In theory, few transitions are as smooth as a succession of the British monarchy: Queen Elizabeth II. Less than 48 hours after Elizabeth’s death, King Charles III was officially proclaimed the new monarch of the United Kingdom.
But things are not that simple: Charles ascended the throne at a difficult time for the country and its royal family. Is the new king better or worse, historians interviewed by the BBC? his reign and those after him.
Charles will face many tests: from dealing with the impact of the energy crisis on the country, to confronting the changing perception of the monarchy after his late mother’s reign for more than 70 years.
Here are some of the main issues that may require the new king’s attention.
A monarchy ‘on earth’?
Millions of families in the UK are facing a potential fuel shortage this winter due to rising fossil fuel prices triggered by the war in Ukraine. The most pessimistic estimates say that up to 45 million people, or two-thirds of the country’s population, will struggle to pay their bills.
This scenario will likely put the royal family’s finances under more scrutiny than usual. Indeed, even before the war, there were rumors in the British press that the then Prince of Wales was willing to reduce the grandeur and circumstances of royal events, including his coronation, which will take place (sometime after) in June 2023. mourning the death of the queen).
Britain’s Daily Telegraph claimed on 13 September that the event would be different from the Queen’s flamboyant coronation in 1953 – it was the first televised ceremony of its kind.
Citing sources close to the royal family, the newspaper said Charles III’s coronation would be shorter, “cheaper” and, importantly, more multicultural to reflect the diversity of British society.
Charles has previously spoken of his desire to have a lean monarchy – this will likely evolve into a smaller group of “active members” centered around King and Queen consort Camilla, Prince William and wife Kate.
“It’s quite possible that we’re going to see things shrink, especially the coronation,” British royalty historian Kelly Swab told the BBC. “The royal family needs to pay attention to what is happening in the country in these difficult times.”
The financial situation of the royal family is a complex issue that is often at the center of anti-monarchy arguments: the money comes primarily from a taxpayer-funded annual payment known as a “sovereign subsidy.”
For 2021-2022, this allowance is set at US$99.8 million (R$511.6 million) – the equivalent of US$1.49 (R$7.77) per person in the UK, but this does not include the high security costs for members of the royal family.
declining reputation
Support for the monarchy is at its lowest point in more than 30 years, according to the British Social Attitudes Survey, a survey that regularly measures a sample of the British population’s feelings towards royalty.
The latest edition of the survey, published in 2021, showed that 55% of Britons thought having a monarchy was “very important” or “quite important”. In previous years, this support has fluctuated between 60% and 70%.
In May of this year, Charles took third place on the list of people’s favorite royals, after the Queen and her eldest son, Prince William. II. While polls after Elizabeth’s death showed growing support for the new king, there are signs that Charles has work to do to improve the royal family’s reputation.
“One of the challenges faced by the king is to make the monarchy attractive to the younger generation,” says historian Richard Fitzwilliams.
Fitzwilliams’ view is in line with the British Social Attitudes Survey, which showed that in 2021 only 14% of people aged 18 to 34 found it “very important” to have a monarchy in the UK. It was over 44%.
And according to a YouGov poll for the anti-monarchy group Republic, 27% of the population supports abolishing the monarchy altogether.
Considering the 15% support for the complete abolition of the monarchy, the norm in the last decades, this is a significant increase. And significantly more dissatisfaction is being recorded among the younger generation.
Kelly Swab also points out that “a lot has changed since 1952” (the year Elizabeth II became queen). He refers specifically to the occasional protests against the monarchy that have taken place in recent days.
“There is less respect for the monarchy these days and a lot more scrutiny from the royal family,” he says. “This is something King Charles should keep in mind.”
‘Never complain, never explain’
King Charles III is the head of state in the United Kingdom. But in the British constitutional monarchy model, the monarch’s powers are mostly symbolic and ceremonial. Therefore, members of the royal family are expected to remain politically neutral.
The deceased queen’s restrained stance was seen by many as a result of her belief in the motto “never complain, never explain”.
In the past, Charles would express himself on different topics that he considered important. In 2015, it turned out he wrote dozens of letters to government ministers expressing his concerns on everything from herbal medicine to the public budget to the Armed Forces.
Will his stance change? Constitutionalist Vernon Bogdanor believes this.
“He knew from a young age that his style needed to change. The people will not want a militant ruler,” says Bogdanor.
On September 12, the newly proclaimed king was already showing signs of a change to become more politically neutral as he addressed members of Parliament. In addition to acknowledging that he had personal interests to give up, Charles said Parliament was the “living and breathing instrument” of British democracy.
Commonwealth: colonial legacy
After the death of his mother, Charles became president of the Commonwealth, a political union of 56 countries, mostly former British colonies. He is also the head of state of 14 countries in addition to the United Kingdom, which includes Australia, Canada, Jamaica and New Zealand.
But in recent years, some Commonwealth countries have begun to discuss their relationship with the British crown. As part of this process, Barbados made the decision to become a republic in late 2021, removing the queen as the country’s head of state. Located in the Caribbean, the island has been subject to British influence for centuries and has been the center of the transatlantic slave trade for over 200 years.
Prince William’s trip to the Caribbean in early 2022 spurred anti-colonial protests and called for reparations for slavery in the region. Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, has openly told royalty that the country is “going forward”.
The BBC’s royal correspondent, Sean Coughlan, believes redefining a more modern relationship with the Commonwealth of Nations will be a “big challenge” for King Charles.
“During his visits to the Commonwealth countries, Charles will be challenged to navigate the difficult legacy of colonialism and issues like slavery.”
an ‘old’ king
At 73 years old, Charles III is the oldest person ever to be declared king in England. One of the questions regarding the day of his reign is how much of his long list of royal duties he can fulfill on his own.
There is much speculation that his son and heir to the throne, Prince William, will share the burden of royal deals, especially overseas travel. Queen Elizabeth stopped traveling abroad at the age of eighty.
“Charles is a former king. He can’t do everything,” says historian Kelly Swab. “I think the result will be that we’re going to see a lot more of Prince William.”
stand up for the queen
As the grief that spread across the country after his death clearly demonstrates, World War II Elizabeth was an extremely popular monarch.
According to royal historian Evaline Brueton, this is a challenge in itself for the new king – but not insurmountable and not unheard of.
He claims that King Edward VII experienced the same situation when he inherited the crown in 1901 after the death of Queen Victoria, another very popular and long-lived monarch.
“There are interesting similarities between where we are now and the end of the Victorian era,” Brueton says. “Both Edward VII and Charles III came to power in times of social change in Britain, and neither was as popular as their mother.”
Edward VII was in power for only nine years (1901-1910), but he is fondly remembered as a king who was involved in diplomatic efforts that laid the groundwork for celebrities. Entente CordialeA series of agreements between England and France signed in 1904.
“Edward VI did extremely well, and there is nothing that Charles will not be remembered as an equally important king,” Brueton says.
“He had Queen Elizabeth II as a great role model and had time to prepare for the mission.”
source: Noticias
