King Charles was serenaded with a sweet rendition of Happy Birthday from local schoolchildren as he marked his 76th birthday by visiting a food distribution hub.
The workaholic monarch chose to treat his special day like any other, as he sought to highlight the work of his Coronation Food Project, which aims to reduce food waste and insecurity.
He launched the initiative on his milestone birthday last year after becoming concerned about the cost of living crisis. It has already raised £15million and saved 940 tonnes of food – the equivalent to more than 2million meals.
On Thursday morning, the King appeared on fine form as he opened the first Coronation Food Hub at the Deptford Trading Estate in south London.
He waved at members of the public who had gathered to see him before being greeted by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
Moving inside, he was treated to a rendition of Happy Birthday by school children from Rye Oak Primary School in Peckham and presented with a large birthday card that featured a collage of photographs in the shape of 76 by six-year-old pupil Zariah.
Charles appeared touched by the sweet gesture and thanked the children for their efforts.
He also virtually opened a second Coronation Food Hub in Merseyside, and laughed when he encountered technical difficulties.
“Good morning,” he said to the staff on screen. “Where are you in Liverpool?”
He chuckled when it became clear they could not hear him, as staff frantically attempted to restore the link.
“If I may say so, I’d better declare the hub in Liverpool open before you disappear again,” he eventually said, to much laughter.
“Please give my kindest wishes to everybody there, and I hope it makes an enormous difference to all their remarkable work that they do with so many different communities who need it so valuably. I hope you have a great success with those huge freezers.”
During his visit to Deptford, which saw the hub throw a “surplus food festival” with meals created from food which would otherwise have gone to waste, he unveiled two plaques – one for each hub.
They both stated they were opened by both the King and the Queen, even though Her Majesty was unable to attend as she recovers from a nasty chest infection.
Baroness Casey and Dame Martina Milburn, who lead the CFP, showed the monarch around the new facility, operated by the Felix Project, which will increase chilled storage space by 76 per cent and freezer space by 400 per cent.
The King was shown around several makeshift food stalls set up by organisations that have signed up to donate surplus food, including Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Greencore.
Charles admired pre-prepared meals, including macaroni cheese, asking whether the pasta came from Italy, and expressing a personal fondness for a “very good” tomato and basil sauce.
He said he hoped that a further 4.5million tonnes of surplus food could eventually be put through the system.
Charles then took a seat at a table with a group of school children, telling them that he had just been viewing the cottage pies and pastas.
Dame Martina addressed the staff, volunteers and financial backers gathered in the room, and said how proud she was that the King and Queen “decided to do something to make a difference with their Coronation.”
She said: “I think all of us in this room just want to say an enormous thank you for doing that, because I think it’s really special.”
Baroness Casey then addressed the King, saying: “We have cantered towards your birthday, and though it’s a very special day, it’s not only your birthday, it’s the birthday of the Coronation Food Project.”
She said that in 12 months, the organisation had turned wasted food into more than six million meals.
An impact report published to mark the first anniversary of the initiative also revealed that a further 1,9000 tonnes – or 4.5 million meals – have also been donated by partners of the project.
Gun salutes were fired in Green Park by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company as part of the military’s traditional celebrations on the sovereign’s birthday, and bells were rung at Westminster Abbey where the King was crowned in 2023.
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