In contrast to Queen Elizabeth who ascended the throne at 25 and was hailed as the precursor of a new Elizabethan Age, he became King in his mid-seventies.
The royal family only have four active members under the age of 70. It is already, as Princess Anne has pointed out, “slimmed down” and this phrase, long associated with Charles, seems wisely to have been dropped as the Palace reassess royal patronages.
The King has been involved in some important initiatives recently. He has convened charities operating in the Middle East to discuss the humanitarian situation in the region and has condemned the “barbaric acts of terrorism” against Israel.
He has addressed the AI Summit at Bletchley Park and warned of risks during “ one of the greatest technological leaps” for humanity. He handled his state visit to Kenya with considerably sensitivity, expressing the “deepest sorrow and regret” for colonial atrocities.
He is launching the Coronation Food Project to reduce food waste on his birthday. He has also recently opened Parliament and laid a wreath at the Cenotaph. All this is a testament to his hard work and dedication to duty.
He is head of state of 15 Commonwealth realms and last year commissioned a report into the royal family’s links with the terrible transatlantic slave trade, an issue of special importance to countries in the Caribbean. His state visits to Germany and France were impeccably choreographed projections of soft power.
His style is very different from the late Queen and there is a more direct handling of controversial issues.
It was urgent that more Counsellors of State were appointed so they could act if the monarch was incapacitated or abroad and the King rightly increased the number early in his reign.
Prince Harry used to refer to the Queen as his “Commander-in-Chief” and pretended to defer to her whilst subjecting the royal family to a variety of insults. Although the appeal of the monarchy is still high, support for it among the young is low, especially after the Sussexes interview on Oprah.
The behaviour of the Sussexes caused the late Queen enormous difficulty in her final years. King Charles has not forgotten this and he is obviously sensitive to attacks on Queen Camilla. The King’s response to Harry’s criticisms in his memoir “Spare” was to evict the Sussexes from Frogmore Cottage, which was absolutely right.
However, their future behaviour, especially regarding court cases which are pending, possible further books and a habit of attempting to overshadow important royal events by releasing selective pieces of news, may cause the King many future headaches. Prince Andrew remains a considerable embarrassment.
He is greatly admired for his environmental work, as he was the first public figure to speak out about pollution. This was in 1970 and he has campaigned on this issue ever since. He will be delivering the opening address at the Cop 28 Summit in Dubai later this month, which will be highly significant.
This, however, could be an area which divides the political parties. When Net Zero by 2050 was first mooted, it had cross-party support, now there are legitimate questions about how this is practically to be achieved and at what cost.
When Prince of Wales, the King privately considered the government’s policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda as “appalling”. The issue may resurface and this time it is essential that his political neutrality is preserved.
He is happy in private and is supported by Queen Camilla who has carved out a highly respected niche in public life. She is a campaigner on issues from osteoporosis to domestic abuse and literacy. She has also preserved her dignity over the decades which, considering the circumstances, has been a Sisyphean feat.
There was never enthusiasm for her to become Queen, but Queen’s Elizabeth’s endorsement of her on the eve of her Platinum Jubilee was invaluable.
However, a quarter of a century ago, few would have predicted that she would actually be crowned Queen alongside her spouse, which happened in May. When Charles turned 50, she was not even asked to the party the Queen hosted for him at Buckingham Palace.
The enormity of his work in creating some 20 charities, including his Trust, now named the King’s Trust, which has helped over half a million disadvantaged young people, has been highly beneficial for his image as a humanitarian.
He may be turning 75, but he is someone who looks forward. The obsessive interest in the monarchy means that the minutiae of his life in the past decades have been chronicled so extensively, the successes as well as the disasters.
His former wife, Diana, Princess of Wales has become a legend. Her life continues to fascinate but, whatever is depicted in the final series of The Crown, it is unlikely to harm the King as this is past history.
He is fortunate to have the full support of the Prince and Princess of Wales. They and their family are the monarchy’s future. He also has the ability to play a significant part in world affairs, obviously acting on government advice.
He is also seeking to make the monarchy more relatable to the less fortunate in society. It is its strength that it adapts as times change and his that he clearly recognises this.
He is a royal commentator, public relations consultant and film critic whop has given over 1,400 television interviews. He was Editor of The International Who’s Who from 1975 to 2001.
