2024-05-06 13:15:30
(ANSA) – ROME, MAY 5 – A year of lights (few) and shadows (many) for the British royals. Charles III and Queen Camilla will celebrate tomorrow the first anniversary of their coronation which took place in Westminster Abbey on 6 May in a particularly delicate moment for the monarchy, after the announcement of the cancer of an unspecified nature diagnosed in recent months in rapid succession by both to the 75-year-old king and to the Princess of Wales, Catherine, 42 years old, wife of the heir to the throne William. As if that wasn’t enough, today anti-monarchists also got involved, meeting in the heart of the British metropolis in Trafalgar Square, just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace, the sovereign’s official residence, demanding the abolition of the monarchy. The ‘Republic’ group, writes the Evening Standard, brought yellow banners and placards to the streets bearing slogans against the institution and the king, including ‘Down with the crown’, and ‘Change the country once and for all’, shouting the slogan: ‘Abdicate!’ several times. A protest which saw the participation of around a hundred people, led by the group’s general director Graham Smith who loudly declared from the stage in front of the National Gallery: “Every year, on the eve of the coronation, we will celebrate Republic”. A colorful gathering that attracted the attention of onlookers and tourists, but which received little coverage in the British media. King Charles III’s decision not to hide his illness, according to many observers, however helped the new monarch to get closer and remain connected with the British people, effectively strengthening the monarchy after the long reign of his mother Elizabeth II. This week, meanwhile, a fleeting return to his homeland of rebel Prince Harry is expected, arriving by May 8 from his American self-exile to participate in the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games, sports games reserved for disabled soldiers that he has sponsored since its foundation. Although it is not known whether on this occasion there will be space for a new face-to-face meeting between father and son, after the visit made by the Duke of Sussex to the parent in February following the news of the sovereign’s illness. A trip in which the cadet prince will not be accompanied by Meghan, nor by his children Archie and Lilibet. And it seems even less likely to be a prelude to a thaw with his older brother William. (HANDLE).
2024-05-06 13:15:30