Madame Tussauds London reveals new wax figure of Britain's Queen Consort Camilla

Standing next to her royal husband, Charles III, and flanked by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Catherine, the new waxwork is dressed in a replica blue gown that Camilla wore to the annual Diplomatic Reception in December 2022 at Buckingham Palace. Designer Anna Valentine, who is one of Camilla's favourite designers and created the original 2022 outfit, also assisted the museum with dressing her new likeness.

"We've had a sitting with Camilla, so we've got lots of great references, lots of detail, photographs, hair colour, eye colour," Jo Kinsey, Studio Manager for Madame Tussauds London told Reuters.

"We take everything we can...from the sitting to recreate a figure."

The wax figure is also finished with royal accessories, including crafted replicas of the late Queen Elizabeth II's Belgian sapphire tiara and matching George VI sapphire necklace, a wedding gift from her father, King George VI, in 1947. Completing Camilla's look is the royal blue sash and star of the Order of the Garter, the royal family order of Queen Elizabeth, and the Queen Consort's art deco engagement ring and Welsh gold wedding band.

The new waxwork is the second model created of Camilla, after the then Duchess of Cornwall attended a sitting for the attraction's sculptors at Clarence House in June 2007, and personally selected her first figure's outfit.

This will be Madame Tussauds London's eighth coronation working with Buckingham Palace since the waxwork museum opened in 1835.

"We've been working with the royal palace for over 200 years," said Kinsey.

"In our new royal experience, we're going to be inviting guests in, not only to get up close to the royal family but also to sign our coronation book, which will sit in our archive for generations to come."

The Royal Palace experience at Madame Tussauds London is open to the public from April 28.

Lego version of King Charles' coronation on show at Windsor

To celebrate the upcoming coronation of Britain's King Charles III, Legoland Windsor Resort has created two new scenes imaging the event, featuring Lego versions of the monarch and Camilla, Queen Consort.

Guests will get to see the mini models on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, wearing crowns and surrounded by hundreds of mini fans outside the gates.

''We've had quite a lot of free reign because we still don't know the full details of the coronation,'' chief model maker at Legoland UK, Paula Laughton told Reuters at a launch event on Wednesday.

''We sort of interpreted our version of it, a miniature version. If things do happen on the day, we might put things in that are corresponding to the actual event.''

There is also a scene in front of an impressive Lego Windsor Castle recreating the concert that is planned for the day after the coronation, on Sunday, May 7.

''I think, something between 25,000 and 30,000 bricks just for the concert scene, which is like a full orchestra and some very famous guests on the day, which is Take That, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry,'' Laughton explained.

As well as Lego versions of the king and queen sitting in the royal box watching the concert, there are also mini versions of William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children.

''If we've produced something and it's spot on, then our guests are really sort of excited to see that,'' Laughton said.

The display will run until November 2023.

King Charles and Queen Consort visit Eurovision Song Contest venue in Liverpool

Britain's King Charles and Queen Consort visited the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest venue in Liverpool on Wednesday.

This year's hosts, British presenter Ryan Clark, Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, actor Hannah Waddingham and British presenter Scott Mills, welcomed the royal couple and showed them the studio where they were invited to light up the big choreographic screens.

Britain is hosting the 67th contest on behalf of Ukraine, the winner of the 2022 competition that was ruled out from hosting because of the ongoing conflict there.

The European Broadcasting Union asked Britain, which was the 2022 runner-up, to step in.

Around 3,000 tickets for a total of nine shows - six previews, two semi-finals and the grand final - will be made available for displaced Ukrainians for a charge of 20 pounds per sale, the British government said.

During their visit King Charles and his Queen Consort were also awarded with a 'Blue Peter' badge, a badge awarded to children on a well know children's programme in the United Kingdom.

'Not my king' chants greet UK's Charles in Liverpool

Britain's King Charles was met with chants of "not my king' in Liverpool on Wednesday during a visit to mark the twinning of the city's Central Library with one in the Ukrainian city of Odesa.

Protesters chanted the anti-monarchy slogan as King Charles and his Queen Consort met crowds of well-wishers outside the library.

They also met partners involved in both a two-week cultural festival running alongside the Eurovision song contest, being held in Liverpool and a Eurovision-inspired education programme called Eurolearn.

Inside the library, King Charles said he found it terrifying over 300 state and university libraries in Ukraine have been destroyed, speaking ahead of a plaque unveiling.
Reuters