Was Princess Diana Right That Prince Charles Isn’t Fit to Be King? This Trait Won’t Make Him An ‘Ideal’ Monarch
It’s not something anyone wants to thinks about but there will come a time when Queen Elizabeth II is no longer with us. When that happens her oldest son, Prince Charles, will become king and his leadership style versus his mother’s will be compared for years to come. The prince and queen’s personalities are very different and Princess Diana publicly expressed doubts in the past that her husband was fit for the job.
Well today, experts agree that there is one trait Charles possesses which has some worried he won’t make an “ideal” monarch. Here’s what that is, plus what big changes will come about once Charles ascends the throne.
What Princess Diana said about Charles being king
During her explosive Panorama interview in 1995, the Princess of Wales questioned if Charles was fit for the job when she told Martin Bashir that she didn’t know if the prince was really cut out for such a “suffocating” role.
“Being Prince of Wales produces more freedom now, and being king would be a little bit more suffocating,” the princess said. “And because I know the character I would think that the top job, as I call it, would bring enormous limitations to him, and I don’t know whether he could adapt to that.”
What characteristic Charles possess that Queen Elizabeth II does not?
Charles is a very opinionated person and, unlike his mother, likes to give his opinions on a number of highly-debated topics. The reason that poses a problem is because the monarch is supposed to remain neutral on all political matters.
The Express noted that in the past the Duke of Cornwall has given his opinions on everything from farming to genetic modification to global warming to social deprivation.
“He expresses his opinions to just about everybody and anyone that will listen,” said The Crown creator Peter Morgan. “It’s not necessarily ideal for the monarchy, but it does make him a more interesting person.
Morgan added that “Charles is an independent thinker, which the establishment is not particularly fond of.”
The changes that will occur once Charles is king
There’s no way of knowing exactly what kind of king Charles will be, but we do know that he’s the heir apparent and barring any tragedy will be the next monarch. And when that happens, there will be some pretty big changes for everyone to get used to.
For starters, the national anthem that Brits have known as “God Save the Queen” for more than six decades, will switch and be sung as “God Save the King.”
Another major change will be to the country’s money. In Britain, a photo of the monarch is printed on the currency while they are alive. But once the Prince of Wales becomes king, the British pound will bear Charles’ picture instead.
Finally, speculation has swirled for quite a while that the duke has plans to “slim down the monarchy” when he takes the throne. That seems like a certainty now following Prince Andrew’s disastrous BBC interview and resignation from royal duties.
