In case you missed the news, it will soon be the coronation of King Charles III. At the age of 74, he has spent more time waiting to take up his role than any other British monarch. He follows the longest-reigning monarch in British and English history. And his namesakes probably make for nervous reading: Charles I was beheaded in 1649 after which Oliver Cromwell declared England to be a republic. Charles II became the king of England in 1660 in what’s known as the Restoration. Now, the third Charles in this trilogy also comes at a time of controversy and precariousness for the British royal family, set to a wider context of the country grappling with its sense of identity.
More than any other institution, the monarchy is the most symbolic of Britain – its past certainly. The question, of course, is does it symbolise its future?
A YouGov poll for BBC’s Panorama programme found that 26 per cent of people think the UK should have an elected head of state and a further 16 per cent don’t know. The remaining 58 per cent that think Britain should continue with the monarchy. But these data points belie a generational shift. It’s the over 65s – at 78 per cent – that support the monarchy. But in every increasingly younger age bracket, this reduces – ultimately to just 32 per cent among 18-24 year olds. And in that same age group, they are outnumbered by those who favour an elected head of state (38 per cent).
The coronation is a big deal. It is the opening of the next chapter in Britain's story
Whatever the political stance of King Charles’s subjects (we are subjects in the UK, not citizens), the country is currently coronation-tastic. Union Jacks flutter from lampposts up and down high streets. Giant flags hang like bunting in major shopping areas. Supermarkets are stocking coronation biscuit tins. The British do seem to love a good souvenir shortbread container. And retail windows are sporting the coronation insignia wherever you go.
The coronation is a big deal, of course it is. It is the opening of the next chapter in Britain's story. When stories of nations and empires are told, those stories focus on the grand achievements – the wealth, the conquests and the “big characters”, including monarchs and army generals. And nowhere is that more potent than in the symbolism of the monarchy being used to ground a fraught debate about national identity. With heated polemics about the British Empire thrown into the mix – with the centrality of the monarchy in its establishment and maintenance – ensuring that we celebrate the story of the monarch and their family verges almost on the existential. As subjects, the fanfare is designed so that we stay loyal or that we become invested in that story. More than we know about and are invested in our own stories. Perhaps even to the detriment of our own individual story.
Because what we ought to do at this very moment is flip the script. We should use this moment to focus on the people who made all of the power, glory, wealth and histories actually happen. Britain (just like any other nation or empire) wasn't and isn’t just about the kings and queens. Most people were from what we might call the working classes, from the colonies, from trade and from agriculture. They did what we might call “the work” – in the factories, on the ground, in the plantations and on the ships. (We see echoes of this today in those lauded for keeping us going during lockdowns doing the “real” work, but their stories get but a passing plaudit.) But we don't know much at all about these people and their lives because we don't spotlight them in the same way.
More from Shelina Janmohamed
And the saddest part is, for most of us, we are those people – whose ancestors, whatever our backgrounds, whether in the rural English countryside, in the factories or in the colonies, were involved in creating the nation, its strength, identity and wealth. Many of us hardly know our own stories, let alone establish the contributions that were made, the roles they played, and the acknowledgement of all that entails.
We must take this moment to focus on the people whose stories are just as important. Especially for children and young people for whom the monarchy is less and less relevant, but whose civic and political engagement is increasing.
When I was growing up, I didn’t really know anything about the way people on the ground built Britain and the British Empire. A big fat zero. But I wish I had, because the story of my life has been completely shaped by it. I started by asking my parents, grandmother, uncles, aunts, family friends … literally anyone who had a story to tell. Through snippets of information, photographs and research online, I managed to piece together my story. Because by knowing where you’ve come from, you can know truly who you are today.
When we know our own individual stories, we can share them, and that helps us to understand each other better, allowing us to compare notes about our different feelings and experiences of the past, and our ideas about it. Understanding your own story and the place you live are among the most important things you can ever do for yourself.
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
Quick%20facts
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ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
The results of the first round are as follows:
Qais Saied (Independent): 18.4 per cent
Nabil Karoui (Qalb Tounes): 15.58 per cent
Abdelfattah Mourou (Ennahdha party): 12.88 per cent
Abdelkarim Zbidi (two-time defence minister backed by Nidaa Tounes party): 10.7 per cent
Youssef Chahed (former prime minister, leader of Long Live Tunisia): 7.3 per cent
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Omar%20Hilal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Muhammad%20Farrag%2C%20Bayoumi%20Fouad%2C%20Nelly%20Karim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
RESULT
Leeds United 1 Manchester City 1
Leeds: Rodrigo (59')
Man City: Sterling (17')
Man of the Match: Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 3 (Kroos 4', Ramos 30', Marcelo 37')
Eibar 1 (Bigas 60')
