Here’s what to expect from the brand new Carlos III, a royal heir halted by scandals

In a moment, with the announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles became King Charles III, King of the United Kingdom and Head of State of 14 Commonwealth countries, including notorious tax havens such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Bermuda.. In his message to the nation on Friday, he paid a long and emotional tribute to his mother and hinted at continued rule. “I will devote myself to upholding the principles of the Constitution, as the Queen has done devoutly, in the time God gives me,” said the new Carlos III.

This transition will not be easy or without shocks. Queen Elizabeth is the longest-reigning monarch in England’s long history and has inspired respect even in republican circles, according to Friday morning’s Republican editorial and opinion piece. Guardian.

On the other hand, Carlos’ image has been mired in controversy since the scandal caused by his marriage crisis with Lady Di, Princess of Wales in the 90s., a scandal that had all the spice of the yellow press, including the witch who caused the fairy tale to explode, Camilla Parker-Bowles, the prince’s then-mistress. Lady D’s tragic death in 1997 deteriorated her image to seemingly irreparable limits. Over time and with the support of the Queen, a well-oiled public relations policy began to embrace both Carlos and Camilla, who are Queen Consorts today by the apparent decision of the British Queen Elizabeth II.

A talking prince

Marriage scandals were not the only source of criticism the current king received during his succession to the throne. Carlos III did not limit himself to fulfilling his ceremonial role as prince Made announcements and supported campaigns on controversial issues It took a very clear stand on it, without bias. from Environment and its fight against global warming up to Support for the Palestinian cause and its highly questionable closeness to the monarchical dictatorships of the Middle EastThe current king does not avoid any topic that catches his attention.

In Opening Ceremony of the COP26 Climate Summit in Scotland Last October, Carlos III hinted that time was running out to address the climate issue. “It’s time to go on the warpath”, said. If this statement sounds “progressive,” it’s right on other points It played a role in nearly $17 billion in arms sales to authoritarian monarchies in the Middle East.

“Declassified UK” published in February last year that since the 2011 Arab Spring, Prince Charles has held 95 meetings with eight Middle Eastern countries. The relationship also included a shady episode that made it to the press. According to him The Sunday TimesLater Prince of Wales He received a cash donation of £2.5 million from the former Prime Minister of QatarSheikh Hamad bin Jassim. According to Prince, the money, which was given to him in a suitcase and special bags from the Fortnum and Mason chain, was immediately sent to Prince’s charitable fund, PWCF. Sheik is the owner of Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain, one of the richest men on the planet, nicknamed “the man who bought London”.

In January 2020, King Charles III made an official visit to the West Bank, where he expressed his support for the Palestinians. In a speech in Bethlehem, he said it was devastating to see the “suffering” people were going through. “My closest desire is to allow them to grow and prosper in a future of freedom, justice and equality,” the then-Prince said.

The king rules but does not rule

One of Queen Elizabeth II’s greatest virtues is that throughout her 70-year reign, she never deviated from the principle that “she ruled, but she did not rule.” His role was ceremonial, diplomatic or humanitarian, never political and much less partisan. “He maintained a position of political neutrality so graciously that it seemed like an easy task. But Carlos’ long tenure as crown prince meant it wasn’t so easy. Being neutral requires self-control that Carlos has never had before“, he points out GuardianJonathan Freedland.

In 2008, Jonathan Dimbleby, a biographer of the then prince, revealed that his entourage had attempted to redefine the role of the sovereign in order to expand political room for manoeuvre. “This will allow us to talk about national or international interests in a total change with the Carlos III tradition.” In a recent article The Sunday Times Dimbleby admitted that the monarch’s views were only expressed privately to the Prime Minister and the Privy Council — breaking current convention. It has the potential to be constitutionally explosive.”

The problem of making comments in public has not abated. One of the characteristics of the monarch within the British parliamentary monarchy is that a law does not come into force until it is signed by the monarch. New Prime Minister Liz Truss has said she will legislate to promote “fracking” as a solution to the energy supply problems facing the UK. Fracking is highly questioned due to its environmental impact and potential for creating earthquakes in areas where it is practiced. Given his environmental preaching, will King Carlos III sign the relevant legislation?

The author King and CountryRobert Blackburn, professor of constitutional law at King’s College London, points out in his book that this is not a hypothetical question. “When a king comes to the throne who is more determined than the queen, he is more likely to find that he does not want to sign a law that he considers an insult to his conscience.”

“I wouldn’t be so stupid”

In an interview with the BBC in 2018 to mark his 70th birthday, the then-Prince sought to calm those fears among constitutionalists. “I am not going to continue the campaigns that I have undertaken. I’m not that stupid. I realize that being a king is another kind of role. I understand what the limitations are,” he said.

But other forces are at play. The United Kingdom she inherited from her mother is very different from when she was proclaimed Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. Prince Charles’s statements about Putin in 2014, comparing him to Hitler, caused a diplomatic furor at the time, but a UK government poll showed 51% of Britons approved of his intervention: just 36% against.

The UK today is culturally and ethnically diverse, with moral patterns and beliefs changing radically. In the 1950s, Princess Margaret, sister of Elizabeth II, had to give up the love of her life, Captain Peter Townsend, as he was a divorced man. Something similar happened to Carlos with Camilla Parker-Bowles in the late 1970s, which would end in tragedy nearly two decades later. Post-war immigration changed the British social landscape with mass emigration from former colonies. All these changes affected the vision of the new king.

The king’s official title is longer than the Brazilian footballer’s: “Charles III, by the grace of God of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the other parts and territories thereof, President and Trustee of the Commonwealth of Nations”. An Anglican, during the weekly Mass, declared that Carlos III did not see himself as a protector in the past. There are hope “I personally see myself as a defender of the profession of faith, no faith in particular. People have fought to the death for these issues and it seems to me a waste of energy because we are all pursuing the same goal,” he said in his previous princely incarnation.

The announcement rocked the Anglican Church, which feared it would lose its prerogative in the United Kingdom. Despite the uproar, the prince continued, step by step The Times, explores other religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and especially Islam, for which he feels a special bond. All that raises a question about his reign: Will Carlos III be a renewer or will he seek continuity at age 74?

The Economist This Friday predicts a pendulum policy. “Since the restoration in the 17th century, each new monarch has tended to reverse the direction of his predecessor, perhaps indicating that each will do things his own way. George VI looked to the left. Elizabeth II to the right. Now Carlos will be to the left. Change and continuity, continuity and change”, He says Economist. Or perhaps better, to paraphrase the famous phrase of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. leopardThe new king will “change nothing so nothing changes”.