Can Britain’s King Charles fill his treasured mother’s shoes?

By Michael Holden and Kate Holton

LONDON (Reuters) – Teenager Olivia Burch waited for hours in a queue with different mourners to pay a closing tribute to Queen Elizabeth as her physique lay in state. However regardless of that devotion, she thought Britain ought to now not have a monarchy.

“I feel it is gone. It is too conventional and old style, and I do not assume we will spend a lot cash on a household with no extra proper to be right here than anybody else,” stated the 19-year-old Londoner, one in every of a whole bunch of 1000’s who waited in line to file previous Elizabeth’s coffin earlier than Monday’s state funeral https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-world-prepare-say-last-farewell-queen-elizabeth-2022-09-18.

“The queen was completely different, although.”

Her phrases, echoed by others who publicly mourned the queen, illustrated a few of the challenges King Charles faces as he succeeds his mom after her 70 years on the throne.

The funeral, capping days of pageantry and ceremony since Elizabeth died on Sept. 8, drew a whole bunch of 1000’s of individuals onto the streets of London and thousands and thousands of viewers on tv. The occasions underlined the love and respect a majority of Britons felt towards the queen.

Charles, 73, takes the throne at a time when opinion polls present that assist in Britain for the monarchy has slipped to its lowest stage, and that – regardless of a soar since he grew to become king – he’s a lot much less personally standard than his mom.

He’s the oldest particular person to turn out to be a British monarch, and there are nonetheless some who resent him and his spouse Camilla, now Queen Consort, for the break-up of his first marriage to the late Princess Diana.

“The large query clearly is, when she (Elizabeth) has handed, was all of it about her or was it concerning the establishment of monarchy?” historian Anthony Seldon stated. “And can King Charles III have the ability to preserve that prominence on this nation … but in addition internationally?”

Seldon famous how a decade in the past, polls confirmed 75% authorised of and valued the monarchy. Now, that determine is 62%.

He stated if it ever edged under 50% then the monarchy could be over: “There can be an elected head of state”.

CAMPAIGNER

In the intervening time, there was a groundswell of goodwill in the direction of Charles. A YouGov survey discovered backing for Charles had jumped since he grew to become king, with 63% pondering he could be a great king, an increase of 24 share factors since March.

There was the same enhance in backing for Camilla.

When Charles has met massive crowds of well-wishers throughout a tour of the 4 capitals of Scotland, Northern Eire, Wales and England, they’ve greeted him with cheers and cries of “God Save the King”.

“I feel he’ll be a superb king, and with Camilla by his aspect, he’ll be completely unbelievable,” stated Rosie Beddows, 57, who was in Westminster Corridor when Charles and his siblings held a vigil at his mom’s lying-in-state.

His heartfelt televised handle to the nation the day after the queen died and the homage he has paid to his late mom have additionally been nicely obtained, even by some who expressed doubt about him.

“He has not missed a step,” one in every of his former senior aides, who requested to not be named, informed Reuters.

Because the inheritor who waited longer than another in British historical past to turn out to be king, Charles cast a task for himself campaigning on points from the setting and local weather change to structure and various medication.

It led to accusations of meddling, a cost that riled him, and to considerations that as king he would abandon his mom’s staunchly impartial and apolitical method to the position inside a constitutional monarchy.

In the intervening time Charles has put these considerations to mattress, stating in his first handle to the nation that he would now not give as a lot time and power to the problems that he cared about.

That doesn’t imply his reign would be the similar as Elizabeth’s. Whereas she was credited with modernising the monarchy, she was a baby of a distinct period.

The king has already proven a extra casual tone, greeting crowds, accepting a kiss from a supporter and publicly professing his love for his spouse and youngsters.

Robert Lacey, royal biographer and historic advisor on Netflix’s hit TV drama “The Crown”, stated that what was as soon as seen as a weak point could now be Charles’ power.

“Charles all the time has been a extra emotional particular person, worn his coronary heart on his sleeve, way more than his mom, and he is been criticised for it. Effectively now, coronary heart on the sleeve, feelings of mourning and dedication, he is conveyed these very nicely.”

‘HELL OF A JOB’

Better challenges lie forward for Charles, nonetheless, together with find out how to take care of his feuding sons: William, now his inheritor, and Harry.

He will even have to ship on his long-held intention of slimming down the monarchy, to assist assuage considerations about its value – particularly at a time when the nation is liable to falling right into a prolonged recession and is combating rampant inflation.

Some media have famous that in contrast to different Britons, Charles pays no inheritance tax and that he’ll now have 10 houses and palaces throughout the nation.

The previous aide stated Charles wished to make sure that the monarchy produced “worth for cash”, though stripping it again too far would imply it misplaced a few of its “magic”.

However “Charles has a hell of a job on his fingers, a hell of a job,” stated Howard Davis, 62, who travelled from his dwelling in Dundee to see the queen’s coffin when it was taken to Edinburgh after her demise.

“He has huge footwear to fill.”

Well being employee Elizabeth Shaw, 34, one other of those that paid tribute on the queen’s coffin in Scotland, stated the lack of such a preferred queen was a logical time to take inventory.

“As faith performs much less of a task in society, individuals are questioning the position of the royal household,” she stated. “Persons are not simply keen to just accept that God has chosen these folks to be in cost, they need proof and to have a say.”

(Reporting by Michael Holden, Andy MacAskill, Sachin Ravikumar, and Humza Jilani; Enhancing by Mike Collett-White and Frances Kerry)