The decline and fall of the British Empire coincided with the ascension of Elizabeth II to the throne. Will the reign of Charles III be the last chapter in the history of the monarchy?
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| [King Charles III] |
The political downfall of Liz Truss, which in terms of drama can scarcely be topped, serves as a prime example of the conflict that is now taking place at the very highest levels of British society. It remains to be seen if the sight of a king whose reign hastens the breakdown of the traditional institution of royal authority will soon exceed the record for the shortest-lived Prime Minister in the history of the United Kingdom.
Even contemplating the end of the monarchy, much alone fantasizing about it, is seen as mad by some segments of British society's more established circles at times when it is business as usual. Because of this, republicanism has been permanently consigned to the political margins in the United Kingdom, while popular opinion toward the monarchy has been mostly favorable, despite minor shifts over the last several decades.
However, the times we live in are not typical, neither in Britain or anyplace else. A maelstrom of political instability has been whipped up in Britain as a result of a confluence of factors, including rising geopolitical tensions and a decelerating rate of economic development. A momentary uptick in royalist feeling was sparked by the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, which occurred during all of this upheaval. The elite jumped on this in the hopes that it would provide a temporary reprieve, but so yet, it has not done anything to alleviate the political situation.
On the contrary, the situation has not abated. And now there is a possibility that, without the Queen and with a scandal-ridden King Charles on the throne, the monarchy might no longer be able to play the role it has often played throughout history, which is that of a bulwark in support of capitalism systems. This is because the monarchy has historically served as a bulwark in support of capitalism systems.
During the funeral for the Queen, there was an effort made to depict the United Kingdom as a unified nation standing behind the institution of the monarchy. Although it is unarguable that the Queen has always had widespread support, this cannot be said of other members of the royal family or the institution of monarchy as a whole. A poll taken shortly before the queen's death revealed that an overwhelming majority of respondents (81%) had favorable opinions of her. This was mirrored in the immense compassion that was felt upon her passing; thousands of people lined the streets to witness the Queen's burial procession, while millions of people across the globe watched the funeral procession on TV.
Therefore, Charles starts his reign on a weaker platform than his mother did, and at a time when there is a lot of turmoil. King Charles will be 74 years old when he is crowned on May 6, 2023, making him the oldest individual in the history of the monarchy to ever receive this honor. The monarchy has been in existence for almost 900 years. He will not have the same vitality and appeal as the late Queen, who was crowned at the age of 25 and spent the next few decades touring the Commonwealth, giving speeches, and embracing Indigenous people to show support for Britain and to strengthen the crown. He will not have the same appeal as the late Queen because she was crowned at the age of 25.
King Charles is not expected to achieve the same level of popularity as the late Queen over the long term, notwithstanding the short-lived boost in his popularity ratings that occurred upon his succession to the throne. There is no question that this will have an effect on the influence of the monarchy in the time period to come. The King has not yet been subjected to a series of scandals that border on infidelity, in contrast to the Queen, who was above politics and scandals. These scandals include: the promise of a knighthood his foundation made in return for a donation; meddling in politics; accepting a donation from Osama bin Laden's family; and so on. The Queen was above politics and scandals.
A year ago, during one of her interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle revealed that Prince Harry has had multiple conversations with an unidentified senior royal about their child and how dark his skin might be when he is born. The topic of these conversations was how dark their child's skin might be when he is born. There are many who believe that Harry's own father, Prince Charles, may have been the senior royal in question. Scandals of this sort will continue to damage the king's reputation and stir support for the establishment of a republic.
To make things even worse for taxpayers, the coronation of the monarch will rack up an enormous bill. And this at a time when many people are barely able to afford to keep their homes warm or buy food. The historic coronation of the Queen over seven decades ago cost £1.57 million, which is comparable to around £46 million today. Because many people consider the monarchy to be an archaic form of government, this extravagant spending on the part of the royal family is bound to stoke the flames of discontent among younger generations. However, the worsening social and economic condition may also cause a shift in perspective among people of other age groups.
The influence that all of this would have on the Commonwealth, which is a voluntary political entity of post-colonial nations overseen by the British Crown, is the last but certainly not the least important factor to consider. Over the course of the last several decades, the membership of the organization has increased from only eight countries to 56, with a total of 2 billion people being represented. It is unknown what will take place now that a new king has been appointed. There is a possibility that this could alter in the future, but now 15 of the member nations recognize him as their ruler. Professor of International Relations at Lagos State University (LASU) and Nigerian Dele Seteolu holds the opinion that "although the Commonwealth will continue to exist, its authority and influence as an international political organization are likely to decrease in the coming years."
The evaluation of King Charles III's reign is currently in the planning stages. The indications, on the other hand, are impossible to ignore. The end of the British Empire coincided with Queen Elizabeth's ascension to the throne; the ascension of her son, King Charles III, is likely to lead first to a fall and then ultimately to the abolition of the monarchy. Queen Elizabeth's reign coincided with the end of the British Empire. In this respect, he would be comparable to his predecessor, Charles I, whose rule in the 1640s sparked two civil wars and ultimately resulted in the monarchy being abolished for a period of 10 years.
The author Obiora Ikoku is a Nigerian freelance writer and activist.