The King celebrated turning 76 with a heartfelt rendition of Happy Birthday as he opened the first hub of the Coronation Food Project in south London on Thursday.
The initiative, launched on his birthday last year, aims to tackle food waste and alleviate the cost of living crisis. It has already raised £15 million and saved 940 tons of food—equivalent to over two million meals.
On a trading estate in Deptford, the monarch was greeted by enthusiastic schoolchildren from Rye Oak Primary School in Peckham.
They serenaded him and presented a handmade birthday card adorned with a bold “76.” Six-year-old Zariah delivered the card, shaking the King’s hand as he bent down to thank her and admire the heartfelt signatures from pupils, parents, and staff.
During the visit, the King also officially opened a second Coronation Food Project hub in Merseyside via video link, though the effort was briefly interrupted by technical glitches.
Undeterred, Charles quipped: “I’d better declare the hub in Liverpool open before you disappear again,” drawing laughter from the room.
He went on: “Please give my kindest wishes to everybody there,” he said, expressing hope that the hubs would make a significant impact on the communities they serve.
“I hope you have great success with those huge freezers,” he said.
The new Deptford hub, operated by the Felix Project, will significantly expand capacity, increasing chilled storage space by 76% and freezer space by 400%.
The King unveiled plaques for both hubs, which note the involvement of Queen Camilla, who was unable to attend as she recovers from a chest infection.
Accompanied by Baroness Casey and Dame Martina Milburn, co-leaders of the Coronation Food Project, the King toured the facility, stopping at makeshift food stalls showcasing surplus food donations from Tesco, Marks & Spencer, and Greencore.
He admired pre-prepared meals such as macaroni cheese, asking if the pasta was sourced from Italy and praising a “very good” tomato and basil sauce.
“It must be quite difficult to plan because you don’t know when you will have a large surplus,” he observed, thanking the contributors for their dedication. “I’m most grateful to you for taking an interest; it makes a huge difference.”
The King expressed optimism that an additional 4.5 million tons of surplus food could eventually be processed through the system. “There’s hope, presumably, to draw down? That’s the key,” he remarked.
Taking a seat with schoolchildren, he chatted warmly about their lunch plans. “Do you always know the day of the week by the food they give you?” he joked, checking his watch as their 12.30pm mealtime approached.
Dame Martina addressed the gathered supporters, saying: “I just want to say how proud I am to have a King and Queen who decided to do something to make a difference with their Coronation. Sir, you were, you are, and you continue to be the inspiration for this project.”
Baroness Casey echoed the sentiment, highlighting the project’s remarkable progress. “In 12 months, we’ve turned wasted food into more than six million meals,” she said. “You’re standing in a building that has been transformed in record time and will be operational by Christmas.”
Wishing a very Happy Birthday to His Majesty The King! pic.twitter.com/blN48K7490
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) November 14, 2024
She added: “We’ll go and get the Fortnum & Mason turkeys. I’ll be down at Waitrose again. I like the posh ones, you can tell.”
Baroness Casey added: “We certainly couldn’t have done it without the King and Queen Camilla. Thank you very much, Sir.”
The royal family has wished the King a happy birthday, with the Prince and Princess of Wales sharing a photo of the relaxed-looking monarch wearing sunglasses and a garland during a recent royal tour.
The monarchy’s official social media accounts posted a congratulatory message with a more formal portrait of the King standing in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace.
William and Kate’s account shared an image of Charles in the sunshine during his recent long-haul overseas trip to Samoa as he was opening The King’s Garden at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum in Apia.
The message read: “Wishing a very Happy Birthday to His Majesty The King!”
The King walked the red carpet on the eve of his birthday, meeting stars Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal at the glitzy global premiere of Gladiator II.
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 being rung at Westminster Abbey where the King was crowned in 2023.
