From the days of the Crown Prince, “reduction of privileges”
Attention to whether or not to protect the royal family without a queen
Some countries “opportunity to transform the republic”
Weighing on equality over dissolution of the Commonwealth
send… Christians hold crosses and candles to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II of England, who passed away on the 8th (local time) in Hyderabad, a former British colony in southern Pakistan’s Sindh province. Hyderabad | EPA Yonhap News”/>
send… Christians hold crosses and candles to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II of England, who passed away on the 8th (local time) in Hyderabad, a former British colony in southern Pakistan’s Sindh province. Hyderabad | EPA Yonhap News
<img width="700" src="https://img.khan.co.kr/news/2022/09/12/l_2022091301000502100035942.jpg" alt="welcome… Charles III, the heir to the throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, raises his hand and greets citizens as he leaves Buckingham Palace in London on the 11th (local time). London | Archyde.com”/>
welcome… Charles III, the heir to the throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, raises his hand and greets citizens as he leaves Buckingham Palace in London on the 11th (local time). London | Archyde.com Yonhap News
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II on the 8th (local time), Charles III, 74, succeeded to the throne.
In front of Charles III, there are many difficult tasks, such as filling the void of Queen Elizabeth II, who served for 70 years, while maintaining the centripetal force of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and modernizing the royal family.
It will not be easy for Charles III to maintain Queen Elizabeth II’s charisma and popular support for the royal family.
Simon Cooper, a South African writer, wrote in a Le Monde column that “Queen Elizabeth was at the top of class society,” but “it helped ease the polarization and heal the post-Brexit divide.” However, it is derived from her ‘her personality’ of Queen Elizabeth, who wore her halo during the British Empire.
On the other hand, Charles III, who was swept up in privacy controversies, including allegations of an affair with Queen Camilla Parker Bowles and the tragic death of his first wife, Diana, is far less popular than Queen Elizabeth.
According to a poll conducted by YouGov, an opinion polling agency, in May, Charles III recorded 56% approval. In the same survey, Queen Elizabeth was 81% and her son Prince William 77%. A decline in the British royal family’s presence seems inevitable.
There is also concern that Charles III, who has been actively speaking on various social issues such as climate change response and environmental pollution, may cause controversy over political neutrality. Charles III earned the infamous nickname of ‘The Crown Prince of Interfering’ when it was revealed that he sent letters and memos expressing his views to government ministers and lawmakers in various fields such as agriculture, genetically modified food, global warming, and social alienation between 2004 and 2005. have been obtained Charles III’s biographer Penny Juner told The Telegraph: “Charles III will not interfere in politics in an overt way, but he will meet with the prime minister and express his views much more clearly than his predecessors.” The British Prime Minister regularly meets with the King to report on current affairs.
Republicans see the death of Queen Elizabeth as an opportunity to publicize the abolition of the royal family. Graham Smith, president of Republic, a group advocating for the abolition of the monarchy, told The Guardian that in the 24 hours after Queen Elizabeth’s announcement of her death, her Twitter followers had increased by 2,000 and her membership was growing. In a YouGov poll earlier this year, the UK’s monarchy support opinion prevailed at 62%, but significantly lower than 10 years ago (73%).
Charles III is expected to win public support for his ‘small and humble royal family’. He said he would reduce support and preferential treatment for other members of the royal family except for the family of Prince William, heir to the throne from his days as a Crown Prince. Plans to reduce royal authority and return royal property to the state are also likely to be considered. Charles III’s brother Prince Andrew, who is being tried for prostitution and sexual assault of minors, has been ousted from the royal family.
Commonwealth centripetal force appears to be weakening. The Caribbean countries, which were the sites of colonial exploitation, are active in republican transformation.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Brown announced on the 10th that he would hold a referendum on the abolition of the monarchy within three years. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Hall Nice said he wanted to become a republican independent when Prince William and his wife visited Jamaica in March. Similar movements are taking place in Belize and the Bahamas.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanage, who appointed assistant secretary for republican transition in June, drew a line after the Queen’s death, saying, “It is not desirable to talk about transition to republicanism at this time.” In Canada, polls show that 61% are in favor of a republican transition, but the government is lukewarm about the transition.
However, small countries in the Caribbean and Africa are unlikely to leave the Commonwealth easily because they can use the Commonwealth as a stage where they can develop their voice on the international stage, AFP reported. Antigua and Barbuda also said it would like to remain in the Commonwealth after the transition to the republic. The UK also appears to be reinforcing its link with the Commonwealth after Brexit. Cindy McCreary, a historian at the University of Sydney in Australia, said that Charles III’s active role in combating climate change could strengthen the unity of the Commonwealth. However, it is expected that more equal relations among members of the Commonwealth will be required. In the process, there is also a prospect that the rule that the British king assumes the position of head of the Commonwealth may be broken.
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