Coronation of King Charles III: Commonwealth countries rebel against the new monarch

soldiers

practice in a Surrey military barracks, to march martially, amid all the pomp and circumstance, at

and Queen Camilla.

Soldiers from 33 countries will line up in alphabetical order, from Antigua and Barbuda to Uganda and Zambia, creating a kaleidoscopic display of ceremonial and somewhat imperial dress.

It is the “vintage” effect of an empire, which the British lost and recycled into an institution in crisis today: the Commonwealth, Elizabeth II's most fragile inheritance.

It is probably the last coronation in which many of them participate.

Very few Commonwealth countries want to keep King Charles III as head of state.

They find it "an anachronism" and

From Bangladesh to Belize, more than 400 soldiers from across the Commonwealth have poured into London to march alongside the King as part of the coronation procession.

The formations were impeccable.

The march was seamless and when the order to "rest" finally came, the Kenyans and Maldivians took the opportunity to try on the bearskin hats, worn by the flag-bearing members of the Royal Guards.

It was as exotic to them as the hat feathers on British uniforms.

They took selfies and sent them to their families in Kenya, in New Guinea, in Malaysia.

There will be some new faces at the party, after Togo and Gabon, two French-speaking West African countries, joined the Commonwealth last year.

The then Prince Charles, with the Jamaican honor guard, during his visit in March 2008. Photo: AP

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Malaysian soldiers check their ceremonial uniforms, which they said were cleaned and ironed at the dry cleaner.

They are not used to ironing and polishing their boots.

New member, Lt. Col. Serge Boulingui, 57, said in French that it was "a great pleasure" to represent Gabon.

The same thing happened to Commander Pidjamdeou Aliti, 48, who said his troops were "proud, happy and honored to be participating on behalf of Togo. Both countries are the conquests in Africa of a battle between Britain and France to gain allies.

notable absences

But in this coronation, absences are more important than presences.

India, South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana, three great Commonwealth allies,

.

A gesture too colonial for the taste of their governments, nationalists, closer to Russia and China.

A reminder of the post-colonial movements, which have swept the countries of the former British Empire, in the 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II's last coronation.

Grenada is showing a growing interest in becoming a republic.

The country's prime minister hopes it will be under his leadership.

Asked if there would be a Grenadian republic during his lifetime, Premier Dickson Mitchell said: "I think so."

The 45-year-old prime minister, who has been in office for 10 months, said he is "hopeful" it will happen during his term.

But he ruled out any concrete constitutional changes before 2024.

The British Empire in the 21st century

As King Charles prepares to take the crown, Britain's relationship with its former empire becomes

Addressing the organization for Commonwealth Day in March, the King spoke of the organization's "extraordinary potential".

"Ours is an association not only of shared values, but of common purpose and joint action," said the monarch.

However, recent events have raised questions about the Commonwealth's unity on some of the biggest challenges facing its members.

"We are at a crossroads," says Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou of the ODI global affairs think tank.

"Vaccine inequity around the Covid pandemic has left a very sour taste in the mouths of many Commonwealth members. There is also a feeling that richer countries are not paying their fair share of funding climatic”.

Commonwealth flags, during a rehearsal for the coronation ceremony of Charles III.

Photo: AP

“I don't think the Commonwealth will necessarily survive as a real, living, relevant entity if some of these structural inequalities aren't addressed,” he warned.

As of the end of April, the average lowest-income Commonwealth country only vaccinated 42% of its population, compared to 90% in the highest-income Commonwealth countries.

Activists blame wealthier countries for not providing the vaccines that lower-income countries say they need.

Meanwhile, many members of the Commonwealth have also called for much stronger action on climate change.

With island nations, such as Tonga and Tuvalu, at risk of being submerged by rising sea levels.

Ukraine, Russia and China

Others

for its historic role in the slave trade.

Barbados, which ousted the queen as its head of state in 2021, is seeking reparations from British families who benefited from the swap, including Conservative MP Richard Drax.

But one of the biggest divisions that has emerged is over Britain's leading role in supporting Ukraine.

or condemn the invasion of Russia.

The UN has debated 19 resolutions on the war since it began.

Although the UK has voted against Russia on every occasion, only five other Commonwealth members have.

No member has fully supported the invasion.

But nine have carefully remained neutral, and have never voted against Russia.

That includes India, which is currently in the process of reaching a free trade agreement with Russia, and South Africa, which participated in joint military exercises with Russia and China earlier this year.

These divisions put King Charles in a difficult position.

, describing the invasion of Russia as "unconscionable".

The king has also made his views clear on China's human rights record.

As Prince of Wales, he made headlines by turning down a banquet for President Xi Jinping during his state visit to the UK in 2015.

The new monarch will also have to tread carefully in this area.

At the UN, most Commonwealth countries have tended to side with China on contentious human rights issues.

Only two (Canada and Australia) have sided with the UK since 2018. By contrast, seven members have never supported the UK position.

At a key meeting of the UN human rights council in October last year, the UK was the only Commonwealth member to vote to hold a debate on the mass detention of Uyghur Muslims in China. Three members of the Commonwealth abstained, while four voted against.

The motion failed by just two votes.

China's economic influence is growing.

It is not hard to see why many Commonwealth countries might choose to lend China their diplomatic support.

Thirty years ago the UK economy was more than twice the size of China's.

As of 2022,

As a result, its influence as a partner in trade, lending, and arms sales has never been greater.

Flags fly in London to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

Photo: AP

economic collapse 

Britain's decline as a major arms dealer is a story that has played out across the Commonwealth.

In particular, this is a distinctly British phenomenon: Europe and the US have largely held their ground.

This

, much deeper than that experienced by Europe or the United States, has also been seen in trade as a whole.

In 1900 the UK was by far the largest trading partner of South Africa, Australia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, buying 42% of their combined exports.

By 2022, he was buying just 2%.

Neither Europe nor the US have experienced such a drastic decline in their economic importance to the Commonwealth.

Republicans prevail

Citizens in six of the 15 Commonwealth realms, which recognize the King as head of state,

according to a poll.

Canada, Australia, the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Solomon Islands, and Antigua and Barbuda would choose to become republics if a referendum were held tomorrow, according to a poll by Lord Ashcroft.

Barbados has already become a republic.

The "retro" visit of the princes of Wales to Jamaica and the Caribbean turned into a mess, with the population demanding a republic,

In one of his first moves, Carlos III ordered an investigation into the slave trade and the royal family.

The survey, which interviewed 22,000 people and involved focus groups in the 15 countries where Carlos is head of state, found that the majority would choose to remain constitutional monarchies.

However, there are significant republican elements in all of them.

Great Britain is preparing with all pomp for the coronation of King Charles III.

Photo: AP

The most strongly monarchical country, surpassing even England, is the small Pacific island nation of Tuvalu.

With a population of 11,000 and an area of ​​just 10 square miles, it would vote 71 percent to 26 percent to remain a constitutional monarchy.

The figure in England is 57 percent in favor and 22 percent against.

Yet the

, with 59 percent saying they would choose to change their constitution to abolish the monarchy.

In focus groups, voters said the main thing the royal family could do to stay relevant was to be present.

A respondent in the Solomon Islands said: “Please visit us often.

Look how the Solomon Islands are, how we are living.

Infrastructure, education: what should be improved?

And more investment from the UK and exports from the Solomon Islands to the UK.”

The visits of the kings are isolated and many countries were never visited by Queen Elizabeth II, their head of state.

The new queen Camila fears plane flights and hot countries.

She won't be visiting the Commonwealth often.

One of the biggest problems facing the Commonwealth is

Britain's

One voter in Jamaica said: "If the King says: 'I decree that all Jamaicans can come to Britain without a visa', the argument is over."

However, even in countries that want to become republics, voters do not decide what they would prefer instead.

Some fear that establishing a republic will take years.

King Charles, with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, and other authorities from Africa and the Caribbean, this Friday in London.

Photo: REUTERS

“We often find a tension between, on the one hand, the people's vision of their national character, their desire to assert their independence and the desire to break with historical errors, and, on the other hand, the stability and tranquility that the monarchy still delivers," Ashroft said.

A participant in Australia said: “An Australian ceremonial president might be more relatable.

“He'd probably drink beer out of his boots, like the guy three houses down.

Whereas I don't know anyone in my life who would say, “oh, you remind me of Prince Charles”.

divided opinions

The report divides voters in the 15 nations into five groups: committed monarchists, mainstream monarchists, neutral pragmatists, modern day Republicans and angry abolitionists.

Of these, "angry abolitionists" make up the largest single group, accounting for 25 percent of people in the Commonwealth realms.

They show little or no preference towards royalty.

Including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who draw warmer sentiments from modern day Republicans.

Committed Royalists make up 23 percent of the population

.

They believe that the monarchy is a good thing and, in some cases, the main source of stability in their country.

In Tuvalu, 72 percent of voters said the monarchy brought stability to the country and 75 percent said the King could unite voters of all persuasions.

London correspondent

BC

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