King Charles III is expected to mark the first year anniversary as a monarch on Friday, given the date is also that of his mother’s death at the age of 96.
His reign so far has been characterised by a smooth transition from that of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The 74-year-old ruler has slipped into his new role with apparent ease after some 70 years waiting as her heir — the longest of any in British history.
But despite the expectation of reform, he has not yet made sweeping changes to the monarchy, fuelling perceptions that he is a caretaker role before his eldest son and heir, Prince William, takes over.
“I think the transition has been much smoother than was anticipated,” Pauline Maclaran, a professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, told AFP.
Charles was officially crowned alongside his wife Camilla on May 6 at London’s Westminster Abbey in front of royalty and global leaders.
The lavish ceremony observed centuries-old rituals but was shorter and less elaborate than his mother’s in 1953 and aimed to be more representative of modern Britain.
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“I think we can expect maybe small changes, but he is really paving the way for William, and I imagine William will be the real moderniser of the monarchy,” Maclaran said.
Charles remains behind his late mother and 41-year-old William in the popularity stakes, but his approval rating has received a significant boost since his accession.
YouGov polling suggested 55 per cent of Britons have a positive opinion of their new head of state, compared to 44 per cent a year ago.
His first televised Christmas Day broadcast — a traditional address to Britain and the Commonwealth, which he also heads — was watched by a record 10.6 million viewers in the UK.
The king, who is also head of state of 14 Commonwealth countries outside the UK, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand, has made only one state visit to Germany.
His first was set to be to France in March, but it was postponed as angry protests against pension overhauls shook the country. The trip has been rescheduled for later this month.
Reports indicate a major overseas tour is in the works to improve relations with the Commonwealth.
Charles has, however, received foreign leaders, including US President Joe Biden, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
While Elizabeth II was seen as especially dedicated to the Commonwealth — the 56-nation grouping of mostly former British colonies — for Charles, “the emphasis is global”, Spangler said.
Closer to home, Charles has also had to handle the revelations in the tell-all memoir of his younger son, Prince Harry.
He and his American wife Meghan also released a docu-series, lifting the lid on their reasons for quitting the royal family in 2020.
“Charles handled this very well. He didn’t start to cast blame or reply, really. He stuck basically to the Queen’s mantra ‘never explain, never complain’ when the accusations came,” Maclaran said.
“I honestly don’t think the scandal has been any more damaging than what the monarchy has suffered many times before,” she added.
AFP
