King Charles III and Queen Camilla have the chance to unite their warring family members. Will they take it? Photo / Chris Jackson, WPA pool, Getty Images, File
King Charles III and Queen Camilla have the chance to unite their warring family members. Will they take it? Photo / Chris Jackson, WPA pool, Getty Images, File
Opinion
EDITORIAL
Well, the cheering crowds have dispersed, the bunting is being taken down and the barricades packed away after the coronation of King Charles III.
Charles and Camilla have taken charge of the House of Windsor with unanticipated public support.
Only five years ago, a BMG Research poll found 46per cent of Britons wanted Charles to abdicate immediately on his mother’s death, in favour of William.
This has swung around, however, and a 2021 opinion poll reported 60 per cent of the British public held a favourable opinion of Charles. On his accession to the throne, one poll put his popularity with the British people at 42 per cent. More recent polls suggest his popularity has increased even more since he became king.
With that support comes an opportunity for Charles to do what not so long ago might have been considered impossible – to unify his fractured family.
To address the elephant in the room, Charles’ brother Andrew is best kept away from royal duties as long as possible. Andrew’s fall from grace is near complete and it will take some time for the public to warm to him again, if ever. This shouldn’t be too hard as Andrew hasn’t played a role in the royal family since a reported multimillion-dollar payout to Virginia Giuffre to dodge court action over sex abuse claims – something Andrew still denies.
Illustration / Rod Emmerson
The biggest challenge within Charles’ fold is his youngest son Harry and daughter-in-law Meghan.
After the coronation, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are heading to Africa for a new Netflix documentary, and herein lies Charles’ chance to restore some order.
Prince Harry and his wife signed a multimillion-dollar, five-year contract with the streaming service in 2020 and, after the success of their docuseries Harry and Meghan, their next project will have cameras follow them as they visit communities in the region.
The 38-year-old prince has been a regular visitor to Africa over the years and set up his own children’s charity, Sentibale, in Lesotho. The documentary will follow the couple as they work on various causes, including helping to build houses in the villages they visit, with the former Suits actress particularly keen to raise awareness of safe birth practices.
For Charles to speak out in support of his son and daughter-in-law and their charitable work might just begin to build the bridges that close the yawning gap that has widened ever since the so-called Megxit when the Sussexes – who have Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 1, together – sought to step back as members of the royal family.
Prince William is also featuring in his own documentary series on his charity work to help end homelessness, and it would be entirely in keeping for Charles to talk glowingly about both his sons’ work.
The most difficult step in this strategy would be retaining the trust of his Queen, Camilla, who was said to be the most hurt by Harry and Meghan’s disclosures about their troubled times at the palace. All families have tiffs and rifts, few air them so immensely to the world.
However, as Allison Pearson reports today, the love story of Charles and Camilla has endured incredible hardship. Her capacity to cheer Charles up and on has gained her an impressive standing with the public since emerging as the “other woman” during the Diana years.
What a coronation gift that would be; for Camilla to support Charles in the unification of the House of Windsor.
