It’s always a challenge starting a new job, but for King Charles III the first few months have been more than a little eventful.
A royal racism row, a fly-on-the-wall expose by his son and daughter-in-law reigniting family tensions and political turmoil with a sudden change of prime minister ― all whilst grieving for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
His short time on the throne has taught him that there is immense love for the royal family, counter-balanced by a growing brigade of anti-royalists.
It has also taught him that his main problems lie close to home, namely the fall-out coming across the Atlantic from his youngest son and his wife, Prince Harry and Meghan.
A steady start as UK united in grief for the queen
His tenure started in early September, surrounded by immense global grief for the late monarch. But through sadness came joy as the nation united to show the world how much their royal family truly meant to them.
As thousands joined snaking queues, in Scotland and London, to see the queen lying in state, while Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyroodhouse were covered in a sea of flowers, Paddington Bear toys and marmalade sandwiches, the new king was shown a glimpse of Britain’s love for their queen.
It was not only a show of affection for the late monarch, but also for their new king, as crowds offered him condolences while shouting "God Save the King".
But with 250,000 people viewing the lying in state of the queen’s coffin and more than 26.2 million people across the UK watching the funeral, King Charles was given a stark reminder of the size of the boots he now had to fill.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said the king had experienced a colourful start to his reign from initial adoration to being brought back down to earth with a bump.
Last month, the king faced his first major scandal when Prince William’s godmother, Lady Susan Hussey, repeatedly asked prominent black advocate, Ngozi Fulani, where she “really came from” at a reception at Buckingham Palace.
Lady Susan, 83, had served as the late Queen Elizabeth’s lady in waiting for more than 60 years and had accompanied the queen at the funeral of Prince Philip. Her daughter is one of Queen Consort Camilla's official companions and was retained in the household by King Charles.
She resigned from the royal household and apologised after making the "unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments".
It left the royals looking red-faced as they battle to shake off previous accusations of racism and show their openness to diversity.
An in-person meeting between the pair may have soothed feelings, but it served only to fuel Prince Harry's anger that the royal family had failed to support Meghan when she suffered racist abuse.
“It has certainly been eventful, up to a couple of weeks ago I would have said that it had been enormously successful because he has, in his accession speech, said very clearly that he grasped the nature of the changed job very, very well,” Mr Fitzwilliams told The National.
“His initial physical dynamism was impressive, there is no doubt at all, that he seems totally at ease in the job, the reference to his speeches with the South African president, the state visit went off extremely well, things initially seemed to be running very smoothly.
“Obviously his style is different from the queen’s, it has to be. But the race row is the thing, after the accession speech, that will be remembered, unfortunately.
“The reception was the first major reception Camilla had presided over and unfortunately it has descended into controversy in a way that couldn’t have been foreseen.”
Despite a show of unity at the funeral amid fall-outs surrounding Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the king had included the couple in his inaugural speech as he told the world: “I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.”
But less than 100 days later, the couple, who now live in the US, released an explosive six-part documentary into their lives, reopening old wounds.
The final episodes were released on December 15 ― the day before King Charles marked his 100th day as the head of "the firm".
The Netflix series, entitled Harry & Meghan, explored the early days of the couple’s courtship and the challenges and controversies that prompted them to step back from the royal family.
It revealed more details about the rift with his brother, Prince William, and the now infamous meeting between the two of them, Prince Charles as he was then and the queen at Sandringham to discuss his decision to step back as a senior royal, he accused his father of lying and his brother of shouting.
The series followed their bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview in March 2021, which was watched by more than 17 million people in the US, in which Meghan spoke of feeling suicidal and accused the royal family of racism, while Prince Harry said his father had let him down.
The fall-out from the latest revelations will be further compounded with the publication of Harry’s autobiography, Spare, on January 10.
Whereas Harry’s latest real-life expose will inevitably do further damage to the family, the king is also battling the influence of drama series The Crown on public opinion as season five recently aired covering his divorce to Princess Diana and his affair with Camilla, who is now queen consort.
“One does wonder about The Crown,” Mr Fitzwilliams said. "It is part of an anti-monarchy agenda. I’m afraid the release of that is not helpful, it helps to colour people’s views.
“The monarchy remains extremely popular, but for young people, persons of colour and Scots it is different.”
This has been highlighted in two separate incidents in England in recent weeks where the monarch was twice pelted with eggs, in York and Luton, by young men showing their disdain for Britain having a monarchy.
Growing discontent with the monarchy came to the fore in 2021 when YouGov data showed that 41 per cent of 18-24-year-olds said they believed Britain should have an elected head of state, while only 31 per cent wanted to see the monarchy continue.
On Christmas Day, King Charles III will make history when he becomes the first king to make a televised Christmas message and, following in his great-grandfather's footsteps, he will also be at Sandringham.
It is now 30 years since the king officially separated from his former wife, in the year Queen Elizabeth called her “Annus Horribilis”.
Following the headaches of the last few weeks, one wonders if the king will be have her words echoing in his mind during his speech.
It is expected he will touch on the war in Ukraine and the unprecedented changes in the UK government’s party leadership that marked the start of his tenure, and the queen's platinum jubilee.
As 2023 approaches, the king is already looking ahead to his birthday parade, known as Trooping the Colour, which has marked the monarch’s official birthday for the past 260 years.
Buckingham Palace announced this week his official birthday will take place on June 17, weeks after his coronation ceremony on May 6.
The king’s official birthday is on the third Saturday in June, while his late mother’s official birthday usually took place on the second Saturday in June.
With more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians taking part, 2023 can be expected to herald in his first year with great fanfare in a grand show of pomp and ceremony that he will be hoping will make his troubled first few months just a distant memory.
PRISCILLA
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Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Gurm, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Al Nafece, Al Muatasm Al Balushi, Mohammed Ramadan
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adrie de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Ottoman, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Liwa Oasis – Group 2 (PA) 300,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeemat Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ganbaru, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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THE%20SPECS
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The biogs
Name: Zinah Madi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and links
Nationality: Syrian
Family: Married, Mother of Tala, 18, Sharif, 14, Kareem, 2
Favourite Quote: “There is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.”
Name: Razan Nabulsi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and Links
Nationality: Jordanian
Family: Married, Mother of Yahya, 3.5
Favourite Quote: A Chinese proverb that says: “Be not afraid of moving slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Muguruza's singles career in stats
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$11,128,219 (Dh40,873,133.82)
Wins / losses 293 / 149
Continental champions
Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)
Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)
Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)
Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)
Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)
Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)
Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29 – Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30 - UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1 - UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2 – Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4 - Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6 – Final
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) US$175,000 1,000m
7.05pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (Dirt) $100,000 1,900m
7.40pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,800m
8.15pm: Handicap (D) $135,000 2,000m
8.50pm: Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,400m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) $135,000 2,410m.
RESULT
Norway 1 Spain 1
Norway: King (90 4')
Spain: Niguez (47')
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: April 10
MATCH DETAILS
Chelsea 4
Jorginho (4 pen, 71 pen), Azpilicueta (63), James (74)
Ajax 4
Abraham (2 og), Promes (20). Kepa (35 og), van de Beek (55)
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
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Malcolm & Marie
Directed by: Sam Levinson
Starring: John David Washington and Zendaya
Three stars
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Mission%3A%20Impossible%20-%20Dead%20Reckoning%20Part%20One
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'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
Notable Yas events in 2017/18
October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)
December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race
March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event
March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
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The biog
Family: Parents and four sisters
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah
A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls
Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning
Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes
Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019