The British Monarchy: Stability and Change
There could be a “bridge” between the very long reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the record-breaking queen who passed away last September, and that of William, Prince of Wales. King Charles III could be an interim sovereign, and his role could be to merely prepare the ground for his son, who will be the true monarch of change.
Charles III: Monarch of Continuity
This is according to the Sunday Times, the most authoritative British Sunday newspaper, which talked about it on its front page yesterday. It will be up to William to modernize and innovate the British monarchy. “If he were to be an interim king, making that transition as a bridge between his mother and son’s visions – the old world and the new – is something he will interpret as a very important role”, the newspaper writes. “When he was young, Charles would have been a rather reformist king, but he assumed the throne at a time of divisions for the nation and he understands that the real innovator will be William, who will have the licence to change things more than him. He will keep the role of stabilizer and continuer”, says the source consulted by the Sunday. “I think Charles realizes that the main architect of change will be William, who will have more licence to do it and Charles has decided to be the ‘monarch of continuity’“.
The Nation in Crisis: Charles III’s Approval
This is an important choice to bring stability to a nation that is going through a strong crisis. On the other hand, his work is gaining unexpected approval: according to the latest Ipsos poll, 63% of Britons think that King Charles is doing a good job. It is not clear if the king is considering the possibility of abdicating in favour of his son, but perhaps, to avoid a long waiting period for him (as happened to him), the British sovereign could decide to cede the throne. Because if Charles were to live as long as his parents and rule for another twenty years, William would ascend to the throne at a very advanced age. And the goal of renewing and modernizing the monarchy, both in terms of image and age, could become much more complex at that point.
