Charles

Charles is likely to be the "climate king." But he faces plenty of other challenges in the United Kingdom and abroad.

But as Newman said, a lot of this notion of the Commonwealth came from the queen herself: “Once she’s gone, I think this could unravel.” That could be destabilizing, at least in how Britain thinks of itself and its place in the world. [Global Britain](https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2021/11/britannia-chained-why-the-legacy-of-brexit-threatens-boris-johnsons-global-britain)” in the post-Brexit world, one where the UK reasserts its power and influence apart from the European Union. As experts said, Queen Elizabeth invested in this role as leader of the Commonwealth, and in passing it on to Charles, indicated she wanted it to continue. But there is also a lot of historical reckoning that hasn’t really been done, especially when it comes to Britain’s imperial history and its involvement in the slave trade. “And therefore, yes, there is a duty to the nation and to the British people.” [is trying to establish its position in the world](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/global-britain-an-american-review/) in the aftermath of Brexit. Charles is also taking over as the head of the Commonwealth, a disparate group of nations that are only connected through very loose ties to Britain. The so-called “Spider Memos” include everything from a passionate demand [to end the illegal fishing of the Patagonian toothfish](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/may/13/prince-charles-black-spider-memos-lobbying-ministers-tony-blair) to a call for more equipment for troops in Iraq. And of course, by reorienting the monarchy around this global issue, it is a way for the institution to stay relevant and maybe even necessary. In 2018, the queen also named Charles [the head of the Commonwealth of Nations](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/20/prince-charles-next-head-commonwealth-queen), which is the United Kingdom plus a group of 53 countries that have cultural or political ties to it, including as part of its former empire. “There’s another role that he’s carefully carving out for himself at the moment, and that is as this environmentalist king-in-waiting,” Owens said. “The reason the monarchy has survived is by constantly searching out new roles for itself,” said Ed Owens, a historian of the modern British monarchy.

Elizabeth II's death at the age of 96 marks the start of a tumultuous 10 days for the UK that will see a queen buried, a nation mourn its longest-reigning ...

Queen Elizabeth has died; Prince Charles is now King Charles III. Here's what to know about the succession.

and 53 other countries that are mostly former territories of the British Empire and account for some 2.4 billion people. The Queen’s uncle abdicated in 1936 because he wanted to marry American divorcée [Wallis Simpson,](https://time.com/5793482/wallis-simpson-100-women-of-the-year/) causing a crisis for the monarchy. [a report](http://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/publications/tabs/unit-publications/181_-_Inaugurating_a_New_Reign) arguing that the coronation ceremony should be secular given the country’s diversity. Nearly a quarter of the UK says they dislike him, with another 30% feeling neutral towards him. Given that the It was meant to signify the conferment of God’s grace on the monarch, who is also head of the Church of England. Prince Charles, whose full name is Charles Philip Arthur George, could have chosen any of these for his new title. It pointed out that more than half of the U.K.’s population have no religious affiliation, while two-thirds of those who attend religious ceremonies are not Anglican Christians. After his proclamation ceremony, Charles will immediately start a tour of the four nations that make up the U.K.: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. At 73, Charles is older on his accession than any monarch in British history (the previous record was held by King Edward VII, who was 59 when he succeeded his mother Queen Victoria in 1901). The result of that abdication was, ultimately, that King Edward’s niece became Queen Elizabeth II. the following day at St James’ Palace in London.