The King, aged 73, is the oldest monarch to take the crown, as well as the longest-serving heir apparent in British history. Unlike his late mother, who became ...
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He will be a very different monarch to his mother. He should use that to his and the nation's advantage, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins.
Charles is not young and is not the Queen. The British monarchy is a curiosity of history. Where the new monarch could unquestionably make a mark is in reforming the image of monarchy. There may need to be an heir to the throne, but an extended family need not enjoy – or more often endure – a publicity and lifestyle unknown to most royal families elsewhere in Europe. This may matter only in the margins of the constitution, in the dealings that a king has of constitutional necessity with his prime minister and with the machinery of parliament. He may be no more than conversing with the most powerful person in the land, but that in itself is a position of influence. The danger is the near certainty of leakage. The monarch holds a weekly audience with the prime minister in conditions of absolute confidentiality. In the event, he was well enough to recommend Lord Home as his successor, but this did not save the Queen from seeming to approve a secretive and oligarchic transfer of power. A different crisis arose when Boris Johnson in 2019 tried to involve the monarch in an [illegal proroguing of parliament](https://www.theguardian.com/law/2019/sep/24/boris-johnsons-suspension-of-parliament-unlawful-supreme-court-rules-prorogue), to be overturned not by the monarch but by the supreme court. He knows that the nation has regarded the Queen as the apotheosis of constitutional monarchy. His entire life has been spent in the shadow of her performance, and he has been tutored at every turn in the role of the occupant of the throne.
Following the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, Charles has ascended to the throne after more than 70 years as the heir apparent.
Her ability to steady a room has now become a national asset, as the wife of the country's head of state -- and symbol of stability. After the interview, I went with him to a drawing room where we were joined by Camilla as we waited for the cameras to get ready for some set-up shots. Charles and William came together personally and professionally when Prince Harry dispensed with his royal duties in 2020, leaving the remaining senior royals a much more compact group. Charles has spent his whole life preparing to be sovereign and has proved beyond doubt that he isn't work-shy. That prompted accusations that he was threatening the independence and impartiality of the monarchy. Dunsmuir thinks of Dumfries House, he said, as a "fantastic physical legacy to that work that will always be here and always remain." Charles has been outspoken on a whole range of sensitive issues from genetically modified crops to homeopathic medicines and architecture. Charles was a prominent backer of the 2015 Paris Climate Accord and discussed the subject with Donald Trump over tea in December 2019, as the then-president prepared to pull the United States out of the pact. The whole estate is buzzing with activity, and I could see what a thrill it gave him to walk around and ask questions of his staff. "His concerns about social issues in the community and ecological issues were all there and all that's happened is that he has got more and more involved and has had the time to do that." I was treated to tours of the estate, high tea, dinners and a spectacular bagpiping performance beside a roaring open fire. The coming days will be a time during which Charles both assumes his new duties and mourns a great personal loss.
There was some doubt over whether the royal would choose to adopt his own name or follow in royal tradition and select another such as George. Britain's ...
George and Edward had both been born Prince Albert, but when they acceded to the throne they adopted more English-sounding titles. His wife Camilla is now Queen Consort and "We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. Charles I is most well known for being executed after the royalists lost the English civil war. time, reading: ["The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.](https://www.newsweek.com/queen-elizabeth-ii-dead-worlds-longest-reigning-monarch-buckingham-palace-1586430) [Queen Elizabeth II](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/queen-elizabeth-ii), died on Thursday with an official announcement coming from Buckingham Palace at 6:30 p.m.
It fell to British prime minister Liz Truss, the last person to be photographed with the queen, to announce King Charles III's new name. How will he rule?
“Who the Commonwealth chooses to lead its family in the future isn't what is on my mind,” he added. It is about serving and supporting them in whatever way they think best, by using the platform we are lucky to have,” William said. It remains to be seen how he will deal with any more bombshells from his son Prince Harry and Meghan Markle; what has unfolded so far has pained and “bewildered” him. The regnal name had not been expected to be confirmed until the meeting of the so-called “accession council.” Charles may be 73, and the public might prefer that Prince William be their king, but it will not be. Subscribe [here](https://www.thedailybeast.com/newsletters?newsletter=royalist&tdb_source=royalist&tdb_medium=top_article) to get it in your inbox every Sunday.
He has opted to use his Christian name, just like his late beloved mother Queen Elizabeth II. The new monarch could have followed royal tradition for many kings ...