King Charles III was officially declared Britain's new monarch on Saturday, two days after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
King Charles, 73, immediately succeeded his mother but an Accession Council met to proclaim him as king, with his son and heir William, wife Queen Consort Camilla and Britain's new prime minister, Liz Truss, among those to sign the proclamation.
Charles's coronation as king will take place at a later date — and the timing for that is not yet clear. There was a 16-month gap between Elizabeth becoming queen in 1952 and her coronation in 1953.
The Ccrown Jjewels form the centrepiece of the royal coronation, and symbolise the pomp and history of the British monarchy over the centuries.
These are some of the Ccrown Jjewels you can expect to see at King Charles III's coronation.
The Imperial State Crown
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 following her coronation ceremony.
The crown bears 2,868 diamonds, 269 pearls, 17 sapphires and 11 emeralds.
It weighs 1.06 kilograms and is 31.5 centimetres tall.
The second-largest stone cut from the Cullinan Diamond — the largest diamond mined — adorns the front.
The Sovereign's Sceptres
A gold rod with a globe, cross and dove at the top, the sceptre's design symbolises the Christian Holy Ghost.
It is associated with the monarch's pastoral role towards the people.
It weighs 1.15kg and is 1.1 metres long.
A second sceptre represents the monarch's temporal power and good governance and complements the spiritual power symbolised by the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross.
It weighs 1.17kg and is 92.2cm long.
The largest colourless cut diamond in the world, the Cullinan I, reigns at the top. It weighs 106 grams and is known as the "First Star of Africa".
The diamond's weight meant the sceptre had to be reinforced in 1910.
The Sovereign's Orb
The orb represents 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.
It is 27.5cm high and weighs 1.32kg.
The gold Ampulla
The eagle-shaped vessel holds the consecrated oil used in coronation ceremonies.
The eagle's head comes off to allow oil to be poured into the vessel.
The design is based on a legend that the Virgin Mary appeared to mediaeval English saint Thomas Becket and handed him a golden eagle and oil to anoint future English kings.
It weighs 660 grams and measures 20.7cm by 10.4cm.
The Spurs
Gold, leather, velvet and gold thread make up one of the most ancient parts of Britain's royal coronation paraphernalia.
The use of spurs to represent knighthood in coronations dates back to the coronation of Richard I in 1189.
Spurs were traditionally fastened to the king's feet during coronation ceremonies but presented and placed on the altar for queens.
The Cullinan Diamond
It was the largest diamond ever mined when discovered in South Africa in 1905, weighing 621 grams in its uncut state.
The Transvaal government presented it to King Edward VII on his 66th birthday in 1907 as a gesture of reconciliation after the Second Boer War.
Three employees of Asschers of Amsterdam worked 14-hour days for eight months to cut and polish nine large stones from the original gem.
When workers began to cut the diamond, the first blow broke the knife rather than the diamond.
St Edward's Crown
Crown jeweller Robert Viner made it in 1661 for the coronation of King Charles II, after the previous medieval crown was melted down by parliamentarian rebels in 1649 during the English Civil War.
Monarchs did not wear the solid gold crown in coronation ceremonies for more than 200 years as it was too heavy.
It weighs 2.04kg and is 30.2cm tall.
Coronation ring
The ring dates back to the coronation of King William IV in 1831.
Queen Victoria did not wear it for her coronation in 1838 as her fingers were too small.
Purple Robe of Estate
Twelve seamstresses from the Royal School of Needlework took 3,500 hours to make it.
The robe is made of silk and embroidered with the monarch's cipher, wheat ears and olive branches.
The Stone of Scone
Also known as the "Stone of Destiny", it is the ancient symbol of Scotland's monarchy.
The sandstone slab weighs 152kg.
English king Edward I seized it in 1296 and incorporated it into the throne at Westminster, London.
Scottish nationalists stole 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 stone will only leave Scotland again for a coronation at Westminster Abbey.
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The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia
Three Penalties
v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)
v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
HOW TO WATCH
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if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
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