China News Service, September 10th. On September 10th, local time, King Charles III of Britain officially swore an oath to become the new monarch of Britain in St James' Palace .
Charles III is 73 years old. He is the crown prince who has served as the heir to the throne for the longest time in British history and the oldest monarch when he ascended the throne in British history.
On September 9, 2022, Charles III arrived at Buckingham Palace .
Why is Charles III?
It is reported that the full name of Charles is Charles Philip Arthur George, and his title of king can be selected from these four names. Therefore, Charles' titles after he succeeded to the throne may be Charles III, Philip II, Arthur I or George VII.
In the past, there were speculations that Charles should have followed the royal tradition and chose George to become George VII. According to previous reports from British media, Charles also had a special liking for the title of George VII and hoped to inherit and possess this title.
However, Charles chose to use his own church name as the title of monarch, like his late mother, Elizabeth II. There are speculations that Charles may leave the title of George VII to his beloved grandson Prince George.
In fact, the name Charles has been associated with bloody and turbulent history.
Charles I (Charles I) was born on November 19, 1600 and is the second son of Scotland King James VI . In 1625, he succeeded to become the second king of England. After ascending the throne, Charles I often provoked wars with foreign countries, causing heavy losses to the country. In 1642, Charles I broke into the House of Commons and demanded the arrest of five disobedient MPs. Soon the whole country fell into a civil war between supporters of the parliament and supporters of the king. Because he determined that the king had launched a war against the people, in 1649, the House of Commons passed a decree to demand the trial of the king, and Charles I became the only British monarch executed in history.
After the death of Charles I, Britain entered the republic era. Charles II (Charles II) was forced to go into exile overseas and did not return to Britain to succeed to the throne until the royal family restored. Although he was loved by the people during his reign, he was very unrestrained in life. British historians still cannot judge whether Charles II's political actions were selfish or based on the original intention of benefiting the country and the people.
On July 27, 1958, Prince Charles returned to Berkshire School after attending the church.
3 became the legal heir
1948 on November 14, 1948, Charles was born in Buckingham Palace. In 1952, with Elizabeth inheriting the throne, Charles, who was only 3 years old, became the legal heir, and his growth environment was destined to be different from the previous future monarch.
Foreign media pointed out that Charles embodies the modernization of the British monarchy - he is the first heir to not be educated at home, the first to obtain a university degree, and the first to grow up under the increasing media attention, as people's respect for the royal family gradually fades.
Like many of the royals before, Charles joined the army, who initially joined the RAF in 1971 and later joined the Navy, and was promoted step by step.
Reuters described Charles at the time, saying that as a young prince, he had a handsome figure and liked to ski, surf and dive. He is an avid polo athlete and has also participated in many fierce competitions as a jockey.
After retiring from the Navy in 1976, Charles began to seek to play a role in public life because the constitution did not specify what the heirs should do. “That’s why it’s so fun, challenging and of course complicated,” Charles once said.
The marriage change made him an "unpopular"
However, for many British and other countries, Charles was always associated with Princess Diana and Duchess of Cornwall Camilla.In September 1984, Prince Charles and Princess Diana of England left St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London with their newborn son, Prince Harry .
At first everything went smoothly, Charles and Diana sons William and Harry were born in 1982 and 1984, respectively. But behind the scenes, there was something wrong with this marriage. Diana blamed Camilla for the final breakdown of the marriage in 1992, and she famously said in a TV interview: "We have three of us in this marriage."
Charles said he was loyal, "until the marriage irreversibly broken." The couple finally divorced in 1996.
In 1997, Princess Diana died in a car accident in Paris, and the media criticized Charles and Camilla, and his public approval rating also dropped.
Reuters noted that Charles' status has improved in the decades since then, although he is still not as popular as his mother Elizabeth II.
On April 9, 2005, British Crown Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall Camilla left St. George's Church in Windsor .
In 2005, Charles married Camilla. Camilla has become the focus of public attention with her approachable style, winning more recognition and praise.
However, Diana's shadow still exists. As newspapers of all sizes focus on Charles' interpersonal relationships, Charles' relationship with the media often becomes irritable. "I'm really not very good at acting monkeys. I think I'm a very privacy-oriented person. I'm not going to perform when they want me to perform," he said in 1994.
Data picture: Charles. Will
continue the authority of the monarchy?
From the crown prince who served as the heir to the throne for the longest time in British history to the new king of Britain, the change in identity brought considerable challenges to 73-year-old Charles. First of all, what he has to face is how to be a good monarch.
Reuters noted that Charles has been sandwiched between a modern monarchy, trying to find his place in a rapidly changing, more equal society while maintaining tradition.
Historian Ed Owens said: "He had to think carefully about how to shape himself as a public figure." Charles had to figure out how to get "public support, a sense of intimacy", which is exactly the characteristic of Elizabeth II's relationship with the British public.
Secondly, there is a point that Charles' ascending the throne may spark debate about Britain's basically a ritual monarchy, some view it as a symbol of national unity, while others view it as an outdated remains of feudal history.
Charles has said he intends to reduce the number of in-service royals, cut expenses, and better represent modern Britain.
On the 70th anniversary of the throne, Queen Elizabeth II of England issued a statement saying that he sincerely hopes that after Crown Prince Charles ascends the throne, his wife Camilla will be called the queen, and hopes that people will support Charles and Camilla as much as they support themselves.
However, media said that Charles must also consider his eldest son William. Royal observers say Prince William has strong opinions on the structure of the royal family and how to redistribute the responsibilities of the royal family. After Charles succeeded to the throne as King of England, his eldest son Prince William has now become the first heir to the throne.
Prince Charles sat next to the queen's crown during the opening ceremony of the parliament held in Westminster Palace, London, England on May 10, 2022.
Third, Charles has been lobbying government departments for decades on issues such as climate change, urban planning, and genetically modified agriculture. These practices of intervening in public issues have aroused concern. It is believed that royals should not be involved in political issues, fearing that if he succeeds to the throne, he may not be outside of political disputes like Queen Elizabeth II.
In this regard, Charles said in a 2018 documentary that he knew that he would face many constraints after becoming a king and his behavior would change. In Charles's view, he has been trying to ensure that personal behavior is not influenced by partisan politics.After he succeeds to the throne, he will act "within the scope of the Constitution" and will not continue lobbying, "I am not that stupid."
Will Charles III continue to be loved by his subjects like Elizabeth II? This problem accompanied most of his life and will face it every day in the future. (End)
