The Front Page: The challenges ahead for King Charles III after coronation
The city of London came to a standstill to celebrate the United Kingdom’s first Coronation in 70 years.
Once everyone has had their fill of Coronation quiche and the jovial mood dies down, the old problems that have long plagued The Firm will again return to the centre of attention.
Even in the lead-up to this event, there were calls from indigenous leaders throughout the Commonwealth demanding an apology from the King for the effects of colonisation.
Reporting from London, NZ Herald lifestyle and entertainment editor Jenni Mortimer tells The Front Page podcast that King Charles III hasn’t been afraid to tackle those bigger issues in the past.
“However, there’s a chance that his views on things will soften a bit now in that he can’t be as opinionated as he’d been in the past. I don’t know if anything is going be tackled within his reign, but I do think there is definitely room for more open dialogue and I think Charles would be happy to have those conversations,” Mortimer says.
Beyond the external pressure on the royal family, there are also internal struggles that King Charles will have to contend with in the coming years.
This was perhaps best reflected by the fact that Princes Harry and Andrew were relegated to the third row in the seating and did not join the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
“Andrew, in particular, is trying to clamber back his role within the family,” says Mortimer.
“He’s really trying to stake his claim and say: ‘I was born into this family, and they should stick with me.’ We’ve seen him a lot since the passing of his mother, trying to weasel his way back in.”
Prince Harry, on the other hand, wants very little to do with the royals.
“Harry left London within hours of the Coronation. He’s not really keen to be around and make amends, so the problems with Harry will ultimately continue far longer than Andrew, who’s just keen for everyone to forgive and forget. And while Andrew’s sins are far greater than anything Harry has done, it seems the family are willing to entertain that conversation far more than the Harry conversation right now,” says Mortimer.
On top of this, the royal family also face growing calls for republicanism around the Commonwealth.
Even before departing for the Coronation, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins reiterated his republican views - but stated that it was not a priority for the current Government to contend with.
So could New Zealand become a republic in the future? Does King Charles have what it takes to keep the Commonwealth together? Can the royal family justify its existence amid the current economic strife around the world? And does this event have the potential to deepen affection for the royal family?
Listen to the full episode of The Front Page to hear more from Mortimer from the centre of the action in London.