Have King Charles and Prince William secured the monarchy?

The role of any monarchy is to represent continuity. Something both King Charles III and Prince William showed they understood this year. But if you look closely, they have also both spent the past 12 months developing their individual roles.

The role of any monarchy is to represent continuity. Something both King Charles III and Prince William showed they understood this year. But if you look closely, they have also both spent the past 12 months developing their individual roles. In reflecting on a jam-packed year for the British royal family, there can only be one stand-out occasion: the coronation. A seismic moment in British history, it formalized Charles’ transition from prince to sovereign and saw the new King blend modern elements into ancient rites. While the focus was firmly fixed on the crowning moment and all the accompanying pageantry, Charles updated some of the more antiquated parts of the ritual to better reflect contemporary society. It was no longer an establishment event and efforts were made to illustrate the diversity of faiths in contemporary Britain. Some of those tweaks came in the form of a more representative congregation, the acknowledgment of multiple religions, original musical compositions and performances and an attempt to give the public a more active role in proceedings through a pledge of allegiance – a move that proved controversial. In the months since, the King’s focus has been the day-to-day business of monarchy, with his daily red ministerial box from the government and commonwealth realms in addition to all the walkabouts, audiences and receptions. It’s here that royal-watchers can find one of the first noticeable shifts between Charles and his late mother. While Queen Elizabeth II went to great lengths to avoid any semblance of partiality, Charles has often gone in the opposite direction. He’s been unafraid to shy away from big moments, taking meetings that could be seen as controversial.