by Max DELANY / Marie GIFFARD Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — With a trumpet fanfare and gun salutes, Charles III was officially proclaimed king at a pomp-filled ceremony on Saturday, at which he pledged to emulate his late mother Queen Elizabeth II and serve for the rest of his life. A court official wearing a feathered bicorn hat declared Charles “our only lawful and rightful” monarch from the balcony of […]
Tag: monarchy
Japan faces royal dilemma as ancient monarchy shrinks
Japan’s imperial family is facing extinction due to a shortage of eligible emperors, but some experts say the ideas floated in a government inquiry for boosting the dwindling number of royals are out of touch. With women barred from the throne under male-only succession rules, the place of Emperor Naruhito, 61, will one day be filled by his nephew Prince Hisahito instead of his only child Princess Aiko. But if 15-year-old Hisahito does not have […]
What is Thailand’s ‘section 112’ royal defamation law?
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Thailand’s monarchy is protected by one of the world’s toughest defamation laws, making any criticism of the powerful King Maha Vajiralongkorn very risky inside the country. After police arrested a number of prominent political activists Thursday, a government spokesman said charges will be pressed against those who obstructed a royal motorcade a day earlier and anyone who had acted “in a way that defames the monarchy”. – What is the section […]
Britain’s Prince Philip, 96, in hospital with infection
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Prince Philip, the 96-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II, has been admitted to hospital as a “precautionary measure” for treatment of an infection, Buckingham Palace said Wednesday. The infection arose from “a pre-existing condition”, the palace said. The Duke of Edinburgh, who is to retire from public duties later this year, was admitted to hospital on Tuesday night.





