Succeeding Queen Elizabeth II is her firstborn son Charles. However, his reign as monarch is concerning some of the public and some in the government.
A 2016 poll found that only a quarter of those surveyed wanted Charles to be king and more than half would have preferred his eldest son, Prince William, take the crown instead.
According to the New Yorker, King Charles III is a “deeply unpopular man,” with a history of infidelity, attempting to influence British government, falling out with his son Prince Harry, and other public scandals.
What do people think about Charles’ relationship with Princess Diana?
One of the biggest factors that caused his unpopularity was his relationship with the charming Princess Diana.
The New Yorker reported that before he married Princess Diana, Charles was in love with his current wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, but was denied marriage to her. Charles was then married to Lady Diana Spencer, but did not love her, and he continued to have an affair with Camilla during their marriage.
Their marriage exploded when Diana publicly exposed the affair between Camilla and Charles in an interview in 1995 with BBC, according to Time. “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” Diana said.
Although both Charles and Diana were mutually unfaithful in their marriage, Diana’s popularity and superior instincts in handling the press insured Charles was painted the villain, per the New Yorker.
Charles and Diana announced their separation in 1992 and finalized their divorce in August 1996, according to US Magazine.
Shortly after Princess Diana passed away in 1997, the royal family’s popularity took a dive, due to the public’s perception of their unsympathetic treatment of her death, according to NBC.
Camilla and Charles were married seven years after Diana’s death in April 2004. Diana’s beloved reputation and popularity stand in the way of the couples public approval as Charles takes the throne.
A car carrying Britain’s King Charles III and Camilla, the queen consort, leaves Buckingham Palace in London on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday. Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, died Thursday Sept. 8, after 70 years on the throne. She was 96.
James Manning, Associated Press
Political controversy surrounding King Charles III
Another contributor to Charles’ unpopularity is his attempt to influence British government, which some see as not the role of a monarch or the royal family, according to Time.
It is expected, and a rule, that the royal family stay out of politics and remain impartial without giving their personal opinions. Charles has been particularly controversial because of his inability to follow this expectation.
In 2015, Charles had obtained confidential papers on the “inner workings of the British government that even elected ministers had not seen.” Time also reported that The Guardian received 27 memos with Charles’ handwriting, in an effort to lobby senior politicians about a range of issues including military orders for the Iraq War.
Charles has been very outspoken and openly political, which is a dramatic departure from Elizabeth’s approach. NBC reports that his views could cause a constitutional crisis if the government were to follow a position he previously backed.
His history of political involvement could be a potential political crisis in his reign.
What are some of the British royal family scandals?
According to the New York Times, Charles’ biggest personal challenge might be healing his relationship with his son, Prince Harry.
In 2020, Harry and his wife, American actress Meghan Markle, left their positions as senior royals and accused them of “callous and racist treatment,” per The New York Times.
Harry said there has been a lot of hurt for him and his wife from what happened. The New York Times reported he is currently writing a memoir that might reopen closed wounds of the couple’s split from royalty.
Another scandal of Charles’ resides in his philanthropic work. Michael Fawcett, chief executive of one of Charles’ charities, resigned after being accused of promising to “obtain a knighthood for a billionaire Saudi donor,” according to the New York Times. This has brought into question Charles’ judgement of those around him.