LONDON: Teenager Olivia Burch waited hours in a queue with other mourners to pay a final tribute to queen elizabeth as his body was exposed. But despite this devotion, she believed that Britain should no longer have a monarchy.
“I think it’s gone. It’s too traditional and old-fashioned, and I don’t think we can spend so much money on a family that has no more right to be here than anyone else. else,” said the 19-year-old Londoner, one of hundreds of thousands who lined up to walk past Elizabeth’s coffin ahead of Monday’s state funeral.
“The Queen was different, however.”
Her words, echoed by others who have publicly mourned the Queen, illustrated some of the challenges King Charles faces as he succeeds his mother after her 70 years on the throne.
The funeral, which capped days of pageantry and ceremony since Elizabeth’s death on September 8, drew hundreds of thousands to the streets of London and millions of television viewers. The events underlined the affection and respect that a majority of Britons felt towards the Queen.
Charles, 73, takes the throne at a time when opinion polls show support in Britain for the monarchy has slipped to an all-time low, and that – despite a jump since becoming king – he is much less popular personally than his mother.
He is the oldest person to become a British monarch, and there are still some who resent him and his wife Camilla, now Queen Consort, for the breakdown of his first marriage to the late Princess Diana.
“The big question is obviously, when she (Elizabeth) died, was it all about her or was it about the institution of the monarchy?” says historian Anthony Seldon. “And go King Charles III to be able to maintain that notoriety in this country… but also across the world?”
Seldon noted that a decade ago polls showed 75% approved of and liked the monarchy. Now that figure is 62%.
He said that if it ever fell below 50%, the monarchy would be over: “There will be an elected head of state”.
Activist
For the moment, there has been an outpouring of goodwill towards Charles. A YouGov survey found support for Charles has surged since becoming king, with 63% believing he would be a good king, a 24 percentage point increase since March.
There was a similar surge in support for Camilla.
When Charles met large crowds of well-wishers on a tour of the four capitals of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England, they greeted him with cheers and cries of ” God Save the King”.
“I think he’s going to be a brilliant king, and with Camilla by his side he’s going to be absolutely fantastic,” said Rosie Beddows, 57, who was in Westminster Hall when Charles and his siblings held a vigil to his mother’s lie. in condition.
His heartfelt televised address to the nation in the aftermath of the Queen’s death and his tribute to his late mother were also well received, even by some who expressed doubts about him.
“He didn’t miss a step,” one of his former senior aides, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
As an heir who waited longer than any other in British history to become king, Charles carved out a role for himself campaigning on issues ranging from the environment and climate change to architecture and alternative medicine.
This led to accusations of interference, a charge which angered him, and to fear that as king he would abandon his mother’s staunchly neutral and apolitical approach to a constitutional monarchy.
For the time being, Charles has put those worries to bed, declaring in his first address to the nation that he will no longer devote so much time and energy to issues close to his heart.
This does not mean that her reign will be the same as Elizabeth’s. While she is credited with modernizing the monarchy, she was a child of another era.
The king has previously shown a more informal tone, waving to crowds, accepting a kiss from a supporter and publicly professing his love for his wife and children.
Robert Lacey, royal biographer and historical consultant on Netflix’s hit TV drama ‘The Crown’, says what was once considered a weakness may now be Charles’ strength.
“Charles was always a more emotional person, wore his heart on his sleeve, much more than his mother, and he was criticized for that. Well now, the heart on the sleeve, the emotions of mourning and devotion, he conveyed them very well.”
“A hell of a job”
However, greater challenges await Charles, including how to deal with his conflicted sons: William, now his heir, and Harry.
He will also have to achieve his long-standing goal of shrinking the monarchy, to help ease concerns about its cost – especially at a time when the country risks sliding into a long recession and is struggling with runaway inflation.
Some media have noted that unlike other Britons, Charles pays no inheritance tax and will now have 10 homes and palaces across the country.
The former aide said Charles wanted to make sure the monarchy produced ‘good value for money’, although stripping it too far would mean it lost some of its ‘magic’.
But “Charles has a hell of a job to do, a hell of a job,” said Howard Davis, 62, who traveled from his home in Dundee to view the Queen’s coffin when it was transported to Edinburgh after her death.
“He has huge shoes to fill.”
Health worker Elizabeth Shaw, 34, another of those to pay respects to the Queen’s coffin in Scotland, said the loss of such a popular queen was a logical time to take stock.
“As religion plays less of a role in society, people are questioning the role of the royal family,” she said. “People are not only willing to accept that God has chosen these people to be in charge, they want proof and a say in it.”
“I think it’s gone. It’s too traditional and old-fashioned, and I don’t think we can spend so much money on a family that has no more right to be here than anyone else. else,” said the 19-year-old Londoner, one of hundreds of thousands who lined up to walk past Elizabeth’s coffin ahead of Monday’s state funeral.
“The Queen was different, however.”
Her words, echoed by others who have publicly mourned the Queen, illustrated some of the challenges King Charles faces as he succeeds his mother after her 70 years on the throne.
The funeral, which capped days of pageantry and ceremony since Elizabeth’s death on September 8, drew hundreds of thousands to the streets of London and millions of television viewers. The events underlined the affection and respect that a majority of Britons felt towards the Queen.
Charles, 73, takes the throne at a time when opinion polls show support in Britain for the monarchy has slipped to an all-time low, and that – despite a jump since becoming king – he is much less popular personally than his mother.
He is the oldest person to become a British monarch, and there are still some who resent him and his wife Camilla, now Queen Consort, for the breakdown of his first marriage to the late Princess Diana.
“The big question is obviously, when she (Elizabeth) died, was it all about her or was it about the institution of the monarchy?” says historian Anthony Seldon. “And go King Charles III to be able to maintain that notoriety in this country… but also across the world?”
Seldon noted that a decade ago polls showed 75% approved of and liked the monarchy. Now that figure is 62%.
He said that if it ever fell below 50%, the monarchy would be over: “There will be an elected head of state”.
Activist
For the moment, there has been an outpouring of goodwill towards Charles. A YouGov survey found support for Charles has surged since becoming king, with 63% believing he would be a good king, a 24 percentage point increase since March.
There was a similar surge in support for Camilla.
When Charles met large crowds of well-wishers on a tour of the four capitals of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England, they greeted him with cheers and cries of ” God Save the King”.
“I think he’s going to be a brilliant king, and with Camilla by his side he’s going to be absolutely fantastic,” said Rosie Beddows, 57, who was in Westminster Hall when Charles and his siblings held a vigil to his mother’s lie. in condition.
His heartfelt televised address to the nation in the aftermath of the Queen’s death and his tribute to his late mother were also well received, even by some who expressed doubts about him.
“He didn’t miss a step,” one of his former senior aides, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
As an heir who waited longer than any other in British history to become king, Charles carved out a role for himself campaigning on issues ranging from the environment and climate change to architecture and alternative medicine.
This led to accusations of interference, a charge which angered him, and to fear that as king he would abandon his mother’s staunchly neutral and apolitical approach to a constitutional monarchy.
For the time being, Charles has put those worries to bed, declaring in his first address to the nation that he will no longer devote so much time and energy to issues close to his heart.
This does not mean that her reign will be the same as Elizabeth’s. While she is credited with modernizing the monarchy, she was a child of another era.
The king has previously shown a more informal tone, waving to crowds, accepting a kiss from a supporter and publicly professing his love for his wife and children.
Robert Lacey, royal biographer and historical consultant on Netflix’s hit TV drama ‘The Crown’, says what was once considered a weakness may now be Charles’ strength.
“Charles was always a more emotional person, wore his heart on his sleeve, much more than his mother, and he was criticized for that. Well now, the heart on the sleeve, the emotions of mourning and devotion, he conveyed them very well.”
“A hell of a job”
However, greater challenges await Charles, including how to deal with his conflicted sons: William, now his heir, and Harry.
He will also have to achieve his long-standing goal of shrinking the monarchy, to help ease concerns about its cost – especially at a time when the country risks sliding into a long recession and is struggling with runaway inflation.
Some media have noted that unlike other Britons, Charles pays no inheritance tax and will now have 10 homes and palaces across the country.
The former aide said Charles wanted to make sure the monarchy produced ‘good value for money’, although stripping it too far would mean it lost some of its ‘magic’.
But “Charles has a hell of a job to do, a hell of a job,” said Howard Davis, 62, who traveled from his home in Dundee to view the Queen’s coffin when it was transported to Edinburgh after her death.
“He has huge shoes to fill.”
Health worker Elizabeth Shaw, 34, another of those to pay respects to the Queen’s coffin in Scotland, said the loss of such a popular queen was a logical time to take stock.
“As religion plays less of a role in society, people are questioning the role of the royal family,” she said. “People are not only willing to accept that God has chosen these people to be in charge, they want proof and a say in it.”
