By CNN Royal Correspondent Max Foster in Mombasa, Kenya |
|
|
Victoria Jones/Getty Images |
A small moment during King Charles’ state visit to Kenya may have defined it.
An elderly war veteran was waiting in a wheelchair for his turn to meet the British monarch at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Kariokor cemetery in Nairobi on Wednesday morning. It’s a peaceful oasis in a bustling neighborhood where makeshift market stalls line the streets.
Cpl. Samwel Nthigai Mburia fought for the British in multiple campaigns during World War II from 1939 to 1945, deploying to Ethiopia, Egypt and Myanmar. He served under the command of Charles’ mother, Elizabeth II, who was still Queen of Kenya as well as the United Kingdom at the time. Mburia received several medals for his service, but in the 1950s he threw them away.
Why? Because anyone back then who had supported the British colonial power became a target for the Mau Mau resistance who were on their own campaign to seize their country back. Kenya ultimately gained its independence in December 1963, but the violent period in the lead up saw thousands killed.
Ahead of Kenya’s 60th anniversary of independence, King Charles, accompanied by Queen Camilla, laid a wreath for Kenya’s fallen at the cemetery, then made his way over to meet veterans, including Mburia. Charles was briefed on Mburia’s service and was informed of his age. Military records revealed Mburia was born in 1906, according to the palace, which said he was 117 years old. His age would suggest he could be the oldest person in the world. (The world’s oldest verified living person is 116-year-old María Branyas Morera, according to Guinness World Records.)
|
Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images |
Charles was handed a tray of shiny new medals which he presented to Mburia to replace the ones he had lost. “I hope they’re all the right ones there,” the King said, before remarking on the veteran’s age. “You must be on wild locusts and honey or something.” Mburia smiled as his honors glistened in the sunshine on his lap.
Royals are all about symbolism and this interaction spoke to everything the King and his aides were hoping to achieve on this trip. If the old medals represented a legacy of colonialism and violence, the new ones represent a redefined relationship between two independent states.
That afternoon, Charles gathered representatives of those who fought the British in Kenya during their struggle for statehood. It was a private meeting, and no media were allowed to observe. But Evelyn Kimathi was there.
Her father, Dedan Kimathi, led the resistance and was executed by the British. She revealed to us that she’d told Charles she wanted help finding her father’s body, which is missing, and that her family wanted their land back.
As a constitutional monarch, there’s little the King can do, and these demands are matters for his government. However, he can listen and make sure people like Evelyn are heard at the highest levels. That’s the power of monarchy. It can elevate issues and arguments even if it can’t be seen to influence them.
This discussion was one example of following through on a promise Charles had made at the state banquet as the visit kicked off. “In coming back to Kenya, it matters greatly to me that I should deepen my own understanding of these wrongs, and that I meet some of those whose lives and communities were so grievously affected,” he’d said.
The monarch has also visited the Uhuru Gardens, the site of Kenya’s declaration of independence, and toured a new museum showcasing Kenya’s history, including a “Tunnel of Martyrs,” where British-signed death warrants serve as a stark reminder of past injustices. |
Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images |
Charles’ approach of confronting challenging chapters in Britain’s history is a strategy we’ve seen from the new monarch in recent months.
This is the third state visit of Charles’ reign. The first two, to Germany and France, were thoughtful but in a different way. Relations with both countries became strained after the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016. On those trips, he delicately referenced that turbulent period in speeches to politicians, earning him standing ovations in both parliaments.
King Charles’ moves are a progression from the way his mother operated. While Queen Elizabeth II always opted for impartiality and avoided the most sensitive political issues, Charles has shown no fear about wading into them while still finding a way to maintain a neutral position.
Many, like Evelyn, will say that “the struggle continues” and carry on demanding formal apologies and reparations. But the response from people he meets and local politicians to Charles’ actions on these trips would suggest that he is helping with some of the healing of these deep historical wounds.
He may not be a political figure, but he is a symbolic one. The “Listening King” may be giving the UK a more sensitive brand. |
|
|
📺 Watch: King Charles' big speech. |
Hear the monarch discuss the dark colonial period under British rule during his trip to Kenya this week: |
|
|
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are visiting Kenya for four days at the invitation of Kenyan President William Ruto, to celebrate the relationship between the two countries. Here’s a few of the best snaps from the visit so far: |
The King sat down for a bilateral meeting with Kenyan President William Ruto at Nairobi’s State House on the first day of the trip on Tuesday.
|
Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images |
Queen Camilla chats during a visit to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery, where the royal couple joined British and Kenyan military personnel in an act of remembrance.
|
Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images |
Human rights activists and former freedom fighters hold banners and chant slogans during a small demonstration as the King visits the country.
|
Chris Jackson/Getty Images |
The King poses with students taking part in a Prince’s Trust International Enterprise Challenge in Nairobi.
|
Victoria Jones/Getty Images |
The royal couple toured the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi National Park, to learn about the trust's work in the conservation and preservation of wildlife and protected areas across Kenya. |
|
|
Charles will go to this year’s UN climate talks. |
King Charles III will attend the UN’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai this year and deliver an address at the opening ceremony, Buckingham Palace said Wednesday. Last year, the UK government, led by then-Prime Minister Liz Truss, advised the British monarch against attending the 2022 annual talks, which were held in Egypt. CNN understood at the time that, following consultations with the government, it was jointly agreed that the climate summit wasn’t the right occasion for the King’s first trip overseas as sovereign. Few world leaders have confirmed their attendance at this year's talks. It is not yet clear whether US President Joe Biden will travel to the United Arab Emirates for the event. Read our full story here.
|
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images/File |
|
|
Edward Berthelot/Getty Images |
Star-studded line-up for Prince William’s eco-awards ceremony. |
In less than a week we will find out who the 2023 winners of the Prince of Wales’ prestigious eco-prize are. Fifteen innovators are on the shortlist but only five will triumph at the awards ceremony in Singapore on November 7 and claim £1 million (about $1.2 million) to develop their products. This year’s event will be hosted by “Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham who hailed the cohort of finalists as a “hopeful reminder of the power of optimism, innovation and human ingenuity.”
The winners of the five categories will be announced by Academy Award-winning actor and Earthshot Prize council member Cate Blanchett, South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha, wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and “To all the boys” star Lana Condor. The glitzy night will also feature musical performances from Bastille, OneRepublic and the Voices of Singapore choral society. Ahead of the glamorous occasion, Blanchett hailed the “game-changing” awards scheme. She said it was “highlighting and incentivising courageous, progressive, and inventive solutions that can be rapidly upscaled. The Australian actress added: “We don’t have time for inaction and despair, and the incredible climate solutions from around the globe are cause for genuine hope.”
Check out who’s in contention for the top prizes here.
|
|
|
Andres Ballesteros/AFP/Getty Images |
Eighteenth birthdays can be a rite of passage for many around the globe. For Spain’s Princess Leonor, who hit the milestone on Tuesday, let’s just say it was… a little different. As the heir to the Spanish throne, she started her birthday by swearing an oath of loyalty to the constitution in a ceremony at Spain’s congress in Madrid. Her proud parents, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, as well as her sister, Infanta Sofia, and the country’s acting prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, accompanied the princess for her big moment. Leonor ended her speech by asking Spaniards to “trust her.” Huge crowds turned out to watch the ceremony on large screens erected in the Spanish capital. However, some republican lawmakers boycotted the ceremony. A private birthday party was reportedly held at the Pardo Palace later Tuesday following the princess’s ceremonial obligations. The royal’s rising profile – dubbed “Leonormania” – has gripped the country as she has taken on more public duties since finishing her International Baccalaureate at UWC Atlantic, a boarding school in Wales, and moving on to military training back in Spain. Find out more on this story here.
|
|
|
"You have given so much joy and laughter to so many."
– Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York
|
Ferguson has joined many around the world in mourning the death of "Friends" actor Matthew Perry. Ferguson, who used to be married to Prince Andrew, shared a touching memory following the actor’s death on Saturday aged 54. The duchess made a cameo appearance in the hit show’s fourth season episode, “The One with Ross’s wedding,” which was partially filmed in London. “I remember being thrilled to have met a natural talent, comedian and brilliant actor,” she wrote on social media alongside a photo with some of the cast. “It is a tragedy to lose you so early in life, rest in peace dear Matthew.”
|
|
|
CNN's Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Bethlehem Feleke and Claudia Rebaza contributed to this week's newsletter. |
|
|
|
