Commonwealth
Prince Charles presents himself as a moral authority
Britain’s Prince Charles watches traditional dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe Pool/AP/dpa
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Traditionally, the British royals never say a word about politics, but Prince Charles of all people is said to have slipped out a critical remark privately. Officially, too, he likes to strike clearer tones. Is he tinkering with his image?
Regret for historical injustice, understanding for political changes – and sharp criticism of the government in private: Prince Charles is showing himself more and more as the conscience of the crown.
“I have no words for the extent of my personal sadness at the suffering of so many people,” said the British heir to the throne on Friday in East African Rwanda about slavery in the British Empire. The 73-year-old took responsibility not only for the heads of state and government of the Commonwealth of Nations present, but also for his own family: “We too must find new ways of acknowledging our past.”
No apology
The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II avoided an apology, also in order not to open a door for claims for damages. But it seems Charles advised to go on the offensive. This also applies to efforts by some Commonwealth members to break away from the crown and – like Barbados recently – to declare themselves republics. Such voices are becoming louder, especially in the Caribbean, as Charles’ son Prince William recently learned during a visit to the region. The decision on the form of government lies solely with the individual states, emphasized Charles, who will one day be head of the Commonwealth.
The Queen’s successor also met British Prime Minister Boris Johnson there. The encounter was considered delicate. The prince, the Times newspaper reported, had criticized Johnson’s decision in a private conversation to deport migrants who had entered illegally, regardless of their nationality, to Rwanda without examining their asylum application. Charles called the project “appalling” and was “more than disappointed”. The fuss was great. In principle, the assumption applies that members of the royal family do not have to comment on political issues.
Charles once again lives up to his role as an “outspoken royal” – i.e. as an outspoken family member – commented the “Times”. For decades, the Prince of Wales, as his official title is, has not mince his words when it comes to topics that interest him personally. Environment, animal welfare or agriculture – it is well known in the United Kingdom that Charles is sometimes critical of these and makes representations to members of the government accordingly. But usually everything stays behind the scenes.
Party political neutrality
Even gestures are carefully checked to see whether royals could connect a statement with them. Was it criticism of British refugee policy that the popular children’s book character Paddington Bear, who according to his story is a refugee from Peru, drank tea with the Queen in a film to mark her jubilee? The fact that Charles rattled off the Conservative government’s government program rather listlessly was also seen by some as a sign of displeasure.
The kingdom is eagerly awaiting whether a King Charles III. would try to shift the rules of what can be said for a monarch, as his friend and biographer Jonathan Dimbleby suggested a few years ago. Such a move, Dimbleby said at the time, would mean a “seismic shift in the role of sovereign.” Charles himself later spoke much more cautiously and emphasized his party political neutrality.
“Strictly Come Dancing” at the Palace
The criticism of the British refugee plans, which Charles’ residence Clarence House did not deny, could now point in a different direction. “Prepare yourselves for King Charles, the monarch who speaks his mind,” commented columnist Simon Jenkins in the Guardian newspaper. “He won’t change.”
Recently, Charles tried to give himself a more modern image. Together with his wife, Duchess Camilla, he appeared in the popular evening series “EastEnders”, in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace a broadcast of the dance show “Strictly Come Dancing” is to be recorded – perhaps even with Charles and Camilla as dancers.
But constitutional experts remain calm. Charles is not the first heir to the throne to break conventions. At the latest when he was king, he was enclosed in a network of rites, traditions and unwritten laws.