Prince Charles will take on the role as King of England when Queen Elizabeth’s reign is over. Many wonder what kind of king he’ll make. The queen has always maintained a position of neutrality in the nation. She holds back expressing any political leanings and avoids speaking out on issues while she’s on the throne. As many in the U.K. and the world already know, her eldest son isn’t as neutral, and has his own mission as an activist for many causes.
In a report by the Guardian , several sources tell the news site that the prince plans to break the queen’s tradition of staying silent on issues that matter. The Prince of Wales especially cares about the environment, farming, and conservation.
A reliable source, said to be close with the prince, shares to what level Charles will change things when he becomes King of England.
“He will be true to his beliefs and contributions. Rather than a complete reinvention to become a monarch in the mold of his mother, the strategy will be to try and continue with his heartfelt interventions, albeit checking each for tone and content to ensure it does not damage the monarchy. Speeches will have to pass the following test: would it seem odd because the queen wouldn’t have said it or would it seem dangerous?”
To a degree, the prince will maintain a certain level of discretion as to not risk the monarch’s position. He does, however, feel a duty to deliver public opinion to those in power. He drew controversy by secretly writing letters to government officials over issues regarding organic farming crops, education, and health. Ministers have said that if any of the “black spider memos” were ever leaked to the public, it would reveal Charles has interfered with government policies and it could “seriously damage” his role as king.
Patrick Holden, an organic farmer, is friend of the prince and adviser to him on sustainability. He feels the prince will use caution when he questions or inquires on anything he’s expected to keep some form of neutrality on.
“The prince understands the need to be careful about how he expresses concerns or asks questions, but I do think he will keep doing exactly that. He is part of an evolving monarchy that is changing all the time. He feels these issues are too serious to ignore.”
Speaking with BBC News , Prince Charles’ spokeswoman says “speculation” about his role as king has been debated for decades. It’s not something they’ve commented on and won’t do so now. The main worry lies in whether the prince will be outspoken to the point that it sparks a “constitutional crisis.”
The prince has admitted many times that the one thing he’ll miss most when he becomes king is the freedom to express how he feels about issues important to him now. He likes his current role as prince, and has numerous charities and causes he’s active in. Holden says Prince Charles is good at determining boundaries and know limits on how far to push.
Some aren’t so sure King Charles will know his boundaries. Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state, says that as Charles being an “activist king,” he would be “intolerable” in a democratic society. Spokesman Graham Smith fears that the monarch’s power could be a threat.
“Charles is a very good advert for why the monarchy is a bad idea. The monarch has power, access and influence, and is completely beyond the reach of democratic accountability.”
The prince attends over 600 engagements a year in the U.K. and abroad. He has vested interests in what affects people and has a better understanding than most given his first-hand experience the last 40 years familiarizing himself with what might have otherwise been “overlooked.” This is speculated to put him in a good place to “relay public opinion.”
Until Prince Charles inherits the throne from Queen Elizabeth, speculations will carry on about what kind of king he’ll be.
[Image via Royal Hats ]
