World News: Queen Elizabeth II and The Weight of Inheritance

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Category: World News - Europe

Published on Friday, 09 September 2022 11:08

Written by Olivier Longhi

The death of Queen Elizabeth of England propelled Prince Charles to the throne of a monarchy whose modernization was long overdue. King Charles III, who by his actions, will inherit the unofficial title of a great king . . .or not.

With the death of Elizabeth II, also disappears one of the last great witnesses of the twentieth century. The British sovereign will have known the Second World War, the Cold War, the decolonization of India and Africa where the United Kingdom was more than a stakeholder, the construction and fall of the Berlin Wall, the assassination of John Kennedy... The list is long because it is non-exhaustive.

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's Longest Reigning Monarch, Dies

The grandmother of the British people therefore leaves the stage through the big door, she who had been enthroned Queen of England almost by break-in, some would say by an accident of   British dynastic history. But now the question of succession arises, more precisely that king will be Charles III of England. Elizabeth II, so sympathetic with her flowery robs, her sometimes extravagant hats and her enigmatic smile, had nevertheless corseted a monarchy that she wanted in her image: smooth, exemplary and without scandal capable of tarnishing it.

Modernity and Tik-Tok

If the sovereign has been able to remain above the vicissitudes of the monarchy, scandals, and failures to set an example have not been lacking. Far from it. But unperturbed, the Queen of England has stayed the course so that the image of the crown is never fundamentally altered. The new king, necessarily more modern than the late queen, would only be in view of their respective ages, will have the heavy task of adapting the monarchy to the XXI already well launched. Not that Charles III is involved in the production of   Tik-Tok videos or other influencer activities, but in a totally integrated world, crossed by multiple tremors with global and geopolitical repercussions.

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Charles of England will soon have to involve the British monarchy in the march of the world. If Elizabeth II never   gave up her reserve, often at her expense elsewhere, King Charles III knew he was obliged to be much more active and communicative. than was the sovereign. Does this mean that Charles III will be more politically active, using his royal prerogatives to the limit? No one knows it yet, but the man aware of his age, will also have to transmit to his son William a throne in tune with the world and not pas huddled in the soft comfort of the salons of Buckingham.

Respect and Seriousness

Queen Elizabeth II, heir in 1952 to a monarchy still at the head of a huge colonial empire and lulled by the hints of a bygone Victorian age, had sought to insulate British royalty in a centuries-old tradition. inviting respect and gravity of the institution.

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Although in no way threatened in its foundations, the British people still remain very attached to the institution of monarchy, it will nevertheless be necessary for Charles III to show great skill in preserve the ancestral heritage protected and transmitted by the deceased sovereign while opening her to the challenges of her time. Numerous, often complex, and violent, these same challenges will be for Charles III rites of passage starting with the climate and environmental issue, to which the former Prince Charles was, and still is, very attached. There is no doubt that the man will be expected on the subject and this in two ways.

First as a fervent supporter of the defense of the environment, then as king. The scope and strength of his word, on this subject, as on others, will be the witness of his involvement and especially of the role he intends to play. In short, will make you read one greater king or king in the history of the British monarchy.

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Bio: Olivier Longhi has extensive experience in European history. A seasoned journalist with fifteen years of experience, he is currently professor of history and geography in the Toulouse region of France. He has held a variety of publishing positions, including Head of Agency and Chief of Publishing. A journalist, recognized blogger, editor, and editorial project manager, he has trained and managed editorial teams, worked as a journalist for various local radio stations, a press and publishing consultant, and a communications consultant.