King Charles III celebrates 75th birthday with food project, Prince William tribute

Philanthropy is at the heart of King Charles III's 75th birthday.

The monarch, whose birthday falls on Tuesday, Nov. 14, launched the Coronation Food Project to help diminish food waste by feeding those in need through redistributing food that might otherwise go to landfills.

King Charles III penned an op-ed for Big Issue published Tuesday to discuss his passion for solving food insecurity. The outlet gives marginalized people the opportunity to earn money by selling the magazine on the street.

"For many years, I have been deeply concerned about the amount of food which goes to waste across our nation," he wrote.

The king added: "That, in itself, is a tragedy. But there is a second part to this equation, and that is the extent to which too many families and individuals are missing out on nutritious meals due to the cost of living pressures that have caused hardship for so many right across the country."

The project launch comes at a time when a living crisis in the U.K. fueled by high food and energy costs has impacted the way the country views the pomp and circumstance of the monarchy.

King Charles III's 75th birthday celebrations mark a milestone in the monarch's life following his ascension to the throne after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022.

Prince William pays tribute to King Charles III with throwback photo

Prince William, who is first in line to the throne, posted a throwback photo with his dad and moments from the coronation to mark King Charles III's birthday.

"Wishing His Majesty The King a very happy 75th birthday!" the post was captioned.

The royal family's official Instagram shared a sweet tribute to the British monarch on Tuesday, including a slideshow with photos right after his birth, his life as a young boy, his military service, becoming a father to Prince William and Prince Harry and, finally, his ascension to the throne.

In the evening, King Charles III will host a party for 400 nurses and midwives, saluting the National Health Service’s own 75th birthday.

The United Kingdom's monarch kicked off birthday celebrations on Monday and hosted two events with British people and organizations who were also born in 1948 and were nominated to be guests.

King Charles III had a tea dance at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, and cut into a three-tier cake at an event hosted by the Prince's Foundation at his Highgrove House residence in Gloucestershire.

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Looking back on King Charles' coronation

Born Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor on Nov. 14, 1948, the son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in May was crowned king and his second wife, Camilla, became the queen consort during his coronation. Inside Westminster Abbey, the king knelt as he placed his hands on the Coronation Bible and agreed to a series of oaths, vowing to uphold the law and the Church of England.

Following the official crowning at Westminster Abbey, King Charles III and Queen Camilla rode in a gold carriage back to Buckingham Palace, where they were greeted with a royal salute. The two then appeared on the palace's balcony to greet their subjects. They were joined by some family members, including William, Duchess Kate and their three children.

Last week marked the first time in more than 70 years – the length of Queen Elizabeth II's rule – that a king's speech was delivered to members of Parliament with King Charles III's first state opening of his reign.

To mark the start of the 2023-24 session of Parliament, the king on a gilded throne and read out a list of planned laws drawn up by the U.K.'s Conservative government and aimed at winning over voters before the country’s general election next year.

The king is performing a role that his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, fulfilled for seven decades – and other British monarchs carried out before her − in a tradition stretching back hundreds of years.

Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY; Danica Kirka, The Associated Press

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