The actual coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey is expected to last two hours. This includes the anointing of the King and Queen and the installation of the crowns by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The request to pledge allegiance to the community and all viewers on TV screens could cause an awkward moment. News of this had already sparked a shit storm on social media. Many people refused to swear allegiance to the king, especially when asked to do so. Mayer described the idea as a “grotesque fallacy” that shows how far removed the royal family and its surroundings are from human reality.
A recent survey showed that enthusiasm for the crown was limited, particularly in parts of the Commonwealth. According to this, in many of the 15 states in which Charles is head of state, there is now a majority for the abolition of the monarchy. Pollster Lord Ashcroft said anti-monarchy opponents outnumbered royalists in Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, UK-owned Antigua and Barbuda. In the Bahamas and the Solomon Islands, more than half of those polled said they wanted to vote for the abolition of the monarchy in a referendum. In the Caribbean in particular, support for the monarchy is waning. There, rejection is often accompanied by demands for apologies or even reparations for injustices suffered as a result of colonialism and slavery.
Given the challenges facing the monarchy, German aristocratic expert and author Alexander von Schönburg believes it is possible that Charles will one day cede the regency to his eldest son William. “Charles is a transitional king, and he knows it,” von Schönburg told dpa in London. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Charles quits, but he could retire and hand over the more important tasks to William.
Prince William (right) greets well-wishers outside Buckingham Palace.
The author of the recently published book ‘What Remains, What Goes – The Queen and Her Legacy’ reckons it could be so far away in ten years. This suggests that William, who himself is now 40 years old, would then arrive on the throne with a certain freshness. It’s too late for Charles for that. With his topics of climate protection, sustainability as well as religious tolerance and diversity, Charles foresaw the zeitgeist of today’s youth, but hardly any followers in this group. On the other hand, he alienated his traditional conservative supporters with his opinions.
William also has an “ace up his sleeve” with his wife, Princess Kate. Unlike Charles or his wife, Kate is down-to-earth due to her middle-class background. Even in personal relationships, she is anything but distant. This will help steer the institution of the royal family, which depends on popular approval, into the future.
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