Most have to wait until their centenary to receive birthday wishes from the king of Britain. But King Charles made an exception for “a self-made entrepreneur worth billions of dollars and a UNICEF children’s ambassador on top”. The monarch was feting a figure more recognisable than any billionaire or emissary: Hello Kitty, who turns 50 this year.
The character was created by Yuko Shimizu, a Japanese illustrator, on November 1, 1974. Soon after, Kitty appeared on an astounding array of trinkets.
