Did King Charles Just Pull Off the Impossible?
The Queen’s Death was Meant to Rock the Monarchy. It Didn’t.
Hello! Can you believe we’re closing in on the final two weeks till the Coronation?! The celebrations will be starting in earnest soon… meantime, a throwback newsletter today on the first days of the new reign, and what turned out to be a flawless transition…
It was the moment people had wondered, and often worried about, for decades.
What Would Happen When The Queen Died?
We heard dire forecasts of a rupture in the national fabric that would be so great it could end The House of Windsor.
We were warned that the waiting heir was so unpopular, he would simply not be accepted as a new King. (And don’t even think about his wife as Queen!)
The public would revolt!
It would be the greatest opening republicans would have!
The Monarchy itself would crumble!
Except… the Queen has died, and the Doomsday scenario predicted for the monarchy never came.
The naysayers were wrong.
In fact, it’s astonishing just how wrong they were.
At some moment on a rainy Thursday afternoon in Scotland, on the 8th of September, Queen Elizabeth II died. In that instant, Prince Charles, the longest-serving Prince of Wales in history, became His Majesty, King Charles III.
Two things must happen simultaneously when a monarch dies. A period of mourning and pageantry for the loss of one reign, and the birth of another.
To many observers, Prince Charles truly became King Charles the day after his mother died, when he arrived back in London.
As he approached Buckingham Palace for the first time as King, his car unexpectedly stopped, and The King walked over to greet the crowds in person.
There had been years of planning for The Queen’s death, but this moment, could not be scripted…
How would the public react? Would they be respectful, but subdued? Muttering under their breath?
Not even close.
As I wrote that day, the reaction was immediate - and overwhelmingly positive.
Cheers erupted from the thousands gathered at the Palace gates. People pushed forward to meet the new King, to offer condolences. There were cheers of Hip Hip Hooray! God Save the King! Even a spontaneous performance of the new National Anthem.
You could feel it.
The Transition Had Happened.
The Queen was dead, and Charles was King. And there was no rupture.
In fact, the opposite. The nation seemed to instantly rally around their new King, a man they have known all their lives, just like his mother.
It seems even King Charles III noticed. If he had been worried about this moment (and with years of doomsday predictions who could blame him?) his worries quickly disappeared. He was gracious, kind, and took his time. Royal correspondents quoted close sources who said he was overwhelmed by the warm reception.
That public support may have given The King the confidence boost for the next step, his first address to the nation as monarch.
It had to be the speech of a lifetime…
It was.
On Saturday evening, the new King delivered a speech more striking and heartfelt than anyone could have predicted. He paid tribute to his mother and pledged his own service. He addressed every concern people (or the press) had about him over the years. He committed himself to all people and all faiths, and then, to top it off, created his son and heir the new Prince of Wales… effective immediately.
You could almost hear the stunned reaction from reporters everywhere as they started typing up the news… “We were not expecting this!”
It was personal, revealing, and delivered to perfection, as King Charles III seemed to speak directly to every person watching from home.
As the pomp and pageantry of The Queen’s funeral arrangements moved on, so did the work of a new King intent on connecting with the grieving public.
The King went from standing vigil at his mother’s coffin, to official meetings at the palace as he received condolences. There were more impromptu walkabouts and more overwhelming crowds, especially on his first visits to Wales and Northern Ireland as monarch.
Just two days before the Queen’s funeral, the new King and the new Prince of Wales made a surprise joint engagement, and visited the Met Police, to thank them for their week of service and dedication.
And then, a genius move…
King Charles and Prince William visited The Queue in person, The Queue that had become a story itself, as tens of thousands of people stood for hours to pay tribute to The Queen, and to see her lying in state.
https://twitter.com/RoyalRundown1/status/1571136258910621696?s=20
It was another perfect moment of connection with the public. As I said that day, the near flawless operations of a new reign.
Initial polls have reflected their work is paying off. YouGov found:
67% of people think the monarchy should continue (up 5 points)
62% think it’s good for Britain (up 6 points)
Most Brits are sure the Monarchy is here to stay
70% have a positive view of King Charles, up a whopping 16 points!
A survey for the Daily Express also found that 69% of people thought Charles would make a good King, and maybe more importantly, they supported any plans to slim down the monarchy. (Worth noting, it also found little support for bringing back Harry and Meghan…)
So - how did the naysayers get it so wrong? Was it just years of hard work and planning, finally executed to perfection?
Or, maybe it’s as simple as this: the polls and predictions were wrong.
Perhaps Charles and Camilla were never as unpopular as the press or polls had you believe. When you consider The Prince’s Trust, his legacy charity, has directly helped more than one million Brits, the ripple effect of that alone is tremendous. Even if it doesn’t make news.
It’s early days for The Royal Family. Reality will set in, and the initial honeymoon glow may fade.
But for now, at least, with a new King and Queen, a new Prince and Princess of Wales, and the stellar public appearances of supporting members like The Princess Royal… the monarchy looks stronger than ever.
'Perhaps Charles and Camilla were never as unpopular as the press or polls had you believe. When you consider The Prince’s Trust, his legacy charity, has directly helped more than one million Brits, the ripple effect of that alone is tremendous. Even if it doesn’t make news.'
Excellent article. Charles came to the throne as a familiar, kindly but undoubtedly statesmanlike figure with decades of experience gained through tireless work meeting and helping his people. There are lessons there for the current Prince of Wales, that experience grows through diligent work and understanding deepens through encounters with ordinary people throughout the UK and understanding their problems. I remain optimistic for the future of the Monarchy.
Such a good article! Specific examples of your theme, video, photos. Very little conjecture but an opinion drawn from the evidence you’ve presented. Would that Royal reporters could take note and start writing articles such as this. Perhaps a new kind of journalism would emerge, one that is still interesting, not fawning or sycophantic but simply explaining how ordinary people react to historical events. Charles, William, Anne and so many of the RF have been such positive examples as supporting players to the Queen and monarchy. Now that they have center stage let’s focus on their continued good work and leave all the other drama aside.