Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

'Elephant Whisperers' documentary maker collects award from Charles and Camilla

The King and Queen wore elephant masks designed by the Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee at an event last week to mark the 20th anniversary of a wildlife conservation charity.

'Elephant Whisperers' documentary maker collects award from Charles and Camilla

The King and Queen wore elephant masks designed by the Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee at an event last week to mark the 20th anniversary of a wildlife conservation charity.

Elephant Family was set up by late Mark Shand, the Queen’s brother, and works to protect Asia’s wildlife.


The royal couple attended the Animal Ball 2023 at Lancaster House last Wednesday (28) when two awards were also presented.

Indian designers Mukherjee, Manish Malhotra, and Anita Dongre represented the country by creating masks for guests at the event.

In an Instagram post, Mukherjee said the King and Queen wore Shola masks that paid homage to Bengal's heritage and culture.

Shola is the craft of carving sholapith, a spongey cork from the aquatic plant that grows in the marshlands of Bengal.

He wrote, “Their Majesties King Charles III & Queen Camilla in The Shola Mask from Sabyasachi. For The Animal Ball 2023. Presented by Elephant Family

"I like to tell hyper local stories to the world in an attempt to create economic sustainability for heritage crafts and craftspeople.

"The Elephant Family and I are committed to similar but different missions. While I aim to preserve endangered heritage crafts, they conserve endangered animals and habitats. It's my privilege and honour to be a part of their cause."

TOP STORY Animal Ball INSET Winners GettyImages 1259809944 King Charles III and Queen Camilla present the members of the The Real Elephant Collective, with their Mark Shand Award and Ms Kartiki Gonsalves, with the Tara Award during the Animal Ball at Lancaster House to mark the 20th anniversary of wildlife conservation charity Elephant Family on June 28, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Heathcliff O'Malley - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The Shola masks were made by hand using artisanal techniques and materials, as a collaboration between the artists from the Sabyasachi Art Foundation and craftspeople from Bengal.

The designer added, “Every year the craftspeople make decorations for the deities and entire structures during the Durga Puja celebrations - that is a part of UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Shola Masks are made in homage to Bengal's living heritage and culture."

Dongre created the "Panchhi Mask" for the ball, which represented the birds that best represent tropical countries, while Malhotra made the fictitious "Maharaja Mask" that symbolised the lion, which actress Janhvi Kapoor wore.

Of the two prizes presented at the event, the Mark Shand Award went to The Real Elephant Collective (TREC), a community of 70 adivasi artists and wildlife conservationists. They spent five years creating the CoExistence Herd, sculptural representations of wild elephants they coexist with, according to the Elephant Family.

And the Tara Award, inspired by the bond between elephants and humans, was given to Kartiki Gonsalves, the director of the Academy Award-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers.”

More For You

F-35B jet

The UK has agreed to move the aircraft to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport.

Indian Air Force

F-35B jet still stranded in Kerala, UK sends engineers for repair

UK AVIATION engineers are arriving in Thiruvananthapuram to carry out repairs on an F-35B Lightning jet belonging to the Royal Navy, which has remained grounded after an emergency landing 12 days ago.

The jet is part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group of the UK's Royal Navy. It made the emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport on June 14. The aircraft, valued at over USD 110 million, is among the most advanced fighter jets in the world.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ahmedabad air crash
Relatives carry the coffin of a victim, who was killed in the Air India Flight 171 crash, during a funeral ceremony in Ahmedabad on June 15, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Ahmedabad crash: Grief, denial and trauma haunt families

TWO weeks after the crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, families of victims are grappling with grief and trauma. Psychiatrists are now working closely with many who continue to oscillate between denial and despair.

The crash occurred on June 12, when the London-bound flight hit the BJ Medical College complex shortly after takeoff, killing 241 people on board and 29 on the ground. Only one passenger survived.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer apologises for 'island of strangers' immigration speech

Prime minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech at The British Chambers of Commerce Global Annual Conference in London on June 26, 2025. (Photo by EDDIE MULHOLLAND/AFP via Getty Images)

Starmer apologises for 'island of strangers' immigration speech

PRIME MINISTER Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he was wrong to warn that Britain could become an "island of strangers" due to high immigration, saying he "deeply" regrets the controversial phrase.

Speaking to The Observer, Sir Keir said he would not have used those words if he had known they would be seen as echoing the language of Enoch Powell's notorious 1968 "rivers of blood" speech.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sir Sajid Javid leads commission 'tackling social divisions'

Sir Sajid Javid (Photo by Tom Nicholson-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Sir Sajid Javid leads commission 'tackling social divisions'

A cross-party group has been formed to tackle the deep divisions that sparked last summer's riots across England. The new commission will be led by former Tory minister Sir Sajid Javid and ex-Labour MP Jon Cruddas.

The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion has backing from both prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. It brings together 19 experts from different political parties and walks of life.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Masum

Masum was seen on CCTV trying to steer the pram away and, when she refused to go with him, stabbed her multiple times before walking away and boarding a bus. (Photo: West Yorkshire Police)

West Yorkshire Police

Habibur Masum convicted of murdering estranged wife in front of baby

A MAN who stabbed his estranged wife to death in Bradford in front of their baby has been convicted of murder.

Habibur Masum, 26, attacked 27-year-old Kulsuma Akter in broad daylight on April 6, 2024, stabbing her more than 25 times while she pushed their seven-month-old son in a pram. The baby was not harmed.

Keep ReadingShow less