King Charles III turns 74

LONDON: King Charles III turned 74 on Monday, with ceremonial gun salutes booming across the British capital to mark his first birthday as monarch.

The former prince of Wales has thrown himself into his new role following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8. His birthday fell a day after Remembrance Sunday, when he led a sombre tribute to Britain´s war dead at London´s Cenotaph for the first time as monarch. Liveried troops fired salutes in London parks and from the Tower of London on the banks of the River Thames. A military band played “Happy Birthday” at the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace.