After a lifetime of preparation, Charles takes the throne Loop Barbados

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

Prince Charles has been preparing for the crown his entire life. Now, at age 73, that moment has arrived.

Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became King Charles III today, Thursday, September 8, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. No date has been set for his coronation.

After an apprenticeship that began as a child, Charles embodies the modernisation of the British monarchy. He was the first heir not educated at home, the first to earn a university degree and the first to grow up in the ever-intensifying glare of the media as deference to royalty faded.

He also alienated many with his messy divorce from the much-loved Princess Diana, and by straining the rules that prohibit royals from intervening in public affairs, wading into debates on issues such as environmental protection and architectural preservation,

“He now finds himself in, if you like, the autumn of his life, having to think carefully about how he projects his image as a public figure,” said historian Ed Owens. “He’s nowhere near as popular as his mother.”

Charles must figure out how to generate the “public support, a sense of endearment” that characterised the relationship Elizabeth had with the British public, Owens said.

In other words, will Charles be as loved by his subjects? It’s a question that has overshadowed his entire life.

A shy boy with a domineering father, Charles grew into a sometimes awkward, understated man who is nevertheless confident in his own opinions. Unlike his mother, who refused to publicly discuss her views, Charles has delivered speeches and written articles on issues close to his heart, such as climate change, green energy and alternative medicine.

His accession to the throne is likely to fuel debate about the future of Britain’s largely ceremonial monarchy, seen by some as a symbol of national unity and others as an obsolete vestige of feudal history.

“We know the monarch and certainly the monarch’s family – they’re not meant to have political voices. They’re not meant to have political opinions. And the fact that he’s been flexing, if you like, his political muscle is something that he will have to be really careful with … lest he be seen as unconstitutional,” said Owens, who wrote “The Family Firm: Monarchy, Mass Media and the British Public, 1932-53.”

FILE – In this July 27, 1958 file photo, Britain’s Prince Charles walks wearing his uniform. Prince Charles has been preparing for the crown his entire life. Now, that moment has finally arrived. Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became king on Thursday September 8, 2022, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. (AP Photo, File)

Charles, who will be the head of state for the UK and 14 other countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, has defended his actions.

“I always wonder what meddling is, I always thought it was motivating,” he said in “Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70,” a 2018 documentary. “I’ve always been intrigued if it’s meddling to worry about the inner cities, as I did 40 years ago and what was happening or not happening there, the conditions in which people were living. If that’s meddling, I’m very proud of it.”

In the same interview, however, Charles acknowledged that as king, he wouldn’t be able to speak out or interfere in politics because the role of the sovereign is different from being the Prince of Wales.

Charles has said he intends to reduce the number of working royals, cut expenses and better represent modern Britain.

But tradition matters, too, for a man whose office previously described the monarchy as “the focal point for national pride, unity and allegiance.”

That has meant a life of palaces and polo, attracting criticism that Charles was out of touch with everyday life, being lampooned for having a valet who purportedly squeezed toothpaste onto his brush.

But it was the disintegration of his marriage to Diana that made many question his fitness for the throne. Then, as he aged, his handsome young sons stole the limelight from a man who had a reputation for being as gray as his Saville Row suits.

Biographer Sally Bedell Smith, author of “Prince Charles: the Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life,” described him as being constantly overshadowed by others in the family, despite his destiny.

“I think the frustrations are not so much that he’s had to wait for the throne,” Smith told PBS. “I think his main frustration is that he has done so much and that … he has been sort of massively misunderstood. He’s sort of been caught between two worlds: the world of his mother, revered, now beloved; and Diana, the ghost of whom still shadows him; and then his incredibly glamorous sons.”

FILE – In this March 25, 1968 file photo, Prince Charles looks on, durig a procession, in London. Prince Charles has been preparing for the crown his entire life. Now, that moment has finally arrived. Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became king on Thursday, September 8, 2022, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. (AP Photo/Peter Kemp, File)

It took years for many in Britain to forgive Charles for his admitted infidelity to Diana before “the people’s princess” died in a Paris car crash in 1997. But the public mood softened after he married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005 and she became the Duchess of Cornwall.

Although Camilla played a significant role in the breakup of Charles and Diana, her self-deprecating style and salt-of-the-earth sense of humor eventually won over many Britons.

She helped Charles smile more in public by tempering his reserve and making him made him appear approachable, if not happier, as he cut ribbons, visited houses of worship, unveiled plaques and waited for the crown.

Her service was rewarded in February 2022, when Queen Elizabeth II said publicly that it was her “sincere wish” that Camilla should be known as “Queen Consort” after her son succeeded her, answering questions once and for all about her status in the Royal Family.

Prince Charles Philip Arthur George was born November 14, 1948, in Buckingham Palace. When his mother acceded to the throne in 1952, the 3-year-old prince became the Duke of Cornwall. He became Prince of Wales at 20.

His school years were unhappy, with the future king being bullied by classmates at Gordonstoun, a Scottish boarding school that prides itself on building character through vigorous outdoor activities and educating his father, Philip.

Charles studied history at Cambridge University’s Trinity College, where in 1970 he became the first British royal to earn a university degree.

He then spent seven years in uniform, training as a Royal Air Force pilot before joining the Royal Navy, where he learned to fly helicopters. He ended his military career as commander of the HMS Bronington, a minesweeper, in 1976.

FILE – In this April 17, 2021 file photo, Prince Charles with other family members follow the coffin during a procession arriving at St George’s Chapel for the funeral of Britain’s Prince Philip inside Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. Prince Charles has been preparing for the crown his entire life. (Paul Edwards/Pool via AP, File)

Charles’ relationship with Camilla began before he went to sea, but the romance foundered and she married a cavalry officer.

He met Lady Diana Spencer in 1977 when she was 16 and he was dating her older sister. Diana apparently didn’t see him again until 1980, and rumours of their engagement swirled after she was invited to spend time with Charles and the royal family.

They announced their engagement in February 1981. Some awkwardness in their relationship was immediately apparent when, during a televised interview about their betrothal, a reporter asked if they were in love. “Of course,” Diana answered immediately, while Charles said, “Whatever ‘in love’ means.”

Although Diana giggled at the response, she later said that Charles’ remark “threw me completely.”

“God, it absolutely traumatised me,” she said in a recording made by her voice coach in 1992-93 that was featured in the 2017 documentary “Diana, In Her Own Words.”

The couple married on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in a globally televised ceremony. Prince William, now heir to the throne, was born less than a year later, followed by his brother, Prince Harry, in 1984.

The public fairy tale soon crumbled. Charles admitted to adultery to a TV interviewer in 1994. In an interview of her own, Diana drew attention to her husband’s relationship with Camilla, saying: “There were three of us in this marriage.”

The revelations tarnished Charles’ reputation among many who celebrated Diana for her style as well as her charity work with AIDS patients and landmine victims.

William and Harry were caught in the middle. While the princes revered their late mother, they said Charles was a good father and praised him as an early advocate for issues like the environment.

Tensions persist inside the royal family, underscored by the decision of Harry and his wife, Meghan, to step away from their royal duties and move to California in 2020. In a televised interview, they later said a member of the royal family had raised “concerns and conversations” about the colour of their baby’s skin before he was born. The explosive revelation forced William to publicly declare the family wasn’t racist.

Charles soldiered on, increasingly standing in for the queen in her twilight years. In 2018, he was named the queen’s designated successor as head of the Commonwealth, an association of 54 nations with links to the British Empire. The process accelerated after the death of her husband, Prince Philip, on April 9, 2021.

As Elizabeth declined, he sometimes stepped in at the last moment.

On the eve of the state opening of Parliament on May 10, 2022, the queen asked Charles to preside, delegating one of her most important constitutional duties to him — evidence that a transition was underway.

Camilla said in a 2018 documentary that Charles was comfortable with the prospect of being king.

“I think his destiny will come,” she said. “He’s always known it’s going to come, and I don’t think it does weigh heavily on his shoulders at all.”

By DANICA KIRKA

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Regional leaders pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II Loop Barbados

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

Queen Elizabeth II has been remembered as a pillar of strength and inspirational stateswoman by leaders of the Caribbean following news of her death.

Her Majesty passed away this afternoon at Balmoral Castle in Scotland where she was being observed by a medical team after her health took a turn for the worse.

She was 96 years old.

The Queen, who has recently celebrated her 70th anniversary as monarch, was the head of state of eight countries and five colonies in the Caribbean.

Premier David Burt of Bermuda was the first leader of the Caribbean colonies to send his condolences to Queen Elizabeth II.

“A life of undimmed duty, a model of strength and devotion to country…On behalf of the Government and people of Bermuda, I express sincere condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom.” Burt said.

Cayman Islands Premier Wayne Panton said: “I, on behalf of the Cayman Islands, join others from around the world in offering our condolences to the Royal Family. It is our prayer that God grants them the grace and peace to get through this difficult time. May God be with and comfort us all.”

Panton also acknowledged Prince Charles’ ascension to the throne as King Charles III.

President of Guyana Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali sent his condolences to the Royal Family and people of the UK saying Guyanese people will always remember Her Majesty’s visits to the country.

“I join all Guyanese in expressing our profound and deepest sorrow at the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Her passing marks the end of an era in the history of the British Monarchy, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations,” he said

“Queen Elizabeth’s place in history is assured and her legacy is intact. Her long and impactful reign has helped to shape the post-World War II world. Her Majesty has been a source of stability for her country. She will be long remembered for her sterling leadership of the Commonwealth of Nations.”

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said the people of Dominica are saddened at the news of Her Majesty’s death.

“Our prayers are with the Royal Family during this period of grief. Her passing ends an iconic 70-year reign and is a profound loss for the Commonwealth of Nations and the world. May she rest in peace,” he said.

St Lucian Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet said: “For the last 70 years, Queen Elizabeth reigned with honour and distinction. My thoughts and prayers are with the royal family and all those across the globe who mourn her passing. May she Rest in Peace eternally.”

Jamaican PM Andrew Holness sent condolences to the Royal Family saying that he has them in his prayers.

T&T Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley remembered the Queen for her dedication and service to the people of the UK and the wider Commonwealth of Nations.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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Camilla becomes queen, but without the sovereign’s powers Loop Barbados

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

After seven decades, the United Kingdom has a new woman to call Queen.

Charles’ wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will be known as Queen Consort — a title that came with Queen Elizabeth II’s blessing after years of contention, dating back to the days before she even married Prince Charles.

It wasn’t always a given that the 75-year-old Camilla would take the title, even though it gives her none of the sovereign’s powers.

While the wife of a king is traditionally crowned queen, the question of what title Camilla would hold when Charles became king had been a tricky one for many years. That was due to sensitivity about her status as his second wife — and the wave of grief that washed over Britain following the death of his former wife, Princess Diana, in a car crash in 1997.

Charles and the royal household have moved carefully on the matter, mindful of lingering public perceptions of Camilla as the “third person” that ruined the marriage between Charles and the beloved princess. But over the decades, Camilla has won over large parts of the British public with her discretion, down-to-earth personality and loyalty to her husband.

When Camilla and Charles married in a low-key civil ceremony in 2005, she was in fact the new Princess of Wales — Diana’s title — but she styled herself the Duchess of Cornwall instead.

Palace officials said for years that Camilla “intended” to be known as “Princess Consort” — instead of the traditional “Queen Consort” — when Charles acceded to the throne.

There is no precedent for the title Princess Consort, which was reportedly suggested by royal officials. The similar title of Prince Consort has only been used once — for Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901.

In a 2010 interview with NBC, Charles was asked if Camilla would become “Queen of England, if and when you become the monarch.” He hesitated as he replied, “That’s, well … We’ll see, won’t we? That could be.”

The question was resolved when Queen Elizabeth II declared she wanted Camilla to be known as Queen Consort after her son became king. It was an endorsement that formally signified the royal family’s acceptance of Camilla as a respected senior member and was widely seen as a move by the Queen to pave a smooth transition to Charles’ reign.

“When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes king, I know you will give him and his wife, Camilla, the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service,” the Queen said in February 2022, when she marked the 70th anniversary of her rule.

Charles said he and Camilla were “deeply conscious of the honour.”

“As we have sought together to serve and support Her Majesty and the people of our communities, my darling wife has been my own steadfast support throughout,” he said.

The most recent Queen Consort in British history was George VI’s wife Queen Elizabeth, known in later years as the Queen Mother after her daughter became monarch in 1952.

By custom, Camilla will be anointed at Charles’ coronation, although that could be omitted.

Born Camilla Rosemary Shand on July 17, 1947, she came from aristocrats with long and close links with Britain’s royal family. Her great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, was a romantic partner of King Edward VII.

She met Charles at a polo match in 1970 when she was 23 and he was considered to be the most eligible bachelor in Britain. The two immediately became close, and by the end of 1972, Charles was smitten. But the romance was interrupted by his eight months of naval duty.

In his absence, Camilla married her longtime boyfriend, army officer Andrew Parker Bowles, in 1973. The couple divorced in 1995, shortly after Charles gave an explosive television interview admitting an affair with Camilla. Charles and Diana divorced the next year.

Charles and Camilla waited another nine years, marrying in 2005 in a private ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor.

Since then, Camilla has taken up dozens of royal duties. She is patron or president of more than 90 charities and has shown particular interest in working with animals, promoting literacy and empowering women. She also has found her voice as a public speaker, earning respect by campaigning about difficult issues such as sexual violence against women and domestic abuse.

In 2021, she delivered what many called her landmark speech, urging “the men in our lives” to get involved in women’s rights and expressing sympathy for the families of women who are murdered.

The same year, Buckingham Palace underlined Camilla’s role as a senior royal by making her a Royal Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the most senior order of chivalry in Britain.

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CPL: Tallawahs player Sandeep Lamichane forced to leave tournament Loop Barbados

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

Sandeep Lamichane will be leaving the Jamaica Tallawahs with immediate effect and is scheduled to leave St Lucia later today.

According to a statement issued by CPL, he will take no further part in the tournament this year.

This comes after a warrant was issued for his arrest in his native Nepal.

According to reports, Lamichane was suspended by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) after the news was released that he was being investigated for the alleged coercion of another person, leading to a warrant being issued for his arrest.

The complaint was lodged at the Kathmandu police station in Nepal earlier today.

A statement released by acting Secretary of CAN, Vikram Malla, said Lamichane’s suspension will remain in place pending the outcome of the investigation.

The 22-year-old cricketer is one of Nepal’s most high-profile cricketers and the only one to be featured in the T20 tournaments including IPL, Australia’s Big Bash League, Bangladesh Premier League, the Lanka Premier League and the Caribbean Premier League.

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