It has been almost a year since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, ending the longest reign in British history. Her eldest son and heir, Charles, immediately succeeded to the throne and became King Charles III. As royal expert Daniela Elser jokingly called the "court intern," he finally ascended the throne after more than six decades of waiting.
Now the question is: how has he behaved so far as a monarch? If we rate King Charles, is it A+ or F? Unfortunately, as Daniela Elser points out in her analysis on the news website The Australian News, preliminary results seem to suggest that Charles's reign may be becoming dull.
Daniela Elser noted that the year since Elizabeth's death was a major change for the monarchy. The transition from Elizabeth to Charles represents the end of an era; During the 70 years of the beloved Queen's reign, there was uncertainty about King Charles, who knew almost nothing. According to Daniela Elser, so far, the outlook is not promising.
In the nearly 12 months since Charles ascended the throne, initial enthusiasm has gradually been replaced by suspicion. The early days and weeks that followed Elizabeth's death, which were carefully planned and decorated with bunting, regarded Charles' succession as a poignant and hopeful moment, now seemed long gone.
Daniela Elser asks the apt question: "What is the work of a king?" While she admits it's still early, her assessment is straightforward: "Prognosis? Give him a 'D', it's a bit mediocre. "Maybe a little harsh, but Daniela Elser is not alone in this view. Other royal watchers have expressed similar sentiments, suggesting confidence in the new king is fading.
Daniela Elser believes that Charles has made some worrying mistakes that have raised suspicions. For example, in the fall of 2022, there was a "money for honour" scandal in which Charles' former top aide Michael Fawcett was forced to resign for allegedly promising to grant honor and even British citizenship to a Saudi billionaire who donated £1.5 million to royal charity. While Charles himself was not implicated, it was still a poor start, reigniting criticism of Charles' judgment.
The long-running feud with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has also damaged Charles' reputation. Their explosive Netflix documentary made various accusations against the royal family, making Charles look like an indifferent father. The exposure of this royal scandal led to the perception that Charles appeared cold and ineffective in dealing with family disputes.
The most serious is the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Charles was blamed for failing to urge Andrew to fully cooperate with U.S. authorities in their criminal investigation of Epstein. Andrew's retention of royal status and privileges sparked public outrage and made Charles' image even worse.
On top of that, there are public fears that 74-year-old Charles is too old to be able to effectively connect with modern Britain. His conservative image is out of step with the times. In contrast to Elizabeth's longevity and stability, Charles' accession to the throne in his later years seems to have become an almost overlooked incidental.
Daniela Elser's harsh assessment of Charles now considered "somewhat mediocre" is appropriate. While other royal watchers may not be so direct, they have expressed a similar view, arguing that Charles's reign got off to a rough start. Optimism about Charles has turned into skepticism.
Of course, it's too early. Charles, who has spent his life preparing for this role, should have had more time to find his footing as a monarch. The difficulties of the past year may have been just growing pains rather than harbingers of a failed reign. Charles may find his rhythm and establish himself as the king of success.
But the complaints have undoubtedly begun. Critics in Britain and abroad increasingly called for Charles to give way to William. In some circles, there is a growing perception that Charles has missed an opportunity to build confidence. The first year, while offering some learning experiences, was still disappointing overall.
Only time will tell if Charles will be able to turn things around and prove his ability to become an effective modern monarch. But at the iconic moment of the year, "waste" increasingly seems to be an apt description.
Charles has so far failed to inspire confidence that his reign can rival the glory days of the Elizabethan era. He faces a daunting challenge to be seen as not just a mediocre settler, but someone who reserves the throne for William.
The bunting and short bread boxes celebrating King Charles' accession to the throne have been put away. A year passed, and the early cheers for Charles turned in some places to mockery, calling him a trash. As Daniela Elser put it bluntly, the evaluation of the first year was not rosy for the man who went from court trainee to king.
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