King Charles III gets a plastic throne
This Friday marks the end of King Charles III and Queen Camilla's state visit to Kenya. The fourth day, on which the British royals are visiting various stops in Mombasa, unfortunately does not have good weather in store. The royal couple were spotted with large umbrellas. Things looked better yesterday when Charles received a very special gift.
Environmental activists unveiled a throne made from recycled plastic on Nyali Beach in Mombasa in bright sunshine. The non-profit organization Flipflopi uses many items - from plastic bottles to flip-flops - to transform them into new products. They even made a seven-ton traditional sailing dhow made entirely from waste found on the beach.
As the British Daily Mail reported, it took the group a month to design the traditional Swahili chair for Charles. The throne was presented to the monarch as thanks for a British government grant of 700,000 pounds (around 803,000 euros). This enabled the group to collect up to 15 tons of plastic per month and operate its own recycling factory.
Project co-founder praises King Charles III as "visionary"
The co-founder of the project, Dipesh Pabari, highlighted Charles' campaign to raise awareness of plastic in the sea. He had already launched this more than 50 years ago, when the topic was still considered eccentric. "In fact, he was absolutely visionary and absolutely right," he said.
The throne incorporates many influences from Swahili culture, with detailed cut-outs of recycled bottle tops and other plastic scraps that would once have been ivory. Charles - casually dressed in a light-colored suit and sunglasses - posed laughing next to his new gift. However, he then preferred to take a seat on a solid wooden chair.
The British royals are visiting the East African country at the invitation of its president, William Ruto, to celebrate relations between the two countries. The official occasion is the 60th anniversary of the country's independence from the British Empire.
It is Charles' first state visit to a Commonwealth country since his coronation in May 2023. During an official state banquet on the first day, the King, as hoped, met expectations to comment on the country's time as a British Crown Colony from 1920 to 1963 and the previous British rule over the so-called "Protectorate of East Africa". In his speech, he condemned in no uncertain terms the tyranny of the British rulers of the time, to which thousands of people fell victim.
On the fourth and final day, Charles visited the Mandhry Mosque and the Memoria Cathedral in Mombasa in the morning. Meanwhile, his wife Camilla talked to women who had been victims of sexual violence in the so-called Situation Room.
- The recycled plastic throne presented to King Charles III during his state visit to Kenya is a testament to the country's efforts in tackling plastic waste, a cause that Charles has been advocating for over half a century.
- Despite the colonial rule's past influence on Kenya, King Charles III's visit to the country was marked by his criticism of the tyranny under British rule and his support for local initiatives like the plastic throne project.
- As part of their state visit, Queen Consort Camilla participated in discussions on the impact of plastic waste and its recycling efforts, demonstrating the British royals' commitment to environmental conservation, even during their official duties abroad.
Source: www.ntv.de
