King Charles III: What to Envisage

Charles III, The Proclaimed King: What is Next?

The United Kingdom has a new ruler. Charles III will now rule the world's most famous and, possibly, most successful monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II revolutionized the British royal family and won the nation's hearts. The next king must step into very enormous shoes. It will be a challenging task. The entire world is watching Charles, the longest-serving heir apparent in British history and the oldest British king to ascend to the throne. How will he lead a contemporary monarchy to success?

Charles must accomplish two things: keep his family together and maintain the dignity of the monarchy. We've seen enough of Charles as heir apparent to know that when he becomes king, he'll handle things differently. In 1956, one-third of the British populace believed that the queen was hand-picked by God. Acceptance as a monarch in the United Kingdom is not as simple over 70 years later. Britain's population has changed dramatically since Charles' mother took the queen. It is far more international. It's a lot less white and less Christian than it used to be. So Charles must appeal to everyone in Britain, which is a completely different Britain from the one he grew up in.

Charles' crowning will be both a civic and a religious event. He is currently the leader of the Church of England, the country's sovereign church, as king. As heir, Charles made a point of encouraging people of other religions. He went to places of worship like his mother, and he went beyond, publicly studying various religious literature. Charles is now known as the Defender of Faith. The monarch is the Anglican Church's protector. Now, Charles once stated rather boldly that he want to be regarded as the Defender of Faith. In other words, opposing Anglicanism, protector of religious belief in general. The fact that Charles pondered referring to himself as a Defender of Faith indicates that he wishes to be inclusive.

Charles may not go so far as to become Britain's first formal interfaith monarch, but he is expected to maintain the strong sympathy for other religions that he showed as a prince. Charles' new responsibilities do not stop with spiritual leadership. He's taken over as leader of a huge family, and large families often lead to conflict. Families feud, families disagree, and the current royal family is no exception. Despite all of the personality struggles, the queen was revered by all of the members of the family and attempted to keep it together. It will be impossible for the future king to be as uniting as his mother. Keeping the family together will be extremely tough, especially given his bond with his youngest son.

Falling out is one thing, but errant royals have pushed the public's forbearance to the strain and risked dragging the monarchy itself into shame. Because of Elizabeth's popularity, her family was able to weather several scandals with minimal criticism of the principle of royal power. Even political opponents succumbed to her charms. Many Australian republicans are Elizabethans, but Charles is not as well-known as his mother. The fact that there is no republican movement in this nation is a good indicator of how popular Elizabeth was. Charles will be less effective in mobilizing support than his mother. That will be tough for Charles to do. Elizabeth could do it since she'd worked there for so long and did her job so well.

Charles is a more contentious figure. He has more prominent opinions and has had harder training. His marriage to Diana was very contentious. So it will take time for him to gain the right to declare, "I may not be a monarchist, but I support the new king." People may be less tolerant of the next controversy with Charles as king, but Charles has plans to save the monarchy from itself. The new king believes that the monarchy must be reduced in size. He may have been humiliated by the behavior of certain family members, as well as by his young behavior.

Britain now has seven senior working royals that are paid by Crown Estate profits to attend Crown engagements. The royal family will cost British taxpayers £86.3 million in 2021. A smaller royal family would result in a lower pay expense and less opportunity for controversy. There have been several leaks from Clarence House indicating Prince Charles intends to pursue a smaller royal family. In Sweden, the royal family has been significantly reduced to the heir and the spare, and there are indications that Charles will do the same here.

The conventional thought holds that the contemporary ruler must be impenetrable. Charles has already come dangerously close to seeming to be overburdened. As Prince of Wales, Charles was not afraid to express himself. Famous for casting judgment on topics ranging from farming to architecture, he raised more than a few eyebrows. What is presented appears to be a gigantic carbuncle on the face of a dear and elegant friend. He has even been accused of interfering in political matters. He is most known for his infamous "black spider" memoranda, a series of letters he addressed to government officials. In them, he stated political policy ideas that some viewed as an attempt to sway Westminster.

The monarch's role is to bring the country together. Queen Elizabeth II took great care not to say anything contentious in public or to be caught expressing political opinions in private. Charles hasn't always played this role. Fundamentally, they must act as the nation's royal mother. They can make politicians feel good when they come to talk to them, but they can't tell you what to do because it irritates you when your mother tells you what to do. It's not just inconvenient, but it might be devastating for the royal family. If Charles goes too far with his right to warn, it might spark a constitutional crisis. It's a scenario that has piqued the public's interest and even inspired a successful play.

The new king is no longer as much of a wildcard as he once was. He's married to the lady he adores. He's been preparing for this position for a long time, and he has a strong set of opinions in the back of his mind, but an incredible willingness to do the right thing to keep this institution prospering. Charles told a BBC program in 2018 that continuing to influence was "total madness." Although there will be a new face on the throne, familiarity will also be a feature of Charles' rule.

King Charles III is the continuance of a tradition, an uninterrupted type of rule that dates back nearly 400 years to the reign of the preceding Charles. The king never dies under British law. When one monarch's reign expires, the following monarch's reign begins immediately. When it comes to the British monarchy, as Charles understands perhaps better than anyone, continuity is just as crucial as change.