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Coronation: 'Charles III's popularity remains much better than that of most elected leaders'

2023-05-05T15:28:15.924Z


INTERVIEW – While the coronation of Charles III will take place this May 6 in London, the president of the association of British conservatives in Paris Jeremy Stubbs sees in the perpetuation of an institution of twelve centuries, a magnificent affront to those who would like to erase any trace of...


Jeremy Stubbs is president of the Association of British Curators in Paris and deputy editor of the journal

Causeur

.

THE

FIGARO.

- Saturday, May 6, Charles III will be crowned king, 70 years after the coronation of his mother.

How is Charles III perceived by the British as a monarch?

Jeremy Stubbs.

-

As a monarch, his mother set the bar very high, but by all accounts, King Charles' debut was very successful.

According to a recent Ipsos poll, 49% of Britons think he is doing a good job as king.

It was 61% in September and December 2022, but the monarch's approval rating is still variable.

Moreover, in terms of general satisfaction, 57% approve of his performance.

Enough to make democratically elected presidents jealous.

The image of the monarchy did not crumble under Charles's reign, as some Republican activists had hoped.

Read alsoCharles III: the secrets of a king

According to a YouGov/BBC poll, 58% of Britons prefer a monarchy to an elected head of state, compared to 26% who prefer the latter option.

Charles' problem is with young people: only 32% of his subjects between the ages of 18 and 24 are for the monarchy while 38% are against it.

Yet these young skeptics are wrong in that Charles's concerns align much more with theirs than the concerns of most politicians and other heads of state.

And then, young people often change their minds… as they get older.

Is he up to the task incumbent upon him henceforth?

Charles, who is now 74, became heir to the throne aged three.

After all these decades of public life, he knows his job.

He knows how to demonstrate this dignity which is the

sine qua non

of the action of a monarch.

However, he remains very approachable and handles humor with as much success as his mother.

This is what emerges from the testimonies of politicians and lambda citizens who met him (an audio anthology of these testimonies is available on the BBC website).

At the same time, he has something to please the new generations if they take the trouble to take an interest in him.

Because for a long time, he has displayed completely progressive opinions.

His coronation is supposed to reflect his concerns.

By halving the duration of the ceremony, and limiting the guests to 2,000, rather than the 8,000 of the coronation of Elizabeth II, he announces to the world that he is ready to save money.

And the choice of guests gives a large place to the employees of

After a existence of twelve centuries, the British monarchy is arguably the oldest western institution outside the churches.

Its existence is a magnificent affront to those who would destroy all that is old and enduring.

Jeremy Stubbs

Having less popularity with ethnic minorities, he has just announced that there will be an investigation into the historical links between the monarchy and slavery, which could be the prelude to the payment of reparations.

But it is especially in the field of ecology that he has been campaigning for a long time and well before the birth of today's young activists.

He is campaigning against global warming: even his Aston Martin runs on bioethanol.

He practices organic farming himself and talks to his plants.

Fascinated by architecture, he pleads for the construction of housing in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

On the May 6 invitation, there is a rather unusual face.

It is that of the "green man" (Green Man),

a Sylvan deity who is present in France in folk literature but who, in England, is the subject of numerous sculpted representations adorning old churches.

It is also a very common pub sign.

The choice of this character with pagan origins caused controversy, but it is very much Charles.

He has an image of a picky dandy, but he's also a rather eccentric green mystic.

He is a king with a traditionalist and avant-garde faith.

He has an image of a picky dandy, but he's also a rather eccentric green mystic.

He is a king with a traditionalist and avant-garde faith.

He has an image of a picky dandy, but he's also a rather eccentric green mystic.

He is a king with a traditionalist and avant-garde faith.

Can the monarchy as we conceive it die out with Elizabeth?

Such speculation surfaced when the queen passed away but the monarchy continues as before, without serious challenge.

Its position at the heart of the UK Constitution makes it more than just an institution to be abolished overnight.

It would take a revolution – not à la française, but legal and institutional – to put an end to it.

A question that is raised periodically is that of the financing of the monarchy.

According to the YouGov/BBC poll quoted above, 54% of Britons find the monarchy to be good value for money.

Charles has a personal fortune – estimates vary between 700 million euros and two billion – but it would be difficult for the state to confiscate it from him.

The image of the monarchy took a hit after Harry's revelations,

Professor Christian Monjou asserts that “no human community lasts without symbols”.

Is this the reason for the global fascination that the British monarchy still exerts in our time?

After a existence of twelve centuries, the British monarchy is arguably the oldest western institution outside the churches.

Its existence is a magnificent affront to those who would destroy all that is old and enduring, leaving only that which is recent and untested.

The coronation ceremony has something magical that comes to us from the dawn of time.

In particular, the anointing represents a mystery of a religious order.

His power, quite real, depends on his personal ability to handle the symbolic dimension of his role.

In more modern terms, it is

soft power

.

Jeremy Stubbs

There are five areas where the symbolism of the monarchy is traditionally powerful: (i) human procreation, present in the notion of lineage: Charles, despite everything, has a more popular heir than himself, William;

(ii) nature: his ancestors were obsessed with hunting, Charles with ecology;

(iii) military life: Charles served as an officer and still wears uniform;

(iv) the pomp that projects the majesty, not only of the monarch, but of the state: May 6 should be exemplary of this;

(v) finally, charitable works: the action of Charles as a patron is as constant and indefatigable as that of his mother.

Will King Charles be a powerless king?

His power, quite real, depends on his personal ability to handle the symbolic dimension of his role.

In more modern terms, it is

soft power

.

We saw this

soft power

at work during the reception he organized for influential personalities before COP27, which he was unable to attend.

Read alsoBefore Charles III, who were Kings Charles I and Charles II?

Or even during his visit to Germany in March, which aroused great enthusiasm on the part of the Germans, suggesting the beginning of a new era of friendship after the tensions of Brexit.

Does the stability of the constitutional monarchy contrast with the instability of the conservative party?

Is this one of the reasons for its success?

If twelve centuries of monarchy are impressive, thirteen years in power for a political party are not negligible.

But what shines here is the difference between the long time of a lasting political tradition and the short time of successive governments.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2023-05-05

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