King Charles III will open two food distribution hubs on Thursday to commemorate his 76th birthday.
This also part of his Coronation Food Project, which he started a year ago with the goal of closing the gap between food poverty and food waste,
.In a virtual ceremony, he will open the second Coronation Food Hub in Merseyside, northwest England, and tour the new facility before meeting with representatives from food banks, schools, and community organizations.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan will also accompany the King on the tour of the new facility.
The King’s Coronation Food Project is investing in a network of hubs, expanding cold storage facilities, expanding warehouse capacity, and financing transportation and drivers to increase distribution capacity. A total of £15 million, or about $19 million, has been raised so far to plan, construct, and manage a network of up to ten hubs throughout the UK.
Since its inception, the food initiative has partnered with regional nonprofits FareShare and the Felix Project, saving 940 tons of excess food, or 2.2 million meals. Additionally, it has awarded 33 UK organizations community food grants totaling £715,000, or about $1 million.
In celebration of his special day, Buckingham Palace also unveiled a brand-new image of the King.
In the snap shared on the Royal Family’s official X account, the monarch is smiling at the camera in a sharp blue suit, white shirt and blue patterned tie and pocket square. The caption alongside the post reads, “Wishing His Majesty The King a very Happy Birthday today.”
“Wishing a very Happy Birthday to His Majesty The King!” was another social media post from the Prince and Princess of Wales expressing their best wishes. A picture of Charles, taken on his recent international tour to Samoa on his first visit as head of the Commonwealth, was sent with the message.
Gun salutes will be fired at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company and in Green Park by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery as part of the military’s customary celebrations on the sovereign’s birthday. Westminster Abbey’s bells will begin to ring at 1 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) in the meanwhile.
King Charles considers his real birthday, which falls in November, to be just another workday, but because he is the king, he actually gets two.
King George II, who was a party animal, is credited with starting the custom in 1748. Like Charles, he was born in November, when the weather in Britain is frequently less than ideal.