International

Camilla wins praise for first week in Queen Consort role

AFP | by Juliette MONTESSE

Camilla has taken on the role of Queen Consort to her husband King Charles III with a minimum of fuss after gradually overcoming public opposition.

King Charles III, in his first speech to the nation on September 9, thanked his “darling wife” Camilla for her support.

The couple finally married in 2005 after a long-running love affair that was at times adulterous.

“I know she (Camilla) will bring to the demands of her new role the steadfast devotion to duty on which I have come to rely so much,” Charles said in a televised tribute the day after his mother’s death.

Camilla, 75, was at Charles’s side on September 8 when he rushed to the queen’s Scottish residence of Balmoral, where she died that day.

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Since then, she has been travelling around the UK with the new king, showing herself to be a rock of stability in the royal family: taking part in a brief walkabout outside Buckingham Palace, the proclamation of the new king and trips to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

While Camilla is not topping polls on the most popular royals, her approval rating has hugely improved.

Last year, fewer than half of people in Britain wanted her to become queen.

A poll published by YouGov on Tuesday found 53 percent now think Camilla will do a good job as consort, while 18 percent thought she would not.

On Friday, those queueing in London to see the queen’s coffin told AFP that they respected Camilla’s support for Charles and had come to appreciate her role.

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“I’ve changed my mind (about Camilla) in the last five or 10 years,” said one man, Peter Finlayson, who works in risk management.

“If you look back in history, Camilla has always been there for Charles; she is a great support to him and she has earned the right to be there.

“They are providing the continuity that we all thought we had lost with the queen.”

For Deborah Toulson, a 57-year-old maths tutor, “this week particularly, she (Camilla) has been amazing”. She said she had noticed Camilla subtly guiding Charles on what to do at recent public appearances.

Camilla has nevertheless faced long-standing dislike from many British people, who see her as morally culpable for being Charles’s mistress during his failed marriage to Diana.

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She has slowly earned her stripes and won round the queen, who personally recommended that she become known as Queen Consort to Charles.

Broken toe

When Charles came to Westminster Hall last week to receive condolences from parliament, Camilla came with him in a black dress and pearls and they sat on matching gold thrones.

When the new king and his two brothers and sister held a silent vigil in Edinburgh’s St Giles’ Cathedral, standing around the queen’s coffin, Camilla sat nearby.

Tabloids welcomed the tact of the new queen, who chose to wear a diamond brooch in the shape of a thistle, Scotland’s national emblem, which had been a gift from Queen Elizabeth.

Camilla has carried out duties while recovering from a broken toe, an injury thought to have happened before the queen’s death, The Daily Telegraph reported.

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“She is in quite a lot of pain but she is just getting on with it. It is unfortunate timing to say the least but she’s been an absolute trouper,” a source told the paper.

At a signing ceremony in Northern Ireland, when Charles was caught on camera losing his cool over a leaking fountain pen, Camilla stood there stoically and took the offending pen while Charles stormed out.

Camilla “has shown through time that she is an immense support for Charles and she has again proved it this week by being very calm,” said another woman waiting in the queue, Anne-Marie Whatts, a Londoner in her early 40s who works in information technology.

Camilla’s biographer Angela Levin, wrote in The Telegraph that Camilla has a better understanding than Charles of what the public is thinking because “she had a relatively normal life until her 50s”.

What remains to see is whether Camilla is allowed to express herself: over the last week, we have barely heard her speak.

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International

Arsenal stun Real Madrid at the Bernabéu to reach Champions League semifinals

Arsenal enjoyed a “historic night” on Wednesday after defeating Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, knocking them out of the Champions League quarterfinals, midfielder Declan Rice said.

“It’s such a special night for this club, a historic night for this club,” said Rice, who scored twice in the first leg in London, speaking to TNT Sports.

The English international was named Man of the Match in both legs — the 3-0 win in London and the second leg in Madrid.

“It’s amazing. I knew we were on an upward trajectory and we’ve done incredibly well in this competition. We deserve it and we have full confidence in our coach. Reaching the semifinals is unbelievable,” Rice added.

International

DeSantis’ immigration crackdown sparks alarm in Venezuelan Communities in Doral

Florida, the U.S. state with the third-largest immigrant population, has become the most aggressive in targeting undocumented immigrants, largely due to pressure from Governor Ron DeSantis. This shift has led Latino-majority cities like Orlando and Doral to authorize their police forces to assist in immigration enforcement.

In Doral — part of the greater Miami area where 70.7% of residents are immigrants and 48% are of Venezuelan origin — the City Council is expected to approve a measure this Wednesday allowing local police to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), despite opposition from neighborhood groups and human rights activists.

“It’s yet another betrayal,” said Susana Ríos, a 57-year-old Venezuelan woman currently under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), whose extension was denied by the White House and is now being challenged in court.

Meanwhile, José González, a 21-year-old immigrant, said he feels “abandoned.” He can’t stop thinking about the images of Venezuelans deported to El Salvador without due process. “We’re all in danger,” he warned.

International

Bogotá residents line up for yellow fever vaccine amid national alert

David Suárez went to a public health center in Bogotá on Wednesday to get vaccinated against yellow fever. It wasn’t originally in his plans, but he responded to a call made just hours earlier by President Gustavo Petro, who announced he will declare a health and economic emergency due to a new outbreak of the disease that has already left more than 30 people dead, mostly in the central-western region of the country.

“I got vaccinated for two reasons: first, for my own health because I’m traveling, and second, for a social reason — simply to follow the president’s guidance and be aware that this is a problem for all of us,” said Suárez, a 39-year-old teacher, to The Associated Press.

Like Suárez, dozens of people were waiting in line for the vaccine at Bogotá’s main intercity bus terminal, a key transportation hub especially crowded during travel seasons like Holy Week.

The teacher is traveling with his family to the department of Huila, which has activated a contingency plan due to its proximity to Tolima — the epicenter of the yellow fever outbreak — where a state of public calamity has been declared.