A 75th birthday celebration fit for a King

It’s not every day one turns 75, but when one does, it’s a time for a grand celebration. It was a celebration fit for a king, in this case, as King Charles marked his 75th birthday.

The birthday celebrations began early in the week with a tea party at Highgrove, where His Royal Highness met with people and institutions who were also celebrating a milestone birthday. In true royal fashion, The King was greeted with a round of applause as he went to enjoy a cup of tea and, of course, a piece of cake.

On his actual birthday, 14 November, The King was joined by The Queen as the Coronation Food Project was launched. This is an effort to diminish food waste by feeding those in need through redistributing food that might otherwise go to landfills. The topic will also be addressed in the latest issue of Big Issue Magazine, where The King wrote an op-ed discussing his passion for solving food insecurity.

In part, he wrote: “For many years, I have been deeply concerned about the amount of food which goes to waste across our nation. That, in itself, is a tragedy. But there is a second part to this equation, and that is the extent to which too many families and individuals are missing out on nutritious meals due to the cost of living pressures that have caused hardship for so many right across the country.”

The issue will feature The King’s official birthday portrait, released over the weekend. Taken by photographer Rankin, The King can be seen focused in a pinstripe suit in the black and white image. In addition to the portrait released on social media, other members of the Royal Family took to social media to honour The King on his birthday, including the Prince of Wales.

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A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

The official Royal Family account also posted a compilation video showing images of His Majesty throughout the years.

?? Wishing His Majesty The King a happy 75th birthday. pic.twitter.com/UxvMv8WTAj

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 14, 2023

In addition, there were gun salutes to herald His Majesty’s birthday. The famous video screen in London’s Picadilly Circus showed a special tribute as it flashed a photo of The King with a happy birthday message.