Although the British monarch has no formal power, his figure and symbols are a prominent part of Britain’s public image. The rise of a new person to even the symbolic leader of the country requires countless changes to the objects in use as well as to the formalities of the administration.
More broadly, the queen of Elizabeth II death and the king of Charles III accession to the throne is a watershed event that will determine the new direction and role of the monarchy both in Britain and internationally.
We listed five things that are changing with the change of scepter.
1. The remnant of the British Empire is crumbling
In the video above, Prince Charles visited the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu in 2018, where a traditional grass garment was fitted around his loins. Vanuatu is part of a remnant of the British Empire, the Commonwealth, which Charles, like his mother, is now to formally lead.
There are big questions about the future of the Commonwealth. It is a community of more than 50 countries consisting of Britain and its former colonies. The British monarch is still the official head of state of 14 former countries.
Just hours after the Queen’s passing, an Australian politician and opponent of the British monarchy posted a tweet that has attracted attention.
He offered his condolences to the royal family, but at the same time suggested that Australia’s official head of state would no longer be the British monarch.
– Now Australia has to move on. We need a treaty with indigenous peoples and we need to become a republic, Australian Green Party Chair Adam Bandt wrote.
Even many Australians who support Bandt’s position have considered the timing of the exit to be rude. Also the prime minister in favor of the transition to a republic Anthony Albanese said that now is not the time for this discussion.
In many Commonwealth countries, however, the time for discussion may be soon.
Especially in the Caribbean, getting rid of the British royals from the position of head of state has been a goal for a long time. Barbados became a republic already last year, and at least Jamaica’s republican aspirations are now getting a new boost from the change of power.
– In the countries of the Commonwealth, the monarchy is treated significantly differently than in Britain. It involves more critical tones that arise from these countries’ own history, says the academy researcher Timo Miettinen From the Center for European Studies at the University of Helsinki.
In the constitutions of many countries, the queen is mentioned as the head of state. of the Guardian magazine (you will switch to another service) according to which the laws now have to be changed to refer to the king. At the same time, in many countries the question may arise as to whether there is any reason to keep the British monarch as head of state at all.
According to Miettinen, the white and upper-class British monarchy has maintained colonialist settings, although Elizabeth also did a lot of humanitarian work for the Commonwealth of Nations.
– History cannot be erased. The monarchy has played a central role in consolidating and justifying colonialism, says Miettinen.
The Jamaican government, for example, intends to demand billions in compensation from Britain for the slave trade that continued until the 19th century, reports news agency Reuters. An estimated 600,000 people were brought to the island from Africa in chains to be slaves on British sugar and banana plantations.
2. A new face for money and stamps
Perhaps the most immediate change for the citizens is the new lyrics of the country’s national anthem. God save the Queen, which was used during Queen Elizabeth’s reign, changes to correspond to the male monarch, i.e. to God save the King.
There is also a big change ahead for British coins and banknotes. Once Buckingham Palace has approved the portrait of the new king, it will be printed on British coins and banknotes. There are 4.5 billion banknotes with Elizabeth’s image in circulation, so it is estimated that it will take at least two years to replace the banknotes In Guardian (you switch to another service).
What is known about the money decorated by King Charles is at least that the monarch looks in the opposite direction than his predecessor. This is a centuries-old custom. It was introduced already in 1660, when the monarchy was restored to Britain of Oliver Cromwell after the republic led by
Elisabet has looked at the money from right to left, so Charles will look at his own money from left to right.
Elisabet’s face has decorated, among other things, some banknotes issued by Canada and New Zealand and the Central Bank of the Eastern Caribbean. In these countries, new banknotes with the image of the new ruler will be introduced at some point in time.
In the future, the image of King Charles will also appear on British stamps.
3. Will the coat of arms of the Kingdom change?
In the street scene, the new ruler will be visible through his monograms. A monogram refers to a composition of letters that forms the ruler’s symbol.
In Britain, Queen Elizabeth’s monogram can be seen on various flags, mailboxes and police uniforms, among other things.
Elizabeth’s monogram is EIIR, which comes from her official name Elizabeth II Regina.
King Charles will eventually adopt his own monogram.
Changing monograms is slow. GR monograms (George Rex) from the time of Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, can still be seen in places.
There are also hundreds of companies in Britain that have had the honor of supplying their products to the court. There are always “court suppliers” from plumbing contractors to diamond jewelry suppliers and gardening. After the queen’s death, the “courtiers” lose their status. The new ruler can decide himself which companies will receive a “royal warrant”, the rank of a court procurer.
King Charles can decide on a possible change to the coat of arms of the United Kingdom.
The current coat of arms has four parts, one of which has the symbol of Scotland, a lion rampant, one has a harp symbolizing Ireland, and two parts with the emblems of England, three lions rampant.
Wales does not have its own symbol on the coat of arms. Charles might want to include Wales in his coat of arms.
4. The object of the oath of loyalty changes
In Britain, it is often customary to recite the oath of allegiance to the monarch.
According to the country’s laws, for example, members of parliament may not speak or vote in parliament, or receive remuneration for their membership, unless they swear “before Almighty God full loyalty to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her descendants and successors”.
In the same way, those who swear to join the armed forces wash themselves. The Scouts of Britain promise to “do their duty to the Queen”.
People who receive British citizenship are also expected to swear an oath of loyalty to the queen, although the Ministry of the Interior is believed to change this regulation, says the Guardian.
The ruler of the country is also the head of the Church of England. There are several ceremonies within the church that specifically mention Queen Elizabeth. These wordings can only be changed by law or royal order. This was the last time it was done when Queen Elizabeth’s mother, the Queen Mother, died in 2002.
In the church, among other things, a prayer for the ruler is collected, in which God is asked to “lead the heart of your chosen servant Elizabeth, our queen and ruler, so that she would seek above all your [Jumalan] your honor and highness”. The wording can only be changed by the church council.
5. The monarchy must justify its existence
Queen Elizabeth, especially towards the end of her life, was remarkably popular with the people – more popular than the rest of the royal family and the monarchy in general.
After Elizabeth’s death, the monarchy may have to defend its legitimacy, i.e. the justification for its existence.
– The legitimacy of the monarchy will certainly be discussed in the future. However, it is good to remember that even though the monarchy has a long tradition in Britain, so does limiting its power, academy researcher Miettinen says.
He does not see a problem in the credibility of the new king in the eyes of the common people.
– If the queen’s death had happened in the mid-1990s, when Charles was in the middle of the worst marital crises, the situation could be different.
As Prince Charles, he was known for his political stances and especially campaigning for the environment. He has promised to stop expressing political opinions as king.
However, even Elisabet took a stand on climate change and environmental issues. According to Miettinen, Charles may well continue to take this line of statements on topics that do not strongly divide the nation.
At the same time, the role of the royal family is changing and narrowing. Prince Harry and the duchess Meghan have retired from royal responsibilities. Prince Andrew has been purged from public view due to embarrassing scandals.
– In the future, more responsibility will be placed on Charles and the queen consort Camilla’s and the crown prince William’s on the shoulders of the family, Miettinen believes.
According to him, the nature of the monarchy changes with the demands of each time. From Elizabeth’s father From George VI during the Second World War, firmness was expected, but after the war, Elizabeth was expected to be gentle and considerate. In the future, it is hoped that the royals will perhaps be more popular and less remote.
According to Miettinen, the wealth of the royal family and the role of taxpayers in maintaining their standard of living will probably be examined more critically than before.
– Different times produce different virtues of kings.
Read more:
The latest information about the change of ruler in Britain
How the world reacted to Queen Elizabeth’s death – See how Harry Styles screamed at the crowd in New York and the cannons roared in London
King Charles III is Britain’s oldest monarch to be crowned
In this order, members of the royal family are now in line for the throne