Others are long retired by that age. But for King Charles, who celebrates his 74th birthday on November 14, professional life has just begun. He has been on the British throne for two months after succeeding his mother Elizabeth II, who died on 8 September.
A late start in a monarch’s life could hardly have been better for him, believes constitutional lawyer Craig Prescott, who teaches at the university in the Welsh city of Bangor. “There were real fears that support for the monarchy could collapse after the Queen’s death,” Prescott told the German press agency, adding: “It seems to me that we are a long way from that.” Charles impressed people with his presence and sense of duty during funeral services.
Catherine Mayer, the Anglo-American author of the biography “Charles III. – with the heart of a king”, which was reprinted for the anniversary, believes that Charles might even have gained sympathy for his “typical” emotional outbursts – for example, when he cursed in front of a camera running over a leaking fountain pen. This made him arrogant to some, but made him seem more human to others.
Overall, she describes the beginning of her reign as “difficult” because of tensions with the government. Mayer took a look at the royal personality in his biography. The result is a portrait of a man who has an indomitable will to be noticed for more than just the grace of his noble birth. Namely as a thinker and environmentalist who designed a holistic concept for humanity’s problems – and often feels completely misunderstood.
It was a “huge irony” that Charles came to the throne at a time when he was at odds with the government over its commitment to the climate, explains Mayer. “If he had become king a few years or just six months earlier, he would have been in agreement with the government on the environmental issue,” the writer and journalist said in an interview with dpa.
Tensions peaked when the palace announced that the king would not attend the UN climate conference in Egypt in consultation with the government. Then-Prime Minister Liz Truss turned her back on the climate policy of her predecessors and promised to generously distribute new licenses for oil and gas production. For Charles, who has long campaigned to combat global warming, it was a public humiliation.
Charles later retaliated – intentionally or not – when he greeted Truss at the weekly on-camera audience with the words, “Back – honey oh honey.” The king was spared the conflict – Truss had to resign shortly afterwards under pressure from his own faction.
Tensions were complicated – after all, possible political interference by Charles was always seen as the biggest threat to his reign. This must now be neutralized for the time being, because Truss’ successor Rishi Sunak has returned to the course of his predecessor Boris Johnson. Sunak, after initial hesitation, decided to go to Egypt himself and reiterated his goal of making Britain the “green energy superpower”. But there is a risk of further disagreement in other areas: for example, the government’s ruthless course in dealing with migrants, which Charles apparently views with concern.
But the politically turbulent early days also had a silver lining for the new king: in the eyes of constitutional expert Prescott, Charles benefited from the fact that the government plunged into chaos in his first few months as monarch. As a result, he was able to appear as an anchor of stability without much effort, as his mother had so successfully done for many decades.
According to Prescott, his first big test is the Christmas speech. “He will address the nation independently for the first time,” said the expert. But the publication of the memoirs of his son, Prince Harry (38), announced for January, is also “a cloud on the horizon”. It will be difficult for the monarchy to respond without damaging its reputation.
Navigating the May 6 coronation celebrations amid a cost-of-living crisis will also be tricky, Prescott believes. The palace had already announced that it would keep the frame small. However, an additional public holiday has already been granted by Premier Sunak. Will people see the pomp at taxpayer expense as justified? This has not yet been shown.
Mayer also sees the dispute with Harry and his wife, Duchess Meghan, as one of the biggest problems for the king. Furthermore, the Buckingham Palace advisory team still underestimates this. And then there’s the inglorious role that Charles’ younger brother Prince Andrew (62) played in the abuse scandal involving the late American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, and which he has yet to be completely removed from his public role.
Another danger Mayer sees is Charles’ often negligent attitude when it comes to accepting donations for his charities. For example, the “Sunday Times” only reported in the summer the pockets full of money worth millions that a Qatari politician presented to him. The incident, which was confirmed by the Palace, although not illegal, cast doubt on Charles’ judgment. “The risk of your own bad decisions falling through your fingers is not negligible,” says Mayer.