King Charles III navigating endless array of scandals, from using gold plates to Prince Harry's new award

According to royal commentator, Daniela Elser, King Charles is having a troublesome week with many scandals happening simultaneously.

Bad taste

King Charles and wife, Queen Camilla, 'rolled out the red carpet' earlier this week for the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and his wife, Dr Tshepo Motsepe as the Royal couple hosted their first State visit.

The Royal Family's official Twitter account released a video of the Royal pastry chef making little edible Protea, the national flower of South Africa, which would be served with petit fours and coffee at the state banquet. In the video, however, the sugary confections are placed on gold plates.

This sparked a fair amount of outrage, considering the economic hardship the country is currently facing. According to the royal commentator Daniela Elser, the display of ostentation that comes with significant royal events was poorly timed.

One user commented:

You do know a lot of people here are really struggling to both heat and eat........ This really seems totally OTT.

Another user agreed:

While thousands starve

A third added:

No cost of living crisis here then

She went so far as to compare the King's frivolities to those of King Louis XVI of France, who was later beheaded with his wife during the French revolution. She wrote:

Marie-Antoinette – is that you?

Potential for a diplomatic crisis

Tuesday night's state banquet was a white-tie affair involving much jewellery, which in many cases is 'highly disputed' and 'often murkily acquired'.

The Cullinan diamonds are among the ‘highly disputed'' jewellery collection of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Camilla was reportedly advised against wearing them as it would 'be like spitting in the face of South Africans'.

Indeed, in 1905 the Cullinan diamond was found in Pretoria. Originally thought to be a fake because of its impressive size, it was eventually gifted to King Edward VII in 1909. The diamond has since been cut into smaller stones. The largest, Cullinan II, adorns the Imperial State Crown and the Cullinan III and IV comprise probably the world's most expensive brooch.

Had the Queen Consort opted for any of the Cullinan pieces, Zwelinzima Vavi, one of South Africa's best-known trade unionists, said:

It would be flaunting […] the colonial ear’s mining industry.

Instead, Queen Camilla opted for the late Queen's Belgian Sapphire Tiara set, which includes a matching necklace, bracelet and earrings.

Read more: Kate Middleton sparks outrage at King Charles' first state banquet, here's why

Structural racism accusations

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to receive an honour from the RFK Foundation Ripple of Hope Awards Gala in early December alongside the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are receiving the human rights award for their 'heroic' challengeto the monarchy's 'power structure'. The pair 'went to the oldest institution in the UK history and told them they were doing it wrong' is how Mr K. Kennedy from the foundation put it to El Confidential.

Ms Elser believes the King could do without the world being reminded that his son, Prince Harry and daughter-in-law, Meghan, loudly accused The Firm of institutional racism, that the Royal Family' forced out the only person of colour'.

Staff under investigation

News.au.com reports that last year, the then-chief executive, Michael Fawcett, of the Prince's Foundation was forced to resign after allegations of 'selling' CBE honours. The allegations came after a Saudi tycoon was awarded a CBE in a private Buckingham Palace ceremony after donating $2.6 million to the foundation. The ceremony also wasn't registered in the official Court Circular.

The allegations have resurfaced this week as the Met's special inquiry team has passed the case on to the Crown Prosecutors Service. They will decide whether or not the man, who was reportedly so close to the Prince that he used to squeeze his toothpaste for His Majesty, will be charged under the Honours Act.

It will hugely damage the King's reputation if Michael Fawcett is charged.

Sources used:

- The Daily Star: King Charles' facing 'simultaneous series of scandals this week' warns royal expert

- News.com.au: King Charles scandals grow as he faces a horror week