For more than seven decades, Charles III had been preparing for the role of monarch. However, after the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, and his enthronement yesterday, he will have to face real and numerous problems, as times are extremely difficult: the United Kingdom is outside of Europe, which creates friction between four countries (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales) , 14 Commonwealth countries (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, etc.) do not know if they will accept the new king, and high inflation causes dissatisfaction in the general opinion about the high cost of living of the Royal family. Yesterday’s ceremony cost taxpayers at least £100m, while the Guardian estimates that Charles is worth £1.8bn. “So why should he receive an annual government subsidy of £86m?” the paper asks. While the Queen and her son began paying modest taxes and cutting back on royal spending for several years, spending on the palace has risen again in recent years, largely due to costly renovations to Buckingham Palace.

Since 1983, the annual survey of social trends in Britain has consistently asked the same question: “How important or unimportant is it that Britain retains a monarchy?” Apart from a brief drop in numbers in the early 21st century, since Diana’s death, more than 60% of respondents consider the institution’s survival to be “very or fairly important”. Despite the monarchy’s widespread popularity, approval in the UK has fallen from 62% to 58%, according to a YouGov poll. Although Karolos’ attractiveness has improved recently, reaching 62%, she is still far behind his mother. Opponents of the institution believe that his reign will be the perfect time to challenge the monarchy, since accusations against him have haunted him all his life: an unfaithful and heartless husband, a bad father who quarreled with his youngest son Harry, is overly politicized, which does not fit his role and out of place and time because of his obsession with healthy eating. If Elizabeth “was a blank canvas,” allowing her subjects to paint her according to their own opinions, feelings, and preferences, Charles has strong convictions on all matters that cannot be misinterpreted. “He is weak, vain, meddlesome and ill-equipped for the role of monarch,” writes Reuters.

Many in Scotland, including former prime minister Alex Salmond, believe that Charles will be the country’s last monarch. As he recently predicted, if the country decides to become independent from the United Kingdom, it will also give up the monarchy at the same time. At the same time, Britain is much less useful to the Commonwealth countries after Brexit. With the loss of the close economic, political and immigration ties that the UK enjoyed as a member of the EU, most Commonwealth leaders are considering a radical change in the organization and its transformation into a political union that, above all, can negotiate favorable international trade. agreements. And these coming changes are obviously also a function of the persons sitting on the throne. In a poll taken in Canada before the Queen’s death, 55% were in favor of keeping the monarchy, but that figure would drop to 34% if she died and Charles took over.

It is estimated that yesterday’s ceremony cost the taxpayer at least £100 million.

Another question is whether the new king will be able to maintain special relations with the United States. His mother has always been considered the ideal British envoy to America. He has met 13 of the country’s last 14 presidents and understood each one’s personality, Robert Trainham, an assistant professor at Georgetown University, told Politico. He rode with horse enthusiast Ronald Reagan, sent Dwight Eisenhower a recipe for Scottish pancakes because he liked them during his visit to Balmoral, and attended a baseball game with George W. Bush. Barack Obama has said that she is one of his favorite people. Even American public opinion rated her with high approval ratings among both Democrats (72%) and Republicans (68%).

On the other hand, Charles is not held in the same respect in the US. Last year, half of Americans said they had a negative opinion of the new king, but this fact stems from his behavior towards Diana, and not so much from his political views. Even so, however, his exaggerated concern for the environment could be at odds with American public opinion, which is far more wary of climate change than Britain’s. Only 38% of them agree that the climate is changing and that this is due to human activities.

Next to Charles is now Camilla, who has come a long way from the hated mistress of the heir to the throne to the role of a pretty queen. “It was amazing. I would not put my worst enemy in his place,” she admitted in one of her rare interviews, describing her feelings when, after the death of Diana, she was locked in her house to avoid the insatiable media.

For some time the couple was forced to postpone their planned wedding, but in 1999 they were photographed when they left the Ridge Hotel in London after a party. Despite initial fears that public opinion would be outraged by their appearance together so early, the fears were allayed. A year later, at a dinner in honor of the former King of Greece, Constantine, Camilla first met with Elizabeth II, who called her “that evil woman.” After its adoption by the monarch, the way was opened for the final formalization of relations: in 2005, after three decades of illegal relations, they managed to get married in a civil marriage. She avoided hiring a communications specialist to improve her public image, believing that her contact with the public would gradually change the prejudice against her. Indeed, at the moment she enjoys the respect of public opinion as a woman who is persistent and calm, who has not succumbed to the pursuit of the paparazzi and the poison of the tabloids. Her love story with Charles, persistent, solid and down to earth, finally managed to touch even the millions of viewers who watched his wedding with Diana, who believe … in fairy tales.