In the recent week, King Charles III has had to deal with his own grief at his mother’s death, as well as give voice to the nation’s mourning and assume the role of royal figurehead.
Since Queen Elizabeth II’s death on September 8, Britain has been caught up in a tide of pro-monarchy emotion, and the 73-year-old Charles has received nearly overwhelming adulation in the media.
However, his first week in office has not been without incident.
Having endured the longest wait for the throne in British history and having the most difficult act to follow, all eyes were on Charles when he delivered his first address to the country the day after the queen’s death.
On Friday last week, seated at a wooden table in a black suit and tie, he combined personal homage to his mother — “darling mama” — with promises about how he would reign as a ceremonial constitutional monarch.
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“As the queen herself did with such unwavering dedication, I now solemnly commit myself to safeguard the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation for the remainder of the time God provides me,” he added.
He also committed to withdraw from charitable activities and trusts that have previously led to accusations of interference in national politics – a serious issue for a sovereign who is supposed to be neutral.
In another more personal statement, he expressed his “love” for his estranged youngest son Harry and daughter-in-law Meghan, perhaps exacerbating tensions during the national mourning period.
The right-wing Daily Mail described it as “an beautiful and very personal homage,” while former BBC royal journalist Peter Hunt said it was “spot perfect” in one of several complimentary social media comments.
Charles’ next task as master of ceremonies was to witness the transfer of the queen’s body from her Balmoral estate to Edinburgh, be sworn in, and then preside over a ceremony that saw his mother’s casket brought to St. Giles’ cathedral in the Scottish capital on Monday.
Despite his lifelong commitment to environmental concerns, he racked up the air miles by flying between London and Scotland, then to Northern Ireland’s capital Belfast on Tuesday for a meeting with the province’s feuding political leaders.
That trip, and another to Wales on Friday, are designed to demonstrate his commitment to the increasingly strained ties of the United Kingdom amid fears that two of its four nations — Scotland and Northern Ireland — might one day break away.
“I take up my new duties resolved to seek the welfare of all the inhabitants of Northern Ireland,” he said in a speech at Hillsborough Castle.
