The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, who served as Britain’s longest-serving monarch for 70 years, was held on the 19th (local time), marking the beginning of the reign of King Charles III, who was the eldest son of the Queen and ascended to the throne at the age of 74. Analysts say that he will face many challenges in the future, as he inherited the throne in a situation where the public was unfavorable due to his past divorce and infidelity.
In a statement on the 18th, the day before the funeral, King Charles said he was deeply moved by the many messages of condolences and support from all over the world during the 10 days following the death of the Queen on the 8th. I want to tell you,” he said.
The British daily The Guardian predicts that the coronation of King Charles will take place as early as next spring, and the location will be Westminster Abbey in downtown London, where coronation has been held for the past 900 years. He also predicts that he and Queen Camilla, 75, will likely live at Buckingham Palace, like Queen Elizabeth II, but the palace will undergo a major overhaul by 2027, which might delay occupancy. The Daily Telegraph predicted that the coronation would be held on a simpler and more compact scale than the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
King Charles III has been criticized by public opinion following the death of his first wife, Princess Diana, whom he divorced following an affair with Queen Camilla. In a May poll conducted by YouGov, his approval rating for individual members of the royal family was 56%, much lower than the Queen (81%) and his 40-year-old eldest son Prince William (77%), who is first in line to the throne. The BBC predicts that low approval ratings are still a task for him and that the royal family will revolve around Prince William. Prince William married Crown Prince Kate Middleton (40) in 2011 and they have three children: Prince George (9), Princess Charlotte (7) and Prince Louis (4).
The demand for conversion to a republic is growing in countries in the Commonwealth, such as Australia and New Zealand, where the British monarch is the nominal head of state. Protests demanded the abolition of the monarchy in front of Westminster Abbey on the 19th of the Queen’s funeral. Royal historian Richard Fitzwilliams told the BBC that “it is the task of the new king to make the younger generation more attracted to the royal family and the monarchy.”
Unlike the Queen, who kept the constitutional monarchy’s tradition of ‘reigning but not ruling’, King Charles has actively voiced his voice in environmental protection since he was crown prince. British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who took office on the 5th, once expressed interest in the abolition of the monarchy before joining the ruling Conservative Party. The Guardian predicted that as King Charles met with Prime Minister Truss weekly, disagreements between the two might arise on some matters.
Cairo = Correspondent Seonghwi Kang [email protected]