Charles III never had a big master plan in the drawer. He has never (unlike the storyline of soap operas like The Crown) sought to occupy his throne the day before his ascension. However, he did not consider himself a “caretaker” monarch either.
As he told a close friend shortly after taking office in September 2022, “I always wondered if it would ever come, but I didn't want it a minute sooner either. And now I know what I want to do.”
A man of strong faith (stronger than is often assumed given his interest in other faiths), he will reflect one of his late mother's defining characteristics in times of crisis: not panicking.
From the day he became king, he has been a single-minded monarch whose overarching aim has been to reaffirm the unifying, stabilizing role of an institution always shaken by the death of the longest-serving and longest-lived head of state in British history.
Nearly a year and a half later and before yesterday's news, there was overwhelming agreement that he did so emphatically. There was no power vacuum. He was clearly a contented ruler, regardless of the many challenges that were beyond his control.
Unwavering devotion: Prince Charles kisses Queen Elizabeth II's hand at the anniversary concert at Buckingham Palace in 2012
Gorgeous: Queen Camilla and King Charles on coronation day
Politics may have gotten into one mess after another, but the king was simply fulfilling his time-honored duties as head of state (and the less codified but equally important role as head of the nation) to the point where we began to consider taking him for granted, just as we did the late queen.
So he continues to hope, like (and despite) yesterday's statement.
Once the initial shock of last night's news wears off, historians may point to the manner in which Princess Elizabeth made her entrance in the late 1940s and early 1950s when George VI was crowned. fought against cancer.
Although we have no clues as to the king's exact condition, two things are demonstrably different seven decades later: medical advances and the king's willingness to speak openly about an illness that will eventually affect the lives of many, if not most, of his subjects becomes .
Understandably, there will be speculation in both the media and the public, not only about the severity of the King's illness, but also about the impact on an already “stripped down” monarchy, as far as it certainly cannot go.
The closest we come to an answer for now is the King's historic address to the nation, just one day after Her Late Majesty's death: “As the Queen herself did with such unwavering devotion, I now solemnly vow.” I myself will “In the remaining time God grants me, I will uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation….”
In other words, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England will defer to his supreme boss on this issue.
Those close to him say that it is not primarily his ability to work that is affected. In fact, I'm told the amount of paperwork has barely slowed down one iota.
The main difference, for now, is that his doctors and family don't want him exposed to the inevitable risk of infection from large groups of complete strangers. In other words, expect a repeat of some of the royal protocols we've seen during the Covid pandemic.
Robert Hardman: “From the day he became king, he was a single-minded monarch whose aim was to reaffirm the unifying, stabilizing role of an institution always shaken by the death of the longest-serving and longest-lived head of state in British history
The then-Prince Charles kisses the hand of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, during a polo match in Windsor in 1982
There will be legitimate constitutional questions around the world. A further 14 nations outside the UK will be worried about their head of state this morning, not to mention overseas territories from Gibraltar to the Falkland Islands.
These questions remain hypothetical as the king is carrying out his duties, just as Elizabeth II did when she herself was deposed a few years ago.
There are numerous mechanisms to adjust the constitutional machinery when necessary, starting with councils of state, where two designated royal deputies from a pool of seven act on behalf of an ill or absent monarch. This extends to regency in the event that a head of state becomes incapacitated.
In researching my book Charles III, I discovered how hesitant he – as Prince of Wales – had been to address these issues, even as the late queen's ailments became a problem for the government.
Aides repeatedly tried to discuss various regency options but never got far. He viewed such conversations as both inappropriate and a “tempting fate.” What he knew, and what later proved to be true, is that this is a government matter and they will act quickly if necessary.
Witness the sudden changes to the rules for State Councilors within weeks of his taking office. So far, the candidates have been limited to a small group, namely the first four heirs to the throne over the age of 21 and the monarch's wife.
This opened up the possibility (in the event that the King, Queen and Prince of Wales are out of the country) that the nation's smooth governance would rely on the consent of Prince Harry or the Duke of York and Princess Beatrice.
This is something that many of the king's subjects might consider suboptimal.
Instead of removing anyone from the list, the King and his ministers simply decided to add the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal to the list.
Understandably, there will be speculation in both the media and the public, not only about the severity of the King's illness, but also about the impact on an already “stripped down” monarchy, as far as it certainly cannot go
King Charles was treated for an enlarged prostate at the London Clinic last month, as he is pictured leaving the hospital with his wife Queen Camilla
As the parliamentary record shows, the Counselors of State Act 2022 went through first to third reading in just three weeks, passing through all the necessary stages in between and finally reaching royal assent.
In other words, the system can move when necessary. At the moment that is not the case.
I suspect that the vast majority of people all felt the same reaction to this news: a deep compassion for King Charles III. No sooner has he taken on the role he was born into than he is now battling cancer.
Last night's candid statement was entirely in keeping with the change in tone that we have witnessed since the first days of his reign; the greater level of transparency, the move toward what his advisers call “informal formality.”
A number of key factors help him immensely. Most important of all is Queen Camilla – his “stone,” as her sister describes her, and an “excellent” consort, as the Princess Royal put it to me.
The Queen's unwavering, optimistic attitude in recent days – while harboring the same concerns as any family faced with the specter of a cancer diagnosis – speaks volumes, as does her stated intention to continue to do the same.
And make no mistake: The Princess Royal's rocking qualities will be a great source of support and comfort to her brother, whom she calls “Old Bean,” during these challenging times.
Yesterday's quiet announcement, hours earlier, that the Prince of Wales is now starting engagements again following the Princess's recent operation is very significant.
Of course, the King's entire spring and summer program must now be called into question. But the royal family will try to fill the gaps in the schedule, just as they did when the king was a young boy and George VI's schedule. was suddenly disrupted by an illness.
Since then, as any doctor will attest, the prospects of a patient living a fit and healthy lifestyle have improved significantly. For most of his life, the king completed daily basic exercises designed for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
He has always been an avid hiker (I remember trying to keep up with him during a trip through Nepal a few years ago as he walked up the hill with a group of Gurkhas, leaving behind a press group many years his junior). panting in his wake).
He eats sparingly – so sparingly that he avoids lunch – and is a celibate drinker, aside from the occasional martini or whiskey.
Another trait that works in his favor is a trait that some would call stoicism, others would call sang-froid. Any online search will find the footage from that day in 1994 when a gunman from the crowd in a Sydney park fired at him. It turned out they were spaces, but no one knew that at the time.
He later made light of it, telling people that his reaction was the same as when he was attacked by an elephant during an early walking safari in Kenya: “I was so amazed at the suddenness of it that everything was rooted to the spot 'and I'm unable to get my legs to react.'
However, those in attendance were amazed at his ability to remain calm (literally) under fire. It was a similar story on the day of his inauguration as Prince of Wales in 1969, when a bomb exploded within earshot on the way to the ceremony.
While I was writing my book about the king, I heard many similar stories. For example, how happy he was to go diving under the ice in the Arctic or to make his first parachute jump with the Royal Air Force in 1971. This went completely wrong and ended with the then Prince of Wales caught in a tangle of cords in Studland Bay, off the coast of Dorset.
When he was appointed Colonel of the Parachute Regiment a few years later, he insisted on enrolling in the much more demanding Paras parachute course. It was pointed out that this was not necessary as he had already jumped from a plane into Studland Bay.
He insisted, saying that he would hardly be able to look his new regiment in the eye if he didn't. It's a mindset that will certainly serve him well.
During the princely past, his critics may have pointed to a capacity for melancholy or a short temper (we all remember his frustration with his fountain pens in the early days of the reign, despite them not working properly in what was perhaps the most stressful week at the time). Of his life).
But in speaking to his inner circle for my book, one said, “He complains from time to time, like we all do.” But the interesting thing is that he only complains about little things that don't matter. “It’s never about the things that really matter.”
His long-standing and deep affection for – and knowledge of – a portfolio of charities in this area, from Macmillan Cancer Care to Marie Curie to Breast Cancer Care, means he is as well equipped as anyone to prepare for anything , what lies ahead of him.
Since he became king, his friends have noticed in him what they call a new “serenity.” That – and Queen Camilla – are more important now than ever.
Charles III New king, new court. The Inside Story is published by Macmillan.