It is said that a crown does not make the king, but to former prince of walesthe truly symbolic moment of his rise as Carlos III of England, will be on May 6, when the Archbishop of Canterbury places on his head, the crown of Saint Edward. This symbol dates from 1661 and is made of solid gold with stones. Carlos will be the 40th monarch to become king in the westminster abbey. His reign was so long awaited that it will mark a milestone in the “Guinness Record”: Carlos Felipe Arturo Jorge (such his baptismal name), waited for his destiny seventy-three years and is the heir who took the longest to reach the English throne.
For royalty lovers, the enthronement of Carlos III will be a unique and rare moment, since other European monarchies have a proclamation but no coronation. Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands never had it; In Spain there have been no coronations since the Middle Ages and Norway, Denmark and Sweden abandoned it from the mid-1800s.
The family is the family
But the B side of the pomp and circumstance that defines this unique event is that the State, that is, the taxpayers, will have to pay for the coronation, in a year of political volatility, with a change of prime minister, recession and inflation. Although Buckingham has not released an exact figure, it is estimated that all ceremonies, concerts and celebrations; as well as the huge security device deployed in the city, they will cost around thirty million pounds, which is equivalent to a figure close to 40 million dollars. Within this B side, family conflicts should also be counted, which have no rest.
To begin with, the psychodrama of the participation of the Sussexes (Harry and Meghan) in the ceremony was long and complex. After months of speculation after the publication of harry’s memories, it was revealed in March that the self-exiled couple in the United States had been invited by email, in order to anticipate their presence. Prince Harry delayed confirming his presence because he was concerned about the family’s place in the abbey. The couple had been pushed out of the mainstream as their estrangement from the royal family grew. At their grandmother’s funeral last September, the dukes ended up squeezed into a corner, at the end of the second row, banished to a kind of social “Siberia”.
Regardless, whether or not to attend the coronation was a difficult decision. It meant putting an end to the family bond forever or running the risk of no one speaking to them and being booed by the public. Archie’s birthday, the couple’s firstborn, was the perfect excuse for Meghan, whom everyone hates. She He will remain in Montecito, California, with his children Archie and Lilibet, to celebrate the boy’s four years. The Duke of Sussex, then, will pay a lightning visit. He will be present at the coronation ceremony, but without taking part in the traditional greeting on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where he was not invited.
Another topic that aroused rumors is the important role that prince george at the coronation of his grandfather and, especially, who will be his companions The eldest son of William and Kate Middleton, just 9 years old, will be one of the four pages of honor in charge of wearing the cape of Carlos III, a task that, according to some, it represents too much responsibility for someone so small. But the gaze of the press is focused on something else, one of his three companions in the task of escorting the king is Oliver Cholmondeley. Who is this child? Nothing more and nothing less than the son of Rose Hanbury, the woman with whom Prince William has been romantically linked. Very recently, the English media published the news that they had been seen having dinner together on Valentine’s Day. On the other hand, andhe Rose’s husband, David Cholmondeley, has been appointed permanent “Lord-in-waitng” a position similar to that of a lady-in-waiting, in relation to queens. This role gives him a front-line position in the monarchy, making David much more present in real life and, to Kate’s chagrin, his wife as well.
Other comments flooding the English press refer to the participation of former Prince Andrew, denounced for sexual abuse and stripped by his mother of his military titles and royal patronage. Nor was his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, invited, who assured that she would watch the ceremony on TV “with tea and a chicken sandwich” in hand.. There was also all kinds of speculation about the real reasons why various British artists, such as Adele, Robbie Williams, the Spice Girls, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John refused to perform at the coronation festivities. Schedule problems or requests from your fans?
Queen versus King.
The day after the coronation, Carlos III will face the difficult task of presenting himself to his subjects, who know him little and who still mourn their beloved and eternal Queen. A survey carried out in March by YouGov indicates that 52% of Britons are not interested in the coronation. The study also reveals a decline in support for the actual institution among millennials and Generation Z.
The current king’s extramarital affair while married to Princess Diana made him deeply unpopular. The same thing happened with Queen Camila. A recent controversy also affected the figure of Carlos. It is a donation of 1.2 million dollars that brothers of the terrorist Osama bin Laden made to the Charitable Fund of the Prince of Wales in 2013.
Although he has managed to overcome some of the negative sentiments of the British public, he remains the least esteemed of the family members. An Ipsos poll showed, in April 2022, that almost half of English people ranked him seventh in a ranking of royal popularity, behind his sister Anne de él.
It is said that the monarchy has endured because historically it was stronger than the individuals that made it up. But in the opinion of many, Elizabeth II, who reigned for seven decades, became bigger than the monarchy itself. And the British aren’t too enthusiastic about her heir.
For Charles III, the coronation will be a vital opportunity to set the tone for his reign and persuade modern Britain that the throne is still relevant. The King is an “intriguing combination of avant-garde and deep tradition,” says royal historian Sally Bedell Smith, author of “Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life.” . At a time of great economic instability, this coronation will be significantly smaller than the previous one: some 2,000 guests compared to the more than 8,000 who attended the ceremony for Elizabeth II. The King has also made concessions that seem to show his in-tune with modern Britain. The concert the day after the ceremony will include an inclusive choir with amateur singers representing, among others, refugees. A decision that had an impact against the deportation policy of the Conservative government. It is not the first time that Carlos creates a stir because of his opinions, in the face of the eternal silence of Isabel II.
In his maiden speech after his mother’s death, the king stressed that he would respect the apolitical role of the crown. The monarchy can, however, exercise soft power. Given his activism on political issues, it remains to be seen if King Carlos III will be a monarch who will actually avoid using his role to influence government thought and policy. In a few weeks, the heir to the crown will begin to define his image as king, in front of a people that is increasingly distant from the monarchy.
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