What a task King Charles has to succeed his mother, who was so adored and admired globally. Writes Chris Doyle
One of the greatest shows of pageantry, pomp and regal tradition thrilled the world on Saturday. The world watched as the House of Windsor formalized the succession of King Charles in the first coronation of a British king since 1937.
What a task King Charles has to succeed his mother, who was so adored and admired globally. Her sense of public service was outstanding. Her 70-year act is a challenging one to follow. In the positive column, King Charles has had plenty of time to prepare, as the longest-serving heir apparent in British history. He has given considerable thought as to how he would wish to conduct affairs as a monarch.
Three related challenges stand out if he is to preserve the institution for the next generation. How will he ensure the monarchy is relevant to the 21st century, while retaining its deep heritage? How will he heal the rifts and issues in the Windsor family itself, which have so fed the media circus? And how can he ensure the British monarchy retains its position as head of the Commonwealth at a time when many members want independence and seek restitution for historical grievances such as slavery and colonialism?
The tricky balance between tradition and modernity is one the royal family has always grappled with. The coronation service gave a raft of clues when compared to the 1953 event that crowned King Charles’ mother. It was more inclusive. The congregation was more representative not just of Britain as it is today, but the world as a whole. The coronation oath included “peoples of all faiths.” King Charles has spoken out in praise of Islam, comfortably the second most-followed religion in Britain.
Updating the royal brand matters. The royal family has always evolved, but critics might argue too slowly on occasions. If it modernizes too fast, then will it lose that sense of symbolism, pageantry and ritual for which the British royal family is famed? They want to keep that mystique; not normalizing the family too much but at the same time feeling in touch and relevant.
Does the British monarchy have a role beyond the titular and symbolic? King Charles was an activist prince of Wales. His countless letters to ministers became a political issue. He had passionate causes, not least the environment, which he has campaigned on since the 1970s. Even his detractors admit he was way out in front on this issue. Will he now act out his constitutional role of noninterference in political affairs or will he attempt to deploy his considerable influence and soft power? It is hard to imagine he will be quiet.
Yet, will this be enough? The opinion polls do not make great reading for the monarchists. More than 60 percent of Britons said they either did not care at all or only very little about the coronation. The older generations were, perhaps unsurprisingly, keener on the event. Queen Camilla has more favorable ratings than 10 years ago, but the issue of Princess Diana will haunt them for years to come.
Many demand greater transparency regarding the royal family’s finances. During the cost-of-living crisis, the costs of the monarchy are under increasing scrutiny. The monarchy has to be seen as delivering value for money. King Charles can nurture greater transparency on this. The family must also be sensitive in not appearing remote and unaffected by the daily economic challenges millions face every day. How can the royal family’s enormous charitable undertakings be managed more successfully and deliver better value for money?
King Charles will also know more than anyone how the story of the royal family has, in recent years, descended into soap opera and farce. The latest example is the fallout with his son Harry, which has been played out on American TV chat shows, Netflix and in a bestselling book. Somehow, a reconciliation must be achieved to draw a line under this. This is best done in private. Hopefully, the Windsors will be given the space to do so and all parties will listen, really listen, to the grievances of the other.
King Charles appears to have improved his relations with Prince William. If king and heir and their teams can work together, this will avoid many of the crises that beset the last two decades of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Doing so will undoubtedly tap into William’s popularity, not just in Britain but globally.
The Commonwealth is another challenge. The late queen very much held together this 56-nation body, which represents a population of 2.6 billion people. She oversaw the transition from Empire to Commonwealth. Yet not all is happy in this family of nations, not least the 14 who retain the British monarch as head of state. Barbados voted for independence in 2021 and Jamaica may have a referendum in 2024 on whether to ditch the monarch as head of state. Who knows how long Australia, New Zealand and Canada will remain with a king as head of state.
As for African members of the Commonwealth, it may have been with mixed feelings that their leaders watched events in Westminster, with the Cullinan diamonds on full display. These are the offcuts of the world’s largest diamond, discovered in South Africa in 1905. South Africa has asked for their return. Meanwhile, numerous nations, including India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, lay claim to the glorious if infamous Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Britain’s role in the slave trade will become an ever more sensitive issue. Domestically, a whole raft of institutions are investigating their links to the trade. The royal family has some, with King William III now known to have been a direct investor in the slave trade. Britain is a far more multicultural, multiethnic country than it was in 1953, when Queen Elizabeth was crowned, so this is not an issue that can be ignored. It is also a Commonwealth issue, as Prince William discovered during his Caribbean tour last year, when his condemnation of slavery was widely seen as insufficient, as many demanded a historic apology. The British government will determine whether such an apology is made or reparations offered, but King Charles will have a role too.
The coronation and the subsequent feelgood factor furnish the monarch with a brief moment to press ahead with changes. These occasions typically provide a popularity boost. King Charles needs to build on this. At its best, the monarchy is a great positive for Britain and a unifier, not least when it is tuned into the country’s mood. More than ever, at a time of economic malaise and international disorder, the new monarch has a chance to reach out and reveal a refreshed, in-touch king who is tethered to tradition but anchored in real life and its challenges.
Chris Doyle is director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding in London. This article originally published in the Arab News.
