A year ago the Queen died – and Prince Charles became King Charles III. He would be a “transitional monarch,” it was said. He has shed this reputation. However, some family members continue to cause unrest.
One of various proclamations in September 2022: After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles became King Charles III at the age of 73. And he mourned his mother and at the same time had to shine in his new office.
The historian Robert Lacey, author of various books about the British royal family, attests to Charles that, looking back, this transition was successful. “Charles expressed his grief and emotions in a very approachable way. It reminded us that we hadn’t seen emotions for 70 years,” says Lacey.
The Queen was very sober “and thought that feelings were not appropriate for a monarch.” “But when Charles returned from Scotland after the Queen’s death and stopped in front of Buckingham Palace in London to talk to the mourners gathered there, that was originally Lady Diana’s style. A changed, a very approachable Charles,” he said Historian.
Royal family thanks for support
On the occasion of the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Charles remembered his mother with a post on the news service
“Charles did a lot of things right”
Recent polls show that support for the monarchy has declined since the Queen’s death. But 60 percent of respondents think Charles is doing a good job. His son, heir to the throne William, and his wife Kate are still more popular than the king. But Charles did a lot of things right, says Lacey. If he were to give him a certificate, Charles would get a grade of two or three for walking the tightrope between political interference and monarchical restraint.
“Charles has to get involved in politically important issues without causing controversy. He has shown great skill in this,” Lacey continued. For example, he supports a campaign against food waste. “This affects people and is undisputed. The Queen would have avoided such topics,” emphasizes Lacey.
His first – and so far only – state visit as king took Charles to Germany in March, where he surprised the Bundestag with his impressive German. “It was said that Charles would be a transitional monarch. But he has already shown that he is more than that. He has left his mark on the monarchy,” estimates historian Lacey.
Difficult dealing with family disputes
But the challenges for Charles remain great. How can we slim down the expensive monarchy or prevent former colonies from leaving? And Charles gets a pretty bad report for moderating the family discord, especially with regard to his son Harry, who has fled to California with his wife Meghan. Lacey says:
I’m afraid there are grades four to five, but not six. I don’t think anyone would want to deal with Harry and Meghan. Maybe there will be a reconciliation between Charles and Harry in the future, but I don’t see a reconciliation between the brothers William and Harry.
In addition to Harry, who repeatedly made allegations against his family last year, Charles’ brother Andrew remains a problem case. He had prevented a sexual abuse trial against him in the USA in exchange for a payment of millions. Recently, Andrew appeared publicly again in the family circle. This caused outrage in many media outlets.