Britain's King Charles III pats a horse as he attends a reception to thank the community of Aberdeenshire for their organisation and support following the death of Queen Elizabeth II at Station Square, the Victoria & Albert Halls, in Ballater, on 11 October 2022. (Photo by Andrew Milligan / POOL / AFP)
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In this week’s royal news update, we share more details on King Charles III coronation, Duke of Sussex Prince Harry gets candid about his family’s “emotional support dogs” and Prince William and Kate Middleton talk about mental health.
It was announced by Buckingham Palace late on Tuesday, that King Charles III will be coronated in May.
The British monarchy has vowed that the coronation will reflect the monarchy’s historic traditions and its modern role.
Charles, 73, will be formally crowned at London’s Westminster Abbey, following a long tradition dating back more than 900 years.
The monarch’s wife, Queen Consort Camilla, 75, will also be crowned, the palace confirmed.
May 6 is the fourth birthday of Charles’ grandson Archie, the son of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan.
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AFP further reported that the crown jewels will form the centrepiece of King Charles III’s coronation and symbolise the power and history of the British monarchy.
The crown was commissioned for king George VI’s coronation in 1937.
Used for formal events such as the state opening of parliament, Queen Elizabeth II wore it after her coronation.
The crown bears 2 868 diamonds, 269 pearls, 17 sapphires and 11 emeralds. It weighs 1 060 grams (2.3 pounds) and is 31.5 centimetres (12.4 inches) tall.
The second-largest stone cut from the Cullinan Diamond — the largest diamond ever mined — adorns the front.
Some of the jewel pieces include an orb representing the monarch’s power and the Christian world.
The gold piece of jewellery is surrounded by a band of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphire and pearls and topped with amethyst and a cross. The gold ampulla is an eagle-shaped vessel that holds the consecrated oil used in coronation ceremonies.
The eagle’s head comes off to allow oil to be poured into the vessel. One of the heaviest jewel pieces is dubbed the “Stone of Destiny” and is an ancient symbol of Scotland’s monarchy.
English king Edward I seized it in 1296, and incorporated it into the throne at Westminster, London.
Scottish nationalists took it from London’s Westminster Abbey in 1950, and it later reappeared in Arbroath Abbey, Scotland. It was formally returned to Scotland in 1996.
The 152-kilogram (335.1-pound) stone will only leave Scotland again for a coronation at Westminster Abbey.
Prince Harry opened up about his family life with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Archie 3, and Lillbet 16 months old, saying they have emotional dogs to support the family.
Speaking during an online conversation with the winners of the Inspirational WellChild Award on Monday, he said their family pets keep them busy.
He said: “I’ll tell you what, we all need a dog that keeps us calm, jokingly adding… I’ve got three in this house now, so we basically have five children”.
The couple owns a labrador named Pula and two rescued beagles named Guy and Mia. He said the dogs act as “emotional support dogs” when they are behaving.
Harry added the dogs keep them extra busy with a household of two toddlers
The Prince and Princess of Wales appeared on BBC to discuss mental health for World Mental Health Day.
Prince William said that people don’t realise that they have tools which they can access to assist in their mental health.
He used a toolbox as an analogy, saying people need to have tools at their disposal to help them during their struggles.
Last week, Kate visited Royal Surrey County Hospital which focuses on maternal mental health to ensure that women feel safe and supported. It also ensures the best chance of developing important early attachments which are crucial to ensuring their babies grow and thrive.
*Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele
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