Trading Estate, Blackhorse Road Featuring: King Charles III Where: London, United Kingdom When: 14 Nov 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- King Charles III arrives for a visit to the first Coronation Food Hub in Deptford Trading Estate in London, England Featuring: King Charles III Where: London, United Kingdom When: 14 Nov 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- King Charles III departs a visit to the first Coronation Food Hub in Deptford Trading Estate in London, England Featuring: King Charles III Where: London, United Kingdom When: 14 Nov 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- King Charles III visits the first Coronation Food Hub in Deptford Trading Estate in London, England Featuring: King Charles III Where: London, United Kingdom When: 14 Nov 2024 Credit: Cover Images
I wish for Charles what he enabled for his son and his sons wife.
Well deserved.
Couldn’t have happened to a nicer P̶a̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶Y̶e̶a̶r̶ Sluml̶o̶r̶d̶king.
Already talking about his legacy. However, charles was always about the environnement, the gardening, and of course cash money in suitcases.
Meanwhile heir egg willie still cannot find a true passion cause for himself except trying desperately to be a dilf for his rosebushing. Lovely future for the peasants
The expectations of Harry to step up in the face of repeated snubs and vicious briefing are beyond belief. How often does one have to be treated poorly or ignored to realize that you need to prioritize your own well being and stop?
I believe that Harry tried to call his father directly to say happy birthday, and that call was not taken. Why go to social media and send well wishes? I think Harry has tried that tactic for awhile, to make good intentions clear, but we are well past that. Harry spent dozens of hours in transit to see his father for 30-45 measly minutes when his father was diagnosed with cancer. Harry has been very clear about his openness.
Good point about the phone call – people have become so conditioned to using social media for validation. If it’s not on twitter, ig, etc., it didn’t happen.
I think this is just a prelude to them no longer sending any wishes to H&M on SM.
Glad H&M have themselves moved on and distanced themselves literally and metaphorically from that family. I will forever LMAO as Meghan staying at a hotel in Heathrow but not stepping foot into London/ the UK proper. Her message was so LOUD and perfect.
They keep trying to make fetch happen and it only makes them look desperate and thirsty.
Didn’t the BRF say that only big BD’s get public acknowledgement? Where is new-found daughter Kate’s public wish or son Will’s? And now QE was quasi-deity? To whom? Is this KC’s response to PW’s article about being small “r” royalty?
Charles is not “human” his not seeing his second son, his daughter in law and their children (his own grandchildren) is shameful.
He looks worse and worse with every week that goes by.. I don’t think his prognosis is good at all. As for a public birthday wish, how? Did he expect a banner on the Archewell website or perhaps a post on ARO’s instagram🤦🏼♀️ maybe they expected a press conference called at their home in California 🫣
I am also wondering where this public declaration would be published…is anyone thinking through what they are writing/leaking these days over there?
I don’t think his prognosis is good either. He looks so much older than he did at the coronation and that was just a little over a year ago. I do think his cancer treatments have aged him. Just compare him to 5 years ago (2019) and he looked way more lively and vivacious.
It’s so childish! If you are in your 70s and the press is bemoaning a lack of a public birthday wish, you are a joke. WHO CARES?! All of these people dislike each other, why would a fake “happy birthday” improve anyone’s life?
Maybe he did it in private so as to deprive the tabloids of £££ $$$
Perhaps he sent a card. An old fashioned idea that GB News seem to have forgotten about.
Most relationships are transactional. If Charles refuses to acknowledge Harry’s birthday, refuses to acknowledge Harry’s children, refuses to spend more than a few minutes with Harry when Harry flew to London after Charles’s cancer diagnosis was disclosed and continues to plant negative stories/spin stories to put Harry/Meghan in a negative light to embiggen the left behinds, Harry has every right to cut people out of his life who don’t have his best interest at heart.
Harry’s not on social media and he didn’t post a public greeting last year, either. As I remember from last year, he called along with Meghan and the kids. The call was leaked and there was an uproar about how Harry can’t be trusted not to reveal communications with Charles. So, maybe this year everybody’s keeping their mouths shut, or maybe Harry just didn’t bother.
The desperation for “news” is real. I wouldn’t given this horrid man the time of the day. Putting into words how I really feel about this abomination would get me banned.
Iirc, the phone call last year was leaked and the rota screamed and cried about how Harry can’t be trusted bc he leaked that there was a phone call. It felt performative and like a set-up. I’m quite sure Harry didn’t leak that phone call. But someone did and then claimed it was Harry.
The tabloids are the ones reporting the leaks, then they blame H&M for the leak. Apparently we are supposed to believe Harry is leaking these to the media he is currently suing and they are gladly reporting the leak without disclosing Harry’s people contacted them. It is a bizarro world there in UK.
I am sure Harry acknowledged his father’s birthday privately, whether he sent a card, tried to call him, whatever. What Charles did with Harry’s attempt to reach out is on Charles. I just feel like that’s where Harry is now – he’s going to reach out on these occasions, but not in a way that puts the burden on his family to respond. “I tried to call, he didn’t answer, what more can I do” and then moves on with his day.
The idea that he didn’t publicly wish him happy birthday and so its a snub is just stupid.
I found the line about “missing charles when he’s gone” to be overkill but I also found it to be a swipe at William – in a few sentences they’re reminding us about Charles’ work with climate change, youth opportunity – that he’s been working and touring while undergoing chemo – and that he’s made a difference and people are going to miss him. That just seemed to me to be leaving a big part unsaid – “you’re going to miss him because what’s coming next will be awful and you’ll forget you have a king because you’ll never see him.”
He was a far better Prince of Wales than his elder son, he did a lot of good, it’s why I feel that he have really let himself down over Meghan, he didn’t even complain when his grandchild was a victim of abuse, as for what came next, he certainly is not the King that promised when he was younger. If he had looked after Meghan and Harry properly Spare would not have happened.
Hey all, I wanted to show you this post in X. Look at all the responses. The hatred for Charles is really rising. They are talking about his being a slumlord and other stuff talked about here. There are hardly any positive comments. Wow, the royal family really has done damage to themselves. I am amazed. https://x.com/iainoverton/status/1857109938167841100
“You will miss him when he’s gone” sounds like an order rather than an observation. Uh, no we won’t. And neither will Camilla. She will miss Andrew Parker-Bowles when he’s gone. She lusts after him to this day – when she’s not drunk of course.
I can tell that King Charles is happier than he has ever been. He really looks like it.
Ok so “family and close friends” so…Anne…Camilla…her sisters…anyone else?