Age-old problem with young Brits

A fusty anachronism or valid head of state? Charles III faces a generation of younger Britons sceptical about him as king and more questioning over the ­future of the monarchy.

Molly Meldrum interviews Prince Charles on the set of Countdown in 1977.

fusty anachronism or valid head of state? Charles III faces a generation of younger Britons sceptical about him as king and more questioning over the ­future of the monarchy.

At a packed pub in the popular Soho district, the death of Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, didn’t stop younger Londoners from enjoying themselves this weekend.

“I don’t look forward to King Charles,” Joseph Curran, 28, said over the hubbub. “But what’s the alternative?”

Around the table, Lucy, 29, was far more categorical in her desire to see Charles as the last monarch. “I look forward to that,” she said.

At 73, Charles became the oldest sovereign to ascend to the throne in British history after the end of his mother’s record-breaking seven-decade reign.

The yawning age gap is hardly expected to endear him to his younger subjects. In a poll published by YouGov in May, only 29 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds said they thought Charles would do a good job as king.

A popularity ranking of royals put Charles in lowly 12th among millennials – far below the Queen in first place and the glamour of Catherine and her husband Prince William in second and third.

In a fresh poll in the wake of the Queen’s death, Charles’ approval rating among Brits rose sharply, but not everyone was too impressed by his first days in the job.

“From what I’ve seen from his new speeches, he’s not giving me the same energy that you would get from the Queen,” Sam, 21, said.

Charles’s popularity has suffered from scandals over the decades, and was hit hard by his acrimonious split from Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997.

More recently, the royal family has been knocked by accusations of racism and insensitivity levelled by Charles’ younger son Harry and his wife Meghan since they split off to start a new life in the US.

“Of course, as you live into your 70s, you don’t have the easy appeal you have in your 30s and 40s,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said. He conceded that Charles had had “ups and downs” but insisted he had a “remarkable” record helping vulnerable young people via The Prince’s Trust.

AFP