- What do Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland think of the new king? What are the main challenges of Charles?
- What were the previous scandals and problems?
King Charles ascends to the throne when nationalism rises in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The two largest political parties in Scotland and Northern Ireland want to leave the UK, while a quarter of the population in Wales supports independence. That Scots were attached to the character and constancy of the Queen herself rather than the institution of monarchy is clear from polling. In May, the British Future thinktank found that only 45% in Scotland wanted to retain the monarchy – compared with six in 10 people across Britain – while 36% believed the end of the Queen’s reign would be the appropriate moment to become a republic.
In the modern world, placing monarch power in an unelected individual can’t be a birthright
For a country that claims its Parliament is “one of the oldest continuous representative assemblies” in the world, having an unelected monarch marred with controversies as head of state is by no means democratic.
The former first minister Alex Salmond insisted before the 2014 independence referendum that Scotland would retain the Queen as head of state if the country voted yes, and this remains Scottish National party policy. Nicola Sturgeon, however, is believed to be far less enthusiastic about the royal role in Scotland, despite her evident admiration and affection for the Queen.
The affection for the late Queen in Wales is undoubtedly enormous, and there is a fondness for William, who worked as a search and rescue pilot in the north of the country. But though he held the title Prince of Wales for more than half a century and is a frequent visitor, attitudes to King Charles among most Welsh citizens are probably not as warm.
Before Charles announced that William would be the new Prince of Wales, a petition was launched calling for the title to be abolished because it is seen as a symbol of subjugation since Edward I of England claimed it for his son in 1301
A new mural in Belfast ends in the exclamation – “The people’s Queen is dead, long live the King!” – but many unionists in Northern Ireland appear underwhelmed by King Charles III. In the nationalist Falls Road area of Belfast, many people shrugged when asked about Charles. Prince or king, it made no difference because he was not their Monarch, they said.
Then there was a report from the Times which stated: “Cardiff was like a ghost town in the lead-up to the Queen’s funeral; the few people watching the service in pubs in the city centre were mostly tourists. Wales is the only nation in the UK where not a single council is hosting a public screening of the service.”
King Charles III faces the task of preserving a 1,000-year-old monarchy that his mother nurtured for seven decades but faces an uncertain future. The challenge is immense
The longest heir apparent in waiting received the crown on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8. At the age of 73, as Charles takes over as the oldest Monarch of Britain, he will have to mallow down his infamously outspoken nature to adapt to the restrictions that accompany the position of Monarch.
Britain’s new Monarch faces multiple challenges as the country battles with rising inflation due to the energy crisis and a Prime Minister who has recently assumed office amid a fragmented political landscape. With the ongoing energy crisis atop the rebel environment gaining strength across the 14 Commonwealth realms, questions are being raised on the relevance of constitutional monarchy in the modern era.
As NBC news titled, “There are lots of reasons to end the British monarchy. King Charles III is the best”
Charles, too, has benefited from this self-interested and abusive conduct, and some of the most odious royal traditions continue under him. For starters, in a country suffering from worsening inflation, collapsing health services, and rising poverty, King Charles III and his family will still enjoy an annual payment from the British government known as the “Sovereign Grant.”
The grant cost British taxpayers £86.3 million ($100.12 million) in 2021 and was further increased by £27.3 million ($31.67 million) over the next two years to help cover a 17% rise in spending by the royals. The grant has been used for various items, from the upkeep of many palaces to £32,000 (more than $37,000) for a chartered flight for Charles to attend a James Bond movie premiere (despite his years of pro-environment advocacy).
According to a set of leaked documents known as the Paradise Papers, The Guardian reported that Charles had invested private money in a Bermuda-based sustainable forestry firm. Given his environmental stances, the revelation sparked allegations of a conflict of interest. However, Charles’ investment team said that he did not have “any direct involvement in the investment decisions.”
Previously, The Sunday Times reported that Charles had once accepted €1 million ($1.16 million) in cash for his foundation in a suitcase, part of €3 million ($3.48 million) from a former Qatari prime minister. Charles later found the charity to have also accepted millions from Osama Bin Laden’s family.
Lately, Scotland Yard announced a probe into the circumstances under which an aide to Charles allegedly accepted donations to a foundation set up by Charles from a Saudi national in exchange for help to obtain British citizenship and a knighthood. Clarence House once again said that Charles had “no knowledge” of a cash-for-honours scheme.
Charles’s image took a devastating hit during his acrimonious separation from Diana
In her extraordinary 1995 interview in which she revealed her feelings over his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, Diana famously said “there were three people” in her marriage. The royal couple had made the bombshell announcement that they were separating in 1992. Still, following the fallout from the controversial sit-down with the BBC’s “Panorama” programme, they finally agreed to divorce.
Charles quizzed them on an array of topics in a now-infamous series of letters between him and government ministers known as the “black spider” memos because of his scrawled handwriting.
Perhaps most relevant now that he is king, Charles was also accused of attempting to influence the British government. In 2015, Media revealed that Charles received confidential papers on the inner workings of the British government that even elected ministers had not seen, prompting a senior Member of Parliament to call him Britain’s “best-informed lobbyist.” The Guardian received 27 memos—dubbed the’ black spider memos’ because of Charles’ scrawl—that showed the royal engaged in personal lobbying efforts to senior politicians about a range of issues from orders of military helicopters during the Iraq War to “illegal fishing of the Patagonian toothfish.” [1]
The disclosure of the “black spider” letters sparked a backlash against the then-future king and concerns that he was overstepping his role. However, in a 2018 interview marking his 70th birthday, Charles insisted he never directly meddled in party politics and understood the difference between being Prince of Wales and Monarch.
The disclosure of the “black spider” letters sparked a backlash against the then-future king and concerns that he was overstepping his role
However, in a 2018 interview marking his 70th birthday, Charles insisted he never directly meddled in party politics and
understood the difference between being Prince of Wales and Monarch.
Indeed, one Ipsos poll showed in April 2022 that nearly half of Britons think Charles should let his son Prince William be the next king. And YouGov polling ranks him as the seventh most popular royal—behind his mother, daughter-in-law Kate, son William, father Prince Philip, sister Princess Anne, and niece Zara Tindall. Among Millennial-age Britons, he ranks 12th.
