When a monarch ascends, it is he or she who chooses the name by which they will be called. Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince Charles, will now become Charles III, the new sovereign of the United Kingdom.
“The death of my dear mother, the Queen, is a moment of great sadness for me and all the members of my family,” said Charles, in his first statement as king.
At 4 years old, Charles was the first child in the British royal family to participate in a succession ceremony, in which his own mother – Elizabeth II – was crowned by King George VI.
Expectations for the new reign
At 73 years old, with three children and five grandchildren, the new British king has several challenges ahead, starting with the attempt to overcome the charisma of his predecessor who remained in power for more than 7 decades. While Elizabeth II had a 75% approval rating among the British, Charles had won just 42%, according to YouGov research carried out in the second half of this year.
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Charles's son, William – the firstborn from his marriage to the iconic Lady Diana – had 66% approval. British tabloids have been speculating for years about the possibility of Charles abdicating the throne to his son, who is more popular among the English. But, so far, this possibility has not even been considered by the Royal Family.
Popularity
Charles has, to this day, faced some challenges in terms of popularity, with emphasis on his love life with his ex-wife Diana and recent accusations of racism involving an Asian friend.
- Letters, donations and racism: Charles became disliked after a series of accusations (UOL)
- Meghan Markle reveals that the royal family had concerns about the skin color of her son with Harry (Estadão)
- Biography reveals how Diana and Charles' divorce affected Prince William, who turns 40(The globe)
Charles is the oldest monarch to begin a reign, and is known for its shy temperament. He has established his image as a climate and environment activist. In addition to defending the use of clean energy, in 2021, Charles expressed solidarity with young activists facing the climate crisis, such as Greta Thunberg, and said he understands that they are “all frustrated”.
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Slow transition
Although Queen Elizabeth's farewell marked Charles' official arrival at the post, he was already taking on some of the mother's functions due to the age of the monarch.
