EXPLAINER-Britain's rules of succession for a new sovereign
Under the British constitution, a sovereign succeeds to the throne the moment his or her predecessor dies, before even being proclaimed to the people, and there is no interregnum.
Queen Elizabeth, Britain's monarch for more than seven decades, died on Thursday aged 96.
The following is an explanation of the rules of the British court regarding the accession of a new sovereign and a description of the powers and responsibilities of the monarch.
Under the British constitution, a sovereign succeeds to the throne the moment his or her predecessor dies, before even being proclaimed to the people, and there is no interregnum.
The new monarch is officially proclaimed king or queen by a special body called the Accession Council, to which members of the Privy Council - a group of several hundred selected royal advisers including members of the cabinet - are summoned.
A full Privy Council session is only called on the accession of a new sovereign or when the monarch announces an intention to marry, an event of great importance given the hereditary basis of the monarchy.
Also invited to attend the Accession Council which proclaims the new sovereign are the Lords Spiritual and Temporal (that is bishops of the Church of England who sit in the House of Lords, together with the secular peers of the realm) and high commissioners from Commonwealth nations.
The sovereign's coronation, in effect just a formal ratification procedure, follows the accession after an interval of mourning. Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in June 1953, 16 months after George VI died.
The coronation takes place at London's Westminster Abbey in the presence of politicians, eminent public figures, and representatives from countries around the world.
The sovereign reigns by grace of the 1701 Act of Settlement, which lays down the rules of succession, decreeing that only Protestant descendants of a granddaughter of James I of England (Princess Sophia the Electress of Hanover) can take the throne.
Until a new law in 2013, being married to a Roman Catholic also barred a royal from a place in the line of succession. However, a Catholic can still not become monarch.
The 2013 legislation also removed precedence being given to the male line, meaning that any royal born from Oct 28., 2011, would not be discriminated against in succession to the throne based on gender.
The departed sovereign's spouse plays no part in the succession, as the consort's official role in perpetuating the dynasty ends with the act of procreation.
Except in the unique case of William III and Mary, who ruled jointly, the monarch reigns alone. The wives of royal men are accorded the rank and status of their husbands, while the male consorts of female royals have no automatic right to a title.
If the new sovereign is a minor, a regent nominated by the old king or queen is appointed to fulfil the official functions of the monarch until the new king or queen reaches maturity.
Traditionally, the sovereign is held to personify the state, which he or she heads, and to symbolise a common link between the countries making up the United Kingdom. In law, the sovereign is head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and supreme governor of the Church of England.
In reality, he or she rubber stamps government decisions and reigns through the will of parliament. The monarch summons and prorogues parliament, and invites the leader of the political party which has won a general election to be prime minister and form a government.
In cases where there is a “"hung parliament", with no party having an overall majority, the sovereign in the past could exercise some personal judgment in choosing a leader but now is not expected to be involved.
The British sovereign is also head of the Commonwealth of nations which grew out of the British empire and head of state of 14 other countries.
These are Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.
The monarchy is Britain's oldest secular institution, with the royal family tracing its ancestry back to William the Conqueror in 1066 and even to Egbert of Wessex, generally recognised as the first king of the English, in the year 829.
The sovereign is addressed as “"Your Majesty".
Queen Elizabeth's official title was “"Her Most Excellent Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith".
The 11th UK National Gatka Championship was hosted near Cardiff, marking the first time in Wales.
Winners included Roop Kaur (girls), Navjot Singh (boys), and Gurdeep Singh (men’s).
Gatka Federation UK awarded £1,000 to each participating Akhara to support martial arts promotion.
Chief guests included MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation.
Gatka Championship marks Welsh debut
The 11th UK National Gatka Championship concluded on a high note near Cardiff, Wales, showcasing the traditional Sikh martial art with flair. Seven leading Gatka Akharas participated, thrilling spectators with their lightning-fast strikes, precision moves and elegant techniques.
Inauguration by global leaders
The tournament was inaugurated by Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation (WGF) and the National Gatka Association of India (NGAI). He was joined by Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP, President of Gatka Federation UK, alongside other dignitaries including Jagbir Singh Jagga Chakar, President of Wales Kabaddi Club, and community leaders from the Haveli Hotel Pontyclun.
The 11th UK National Gatka Championship concluded on a high note near Cardiff, WalesUK Parliament
Competition results
All events were held in the Farrie-Soti (individual) format:
Girls’ Category: Roop Kaur (Akali Phoola Singh Gatka Akhara Coventry) won first place, defeating teammate Manroop Kaur. Rihanna Kaur (Baba Banda Singh Gatka Akhara Gravesend) took third.
Boys’ Category: Navjot Singh (Baba Fateh Singh Gatka Akhara Woolwich) secured first place against teammate Jashan Singh. Dharam Singh and Tejveer Singh (both from Akali Phoola Singh Gatka Akhara Coventry) shared third.
Men’s Category: Gurdeep Singh (Jangi Horses Club Wolverhampton) claimed the title, defeating Kuldeep Singh (Baba Banda Singh Gatka Akhara Gravesend). Third place was shared by Anmoldeep Singh and Nihal Singh (both Baba Mitt Singh Gatka Akhara Wolverhampton).
Awards and recognition
All winners received medals and trophies. In a significant gesture, Gatka Federation UK presented £1,000 to each participating Akhara to strengthen training facilities and promote wider engagement in the sport.
Leaders praise UK’s Gatka growth
Harjeet Singh Grewal commended MP Tan Dhesi for his sustained efforts in promoting Gatka since 2013, pledging WGF and NGAI’s continued support in advancing the martial art across Britain.
In his address, MP Dhesi — also Chairman of the House of Commons Defence Committee — highlighted the growing enthusiasm among young people in the UK and thanked the Gurdwara committees of Swansea and Cardiff for their support in making the event a success.
Dignitaries in attendance
The championship was attended by prominent figures including Herman Singh Johal (General Secretary, Gatka Federation UK), representatives from Swansea and Cardiff Gurdwara committees, media partners from Akaal Channel, Sikh Channel, Jan Shakti News, and several community leaders.
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The site, located in Gujarat, houses hundreds of elephants, as well as 50 bears, 160 tigers, 200 lions, 250 leopards, and 900 crocodiles. (Photo: Instagram/Vantara)
AN INDIAN Supreme Court-ordered investigation has cleared a large private animal facility run by the son of Asia’s richest man, rejecting allegations of wildlife violations.
Vantara, described as the “world’s biggest wild animal rescue centre,” is operated by Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.
The site, located in Gujarat, houses hundreds of elephants, as well as 50 bears, 160 tigers, 200 lions, 250 leopards, and 900 crocodiles, according to India’s Central Zoo Authority.
Last month, the Supreme Court asked a panel led by retired judges to examine allegations of unlawful acquisition of animals, including elephants, and possible violations of wildlife laws and money laundering. The court acted after receiving petitions based on media reports and complaints by wildlife groups.
Wildlife activists had raised concerns about the facility, saying it was keeping endangered species next to a large oil refinery without plans to reintroduce them into the wild.
The panel’s report, presented in court on Monday, said the “allegations rest wholly on conjecture and surmises on secondary reporting, and activist commentary.” It added, “The complaints are, therefore, devoid of merit.”
In March, German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that Vantara imported about 39,000 animals in 2024, including from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. According to the centre, dozens of elephants were also transported from across India in specially adapted trucks.
The probe report said “each of the imports has undergone multi-layered and multi-jurisdictional verification.”
The Supreme Court accepted the findings, saying it had “no hesitation in accepting the conclusion so drawn in the report.” It added, “We are more than satisfied that the facilities at Vantara in certain respects exceeds the prescribed standards.”
Vantara welcomed the outcome. “With utmost humility and gratitude, we welcome the findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), appointed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. The SIT's report and the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s order have made it clear that the doubts and allegations raised against Vantara’s animal welfare mission were without any basis. The validation of the truth by the distinguished and widely respected members of the SIT is neot just a relief for everyone at Vantara but also a blessing, because it allows our work to speak for itself."
"We take this occasion to pledge our solidarity with the Government of India, State Governments, and all other stakeholders involved in the huge and challenging task of animal care, and affirm that Vantara will always be ready to work in close collaboration with them. Let’s together make Mother Earth a better place for all living beings,” the facility said in a statement.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Starmer, who has faced negative coverage since taking office in July 2024, defended the appointment process.
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer said on Monday he would not have appointed Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington had he known the extent of his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
This was Starmer’s first public statement since dismissing Mandelson last week. The prime minister is facing questions over his judgement, including from Labour MPs, after initially standing by Mandelson before removing him from the post.
Starmer, who has faced negative coverage since taking office in July 2024, defended the appointment process. He said Mandelson had been properly vetted at the time.
"Had I known then what I know now, I'd have never appointed him," Starmer told broadcasters.
Mandelson was dismissed after emails showed he had urged Epstein to "fight for early release" shortly before Epstein was sentenced in 2008 to 18 months in prison for procuring a child for prostitution.
Some Labour MPs have questioned why Mandelson was chosen despite his long-standing friendship with Epstein, which continued after the conviction.
The government also faced scrutiny over why Starmer expressed "confidence" in Mandelson last week, when Mandelson had already admitted that "very embarrassing" messages were about to become public.
The dismissal followed the resignation of Angela Rayner as deputy prime minister less than a week earlier, after she admitted underpaying property tax.
Both departures came soon after Starmer relaunched his government in an attempt to recover ground from Reform UK, the party led by Nigel Farage that has been leading national opinion polls for months. The next general election is not expected until 2029.
Labour MP Helen Hayes told BBC radio that questions about "the nature of the leadership" would arise if Labour performs badly in the May 2026 local elections.
Another Labour MP, Graham Stringer, told Times Radio that Starmer is "supping in the last-chance saloon," and that many in the party think he is "making mistakes and doing poorly at the job."
Asked on Channel 4 News whether he would resign if the party believed it was necessary, Starmer replied: "No, because I'm absolutely clear what the task is in front of me."
"We have a crossroads, really, in terms of the future of this country. We go forward with Labour for national renewal, a patriotic call about this country and taking this country forward, true patriotism, or we have division and decline under Reform," he said.
On Monday, the government faced another setback when senior aide Paul Ovenden resigned after comments he made in 2017 about Diane Abbott, Britain’s first black woman MP, resurfaced.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Trump said the suspect had been arrested earlier for 'terrible crimes,' including child sex abuse, grand theft auto and false imprisonment, but was released under the Biden administration because Cuba refused to take him back.
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has described Chandra Mouli “Bob” Nagamallaiah, the Indian-origin motel manager killed in Dallas, as a “well-respected person” and said the accused will face a first-degree murder charge.
Nagamallaiah, 50, was killed last week at the Downtown Suites motel by co-worker Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, a 37-year-old undocumented Cuban immigrant with a criminal history.
In his first remarks on the killing, Trump blamed the immigration policies of former president Joe Biden, calling the attacker an “illegal alien” who should have been deported.
“I am aware of the terrible reports regarding the murder of Chandra Nagamallaiah, a well-respected person in Dallas, Texas, who was brutally beheaded, in front of his wife and son, by an illegal alien from Cuba who should have never been in our country,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday.
He added that the accused, who is in custody, “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law. He will be charged with murder in the first degree.”
Trump said the suspect had been arrested earlier for “terrible crimes,” including child sex abuse, grand theft auto and false imprisonment, but was released under the Biden administration because Cuba refused to take him back.
“Rest assured, the time for being soft on these illegal immigrant criminals is over under my watch! Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Border Czar Tom Homan, and many others in my Administration, are doing an incredible job in making America safe again,” Trump said.
Nagamallaiah, originally from Karnataka, was attacked with a machete in the motel where he lived and worked.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said he was horrified by Nagamallaiah’s murder, calling him a hardworking Indian-American immigrant who was killed in front of his wife and 18-year-old son. “My deepest condolences go to his family. The perpetrator must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” he said.
Cobos-Martinez had been released from ICE custody earlier this year after Cuba refused his deportation because of his criminal record. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said the case highlights broader immigration challenges. “This is exactly why the Trump Administration was removing criminal illegal aliens to third countries such as Uganda and South Sudan,” she said.
The Consulate General of India in Houston is monitoring the case and providing consular support. Consul General DC Manjunath said the consulate “is in contact with the family and local authorities, offering all necessary assistance.”
The Indian-American community expressed shock. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America condemned the killing, calling it part of a disturbing national trend. “These tragedies highlight an alarming societal breakdown where political discord erodes cohesion, violence spreads unchecked, and government responses are mere lip service. We demand full investigations and a national inquiry into America’s collapsing civil dialogue,” it said.
Indiaspora, a global network of Indian-origin leaders, said it was “deeply saddened and horrified by the brutality of this crime” and condemned the act “in the strongest possible terms.” It added, “Every person deserves safety and dignity regardless of identity.”
Suhag Shukla, Executive Director of the Hindu American Foundation, said the community was “shaken again” by the beheading. “In times like this, we must remember our shared humanity and choose patience and acceptance over violence,” she said.
Dallas Police said the killing was recorded on motel CCTV cameras. Cobos-Martinez remains jailed without bond pending trial.
Nagamallaiah’s funeral was held on September 13 in Flower Mound, Texas, attended by close family and friends. A fundraiser for his family has collected over USD 321,326. The case has renewed debate over immigration enforcement and the difficulties faced by US authorities when countries refuse to accept deportees.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Starmer talks with Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador's residence on February 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer is facing questions within the Labour party after the sacking of US ambassador Peter Mandelson.
Mandelson was removed last week after Bloomberg published emails showing messages of support he sent following Jeffrey Epstein’s conviction for sex offences. The dismissal comes just ahead of US president Donald Trump’s state visit.
Labour MPs have expressed frustration with the prime minister’s leadership. Labour backbencher Richard Burgon told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Starmer would be “gone” if May’s elections in Scotland, Wales and England go badly. “If May’s elections go as people predict and the opinion polls predict, then I think Starmer will be gone at that time,” he said.
Helen Hayes told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour that if the dismissal affected Labour’s performance in the May 2026 local elections, questions about Starmer’s leadership would follow. She said she felt “devastated” about Mandelson but argued he should not have been appointed.
Baroness Smith defended Starmer, telling BBC Breakfast that Burgon had never supported him. She admitted Mandelson’s sacking was “not what we would have wanted” before Trump’s visit but said the prime minister was doing a good job.
Meanwhile, Conservative MP Alex Burghart demanded the release of documents related to Mandelson’s appointment, calling Starmer’s judgement “appalling.” He said the PM ignored warnings about Mandelson’s links to Epstein. Downing Street has said Starmer only learned of the emails on Wednesday and acted immediately.