Signs of the coming of a new era were not only suggested by his coronation. King Charles III΄ on Saturday, but also local elections of mayors and municipal councils in England two days earlier. The Bitter Defeat Suffered by the Prime Minister’s Conservatives Rishi Sunak Thursday’s election is a harbinger of a nationwide election that the government will have to call no later than January 2025. Meanwhile, Charles’s coronation marked a new chapter in the Windsor dynasty after 70 years of his mother Elizabeth’s reign, with the institution entering undefined waters.

Brexit

Three years after the UK left European Union and nine months after Elizabeth’s death, the country is searching for its identity amid political and economic upheaval. While the form this transformation will take is not yet clear, Britain appears to be on the cusp of a new era in politics and monarchy.

“The country is in the waiting room. People say let’s give our strange new king a chance. At the same time, the prospect of an election gives vent to the anger and frustration of many,” says historian Simon Shama.

Change, however, is not a given. The 75-year-old monarch may turn out to be more restrained and conservative than his biographers attribute to him. The coronation and its medieval rituals—the king was consecrated with consecrated oil from a spoon in 1349—were nothing more than dynastic exercises. At the same time, the Conservatives, hurt by the loss of more than 1,000 council seats, could hold on to power. Their leadership points to opinion polls and local election results to show that Labor will need the support of smaller parties to govern.

However, political scientists prefer to focus on long-term trends that portend defeat for the conservatives. The local elections revealed public discomfort and impatience with the ruling party, with a string of scandals in its 13 years in power, unable to deal effectively with the aftermath of Brexit.

The monarchy faces similar pressures. Recent polls show that many Britons, especially young people, see the institution as obsolete and the royal family useless. “The royal family must think about the future. Like other state and government institutions, it has lost public confidence. The electoral process and royal coronation should lead to a moment of national self-criticism, not a confrontation between supporters and wars,” says Tony Travers, professor of political science at the London School of Economics.

The defeat of the Conservatives in local elections heralds a national one, and the accession of Charles marks a new page in the Windsor dynasty.

As parties prepare for a national election, some of the issues that preoccupied the UK even before the Brexit vote in 2016 seem to be finally out of the picture. The local elections were decided by the candidates’ economic agenda, not by their positions on immigration, national sovereignty, or the promise to “make Brexit” the slogans that brought Boris Johnson to power in 2019.

“We have passed the crest of the Brexit wave. The structural problems he created remain unresolved, but we are at the beginning of a long and painful process of normalization,” says Oxford Professor of European Studies Timothy Garton Ash.

Relations with the EU

One of the most important questions concerns the future form of the UK’s relationship with the EU. This will shape the political debate, according to Professor Garton Ash, although the answer is not expected to come from the next or new government.

Under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the government has taken initiatives to restore relations with the rest of Europe. Sunak eased tensions with French President Emmanuel Macron, whom he invited to his coronation, while Britain signed an agreement to resolve the trade crisis in Northern Ireland.

The king played a small role in the deal by inviting EU leaders. at Windsor Castle. However, many criticized the king’s involvement – even symbolic – in political matters, as well as the name of the agreement “Windsor Framework”, as if the text had received royal assent.

Celebrity musicians sang on stage outside Windsor Castle on Saturday, with Tom Cruise delivering his wishes through a video projected onto the front of the palace. Colorful lights and lasers have turned the castle into a futuristic film set with a ballet of drones in the air.

However, despite the efforts of the organizers, the concert seemed less bright and stellar than last year in honor of Elizabeth. “The queen was an amazing person, and now we can talk about the Elizabethan era. “Most monarchs of the 21st century are not going to “christen” an entire era in honor of themselves,” says Garton Ash.

Who stole the show?

Thousands of British citizens yesterday took part in “Big Help”, a large volunteer action organized by the royal family across the country on the last day of celebrations for the coronation of King Charles III. As part of this work, Prince William and his wife were at the Scout camp in Slough, on the outskirts of London. The show was stolen by their two sons, George and Louis, who helped with the construction with tools. For five-year-old Louis, this is actually the first appearance in the activities of the royal family.

On the same day, the audience of the American show “American Idol” was in for a surprise. The royal couple made a surprise appearance, along with hosts Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, who took part in Sunday’s spectacular coronation concert, which was attended by almost 10 million Britons who congratulated them on their amazing performance. It is said that the appearance of King Charles and Queen Camilla was spontaneous and was decided shortly before the two singers went on the air, where they broadcast from the UK.

A video posted yesterday and circulating online shows Charles complaining as he waits for the ceremony to begin outside Westminster Abbey. “We never show up on time… Something always happens,” the king seems to be saying, according to Sky News lip-reading expert. “I’m sick of it,” he adds irritably.