He has only been King for four months, but King Charles III may already have his new moniker: King Charles the Charitable.
Of course, he is the patron of hundreds of charities, but it goes beyond just having the privilege of being a patron.
King Charles visits charities, writes personal checks and encourages others to become involved.
Aware of the cost-of-living crisis in the United Kingdom, the King and Queen Consort are purposely choosing to highlight charities that provide relief for people’s basic needs.
When Queen Elizabeth II died, many financial contributions in her memory came in from around the world. King Charles decided to donate those funds and give a personal donation to the Fuel Bank Foundation.
The donation will help UK households keep the lights and heat on just in time for winter.
Matthew Cole, head of Fuel Bank Foundation, commented on the gift: “We are extremely grateful for the kind and generous donation from His Majesty the King. The money will be used to help keep vulnerable people warm this winter, offering some physical and mental respite from the challenges posed by the energy and cost-of-living crisis.”
Around the holidays, food banks usually get a surplus of food because people feel generous. Unfortunately, too often, food banks have to turn away the donation or throw the food away because it spoils due to a lack of proper storage.
Food waste also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. All of these concerns are top of mind for the King. At the end of the year, he donated one million pounds to The Felix Project, earmarking the money to buy refrigerators and freezers for area food banks.
The money comes from a grant through The Prince of Wales Charitable Fund and other donors, including a personal “substantial” contribution from the King.
Keep the Drums and Lose the Knife is one of the lucky charities to get a freezer. Its founder Sarian Karim said: “Every day, we hear heartbreaking stories from our recipients about how they cannot afford to eat and are skipping meals. We are beyond excited to be receiving this freezer. It will be incredible and mean we can store more and do more for those in need.”
Working in the Royal Household does not insulate you from the cost-of-living crisis, and King Charles has recognised that. So he gave hundreds of staffers a pay bonus from his private income. It cost him an estimated tens of thousands of pounds. Based on a sliding scale, those most in need or earned the lowest amount received higher bonuses ranging from 200 to 600 pounds.
King Charles began 2023 by announcing that 1.2 billion pounds in profits from wind farms owned by the Crown Estate should go to the British government. Again, aware of rising prices and lower wages, King Charles wants this money to be used for the “wider public good.”
Buckingham Palace issued a statement about the redirection of funds: “In view of the offshore energy windfall, The Keeper of the Privy Purse (Sir Michael Stevens) has written to the Prime Minister and Chancellor to share The King’s wish that this windfall be directed for wider public good, rather than to the Sovereign Grant, through an appropriate reduction in the proportion of Crown Estate surplus that funds the Sovereign Grant.”
Charity and giving back have even been incorporated into King Charles III’s coronation weekend.
The Big Help Out will occur on the Monday after the coronation. Organised by The Together Coalition, it will encourage people to get involved with local charities through volunteering. It will also highlight how volunteering has been so impactful in the UK.
The Big Lunch on Sunday after the coronation encourages people to get out and give back to their communities through a meal. By meeting your neighbours and sharing food, you can build a stronger, safer community, reduce loneliness and give back to each other.
Also, on Sunday will be a coronation concert at Windsor Castle. Members of the public will have the opportunity to get a ticket. But also in the audience will be volunteers from charities that The King and Queen support.
Another gift to the people during coronation weekend will be an extra bank holiday…a gift most everyone in the UK will be happy to receive!
