King Charles will need to win realm countries over - fast

How successful the reign of King Charles will be could depend on some crucial calls he makes in the next few days.

If there was any need to reinforce the importance of the realms to King Charles it was there on the front page of the 187-year-old Jamaican national newspaper The Gleaner.

Last Friday it screamed “Queen’s death end of an era” and then added “scholar believes passing will make Jamaica’s break with monarchy easier”.

The Caribbean island nation has made no secret of its desire to split from the Crown, with some locals taking to the streets in March to protest the visit by Prince William and Kate in a misjudged tour.

King Charles is not about to make a trip to the Caribbean but in coming days he will move about the UK to reinforce the importance of the monarchy and critically, the need for continuity in its leadership.

King Charles III greets members of the crowd along the Mall during an impromptu walkabout following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Picture: Getty

He will first visit Scotland which has long desired independence and poses the greatest challenge to the hold over the realm. Then he will move to Northern Ireland and Wales.

The royal court has long flagged the need for continuity following the passing of the Queen and King Charles knows only too well what he does at the beginning of his reign will determine how successful that reign will be.

The grieving King Charles, whose personal desire it was to carry out the trip despite being in the midst of official mourning, will be accompanied by the Prime Minister Liz Truss.

In Northern Ireland, he will receive a motion of condolence at Hillsborough Castle and attend a service at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast.

He will then rush back to London for the procession of the Queen’s coffin from Buckingham Palace through the capital to lay in state and greet heads of government from overseas realms who will begin to arrive from Thursday.

On Friday, the King dashes to Wales to receive another motion of condolence at the Welsh parliament and attend a service at the Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth has died at age 96

While King Charles will be given a grace period after his mother’s passing, he will still want to portray the same sense of continuity the Queen embodied during her reign.

He may be recognised as the symbolic head of state for 14 realms including Australia but knows the ties are critical for the survival of the monarchy.

Royal watchers believe little will change with the ascension of King Charles but his decision to make the UK visits — and possibly other nations — very early on in his reign, is his way of comfortably communicating the importance he sees in the realms.

The Queen’s long reign attracted a King of deference to republican change in the Commonwealth but the King knows too well her passing now and his historical mediocre popularity places the extent of the realms in some doubt.

“I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty which have now passed to me,” he said in his proclamation. “In taking up these responsibilities, I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set in upholding constitutional government and to seek the peace, harmony and prosperity of the peoples of these islands and of the Commonwealth realms and territories throughout the world.”

Originally published as King Charles will need to win realm countries over - fast