King Charles III’s new role explained and what he will need to hand over to Prince William
King Charles III is known for making world headlines for his personal opinions, but now he will need to hand over many of his responsibilities to Prince William.
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Much of his life has involved campaigning on environmental issues and even publishing books on topics about organic farming, climate and related topics.
As Prince of Wales, Charles could be outspoken about the “existential” threat posed by climate change, knowing he would draw criticism from some quarters for overstepping the bounds of the monarchy.
But, in his first speech since the death of his beloved mother Queen Elizabeth on Friday, King Charles III seemed to signal that his decades-long public advocacy for lowering greenhouse gas emissions and his ability to remark in public that humans must live in harmony with their environment or else it “will prove catastrophic”, has come to an end.
In pledging to uphold the constitutional principles that keep the sovereign from weighing in on what could be seen as political matters, King Charles III acknowledged that he would hand over involvement in some of his greatest passions to others.
“My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities,” Charles said in his televised speech. “It will no longer be possible to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I cared so deeply, but I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others.”
Some of the more than 400 organisations under his patronage as Prince of Wales listed on his official website include the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Stockman’s Hall of Fame, International Tree Foundation, Social Farms and Gardens, Salmon and Trout Conservation UK, The Elephant Family (who he is joint president of with Camilla), The Actors’ Benevolent Fund, British Film Institute, WaterAid and the World Wildlife Fund.
In 1976, Charles used his severance pay from the Royal British navy to establish the Prince’s Trust – a charity to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11 to 30-year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion.
While many believe the King will continue as the head of the charity that has helped more than one million, the Prince’s Trust website is prepared for change with a message on Saturday saying the organisation was “still here for young people, although our website and communications may operate differently to normal for a short period during this time”.
But, for King Charles III, distancing himself from making political statements is unlikely, particularly with newly appointed Prime Minister Liz Truss announcing on Thursday measures to try to blunt the impact of rapidly increasing energy prices including lifting a ban on hydraulic fracking and giving the green light to new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.
Prime Minister Truss has also appointed a Minister who environmental activists call a climate science denier, Jacob Rees-Mogg to oversee the country’s energy sector.
Only last year Charles won approval to install panels atop London’s Clarence House, his former residence, and praised India’s expansion of solar capacity.
It is possible the newly titled Prince of Wales, William, will continue his father’s activism and outspoken speeches on climate change and other issues which could be said to have started a remodelling of the modern royal.
With a clear understanding of the need for the monarchy to mirror the population it represents, commentators expect there will be certain modernising things King Charles III will want his own stamp on.
Queen in Consort, Camilla, has her own list of charities that she has been either patron or President of.
On the Prince of Wales website, which is yet to be updated, more than 90 charities are listed under Camilla’s biography in areas of health, rape and sexual abuse, domestic abuse, empowering women, literacy, animals, food, heritage and the arts and active older age.
No doubt both king and consort will work as one to face the challenge of living up to the legacy left by the late Queen.
KING CHARLES III: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Why is he now known as King Charles III?
The new King could have chosen from any of his four names: Charles Philip Arthur George.
He is the third King to be named Charles – the first was caught in the middle of a civil war and executed, before his son restored England’s monarchy and became Charles II.
When will his coronation take place?
That is yet to be decided, but it will likely take months. Queen Elizabeth II waited 16 months after her accession to the throne for her coronation.
The delay is because of the time it will take to plan the coronation, an event full of pomp and ceremony expected to be attended by world leaders.
Rushing the coronation too quickly after the Queen’s death may also be seen to be in poor taste, given the period of national mourning now unfolding in the United Kingdom.
Does he hold the full powers of the monarch in the interim?
Yes. Charles became the King immediately after the death of his mother.
He will be formally proclaimed on Saturday at a historic accession council ceremony to be held at St James’s Palace.
This will see King Charles III make a declaration and swear and sign an oath in the presence of about 200 privy councillors, mostly politicians, civil servants and high commissioners from across the commonwealth.
Why is Camilla now known as the Queen Consort?
This is the title Charles had long hoped she would be given, so that she would be crowned and anointed alongside him.
Queen Elizabeth II gave it her tick of approval earlier this year, saying: “When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me. And it is my sincere wish that when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”
What might King Charles III’s reign look like?
Prior to the death of his mother, Charles spent the majority of his life spearheading charitable endeavours and campaigning on issues of interest to him, including the environment, architecture, biodiversity and sustainable development.
On climate change, he wrote in 2010 of a “call to revolution” to take action.
“The Earth is under threat. It cannot cope with all that we demand of it. It is losing its balance and we humans are causing that to happen. Revolution is a strong word and I use it deliberately,” he said at the time.
With such strong opinions, some have questioned whether Charles would be a more forthright monarch than his mother, who deliberately avoided publicly sharing her opinions.
But he has acknowledged his campaigning would not continue in the same way once he became the King.
“I’m not that stupid,” he told the BBC in 2018.
“Clearly, I won’t be able to do the same thing I have done as heir, so of course you operate in the constitutional parameters.”
What impact will his reign have on Australia?
Charles has had strong ties to Australia since spending a semester of his schooling at Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop campus.
He even had an interest in becoming Australia’s Governor-General after the 1975 dismissal of Gough Whitlam’s government, although that idea was quickly knocked on the head.
But his reign will not be without challenges in Australia. There has long been a view among senior political figures that the death of Queen Elizabeth II would be the trigger for a renewed national debate on Australia becoming a Republic.
This is a priority of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s new government, although he has vowed to put off a referendum until successfully delivering constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians and after the next federal election, likely to be held in 2025.
What are the biggest challenges facing King Charles III?
It’s a long list. He becomes the monarch at a time of great instability in the United Kingdom, with Liz Truss only just taking over as the prime minister and the country facing difficult economic circumstances as families struggle with the cost of living.
King Charles III must handle problems in his own family, with Prince Harry barely on speaking terms with his father and brother William. There is also the question of Charles’s brother Prince Andrew’s status, given his connection to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The death of Queen Elizabeth presents challenges more broadly across the commonwealth, with some Caribbean leaders questioning Charles’s ascension to the throne earlier this year.
Closer to home, he also faces the continuing debate about Scottish independence.
What is the new line of succession?
Prince William is now the heir to the throne. With his wife Kate Middleton, they automatically become the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge.
He also becomes the Prince of Wales and Kate is now the Princess of Wales — the first woman to hold that title since the death of Diana.
William is followed in the line of succession by his three children: nine-year-old Prince George, seven-year-old Prince Charlotte and four-year-old Prince Louis.
Prince Harry is fifth in line for the throne, followed by his children Archie and Lilibet, who are now technically a prince and princess if the royal family follows the rules established by King George V in 1917.
Originally published as King Charles III’s new role explained and what he will need to hand over to Prince William
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