King Charles covers his head in a traditional turban as a gesture of humility and respect while visiting the newly built Sikh Temple in Luton
- King Charles III met with the Sikh community in Luton while visiting the town
- The 74-year-old monarch was pictured in traditional attire at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara
- He also visited the Luton Sikh Soup Kitchen stand and spoke to volunteers
King Charles today put aside the drama of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s upcoming Netflix series to visit newly built guru Nanak Gurdwara in Luton as part of his one-day visit to the town of Bedfordshire.
The new monarch, 74, covered his head in a white, gray and blue checkered turban in a gesture of humility and respect.
During his meeting, the King was also seen making the traditional Namaste gesture, which he has often used as a greeting during the pandemic rather than shaking hands when speaking to volunteers, and was presented with a traditional scarf in the prayer hall placed around the shoulders for meditation
King Charles III (pictured) wore traditional attire to visit the newly built Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Luton on Tuesday
The monarch was photographed performing the traditional Namaste gesture as a traditional shawl was placed around his shoulders in meditation in the prayer hall
He was welcomed by Professor Gurch Randhawa, member of the Sikh community in Gurdwara, Deputy Lieutenant and Director of the Institute for Health Research at the University of Bedfordshire.
King Charles also had the opportunity to visit the Luton Sikh Soup Kitchen stand and speak to volunteers about the impact food poverty is having on the local community.
He also met the volunteers who run the Sikh school and spoke to students studying Punjabi and traditional music.
Local children had a chance to speak with the king as he met volunteers who run the Sikh school and spoke to students learning Punjabi and traditional music.
Earlier in the day, Charles was received by the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Susan Lousada, and the Mayor of Luton, Councilor Sameera Saleem, before meeting local groups and members of the public.
The King will also visit Luton DART and take a ride on the airport shuttle due to open next year.
King Charles was received by Professor Gurch Randhawa during his visit to the Gurdwara in Luton. He also met members of the local community
A traditional shawl for meditation was placed around the king’s shoulders. He also removed his shoes and wore a blanket over his head as a sign of respect
King Charles speaks to Professor Gurch Randhawa in the prayer room while sitting on the floor with the congregation
The DART (Direct Air-Rail Transit) is a wired, driverless train that operates on a 1.4-mile (2.2 km) line connecting Luton Airport Parkway station to the airport terminal 24 hours a day in just over three minutes. It replaces shuttle buses that pick up passengers every 10 minutes.
King Charles’ visit to Luton coincides with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s trip to New York ahead of their bombastic documentaries this Thursday.
In New York later today, Harry and Meghan will be presented with the Ripple of Hope Award by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Association for their “heroic stance” against the royal family’s “structural racism”.
The King and Queen Consort will confirm that they will attend their annual Christmas service at Westminster Abbey on the same day that the second episode of Harry and Meghan’s documentary airs on Netflix, as a show of solidarity with the Princess of Wales.
King Charles spoke to local school children during his visit to Luton on Tuesday. The crowd met him when he was visiting the newly built Guru Nanak Gurdwara
King Charles III speaks to parishioners during a visit to the newly built Guru Nanak Gurdwara
King Charles III spoke to veterans while visiting Luton City Hall on Tuesday
Schoolchildren were keen to speak to the new monarch when he landed in the town of Bedfordshire
King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will attend the Carol service organized by mother-of-three Kate Middleton, which will also be attended by Prince William on Thursday, April 15.
Kensington Palace today confirmed that ‘The New Fab Four’, as they are known, will attend the ceremony together.
The announcement comes the day after the release of the second trailer for Harry & Meghan, in which Prince Harry, 38, explained there was a “dirty game” going on while others discussed a “war on Meghan”.
The King’s first stop was Luton Town Hall, where he is pictured sipping a cup of tea and chatting with locals
King Charles III unveiled a plaque commemorating his visit to Luton Town Hall on Tuesday