King Charles' Honeymoon Is Over

Public discourse in Britain over whether King Charles III should one day abdicate in favor of his eldest son, Prince William, shows that the honeymoon period of his reign with the British public is over, a new episode of Newsweek's The Royal Report podcast has discussed.

The subject of abdication and the monarchy arose earlier this month when Denmark's Queen Margrethe II announced unexpectedly in her New Year's address that, after 52 years, she was standing down as sovereign and passing the throne to her eldest son on just two weeks' notice.

Margrethe formally ceased being queen on January 14, at which time her son and daughter-in-law became the new King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark.

In response to this news, discussions have arisen over whether the monarchs of other European nations should abdicate in old age, in favor of their younger (and in many cases extremely popular) heirs. And nowhere has this happened more than in Britain.

King Charles acceded to his throne at the age of 73 in 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II who ruled for 70 years, becoming Britain's longest-serving sovereign. The queen swore at the age of 21 she would dedicate her entire life to the service of her people and so died in office, leaving Charles as the oldest royal to have inherited the throne.

Britain has had only one king in modern history to electively abdicate, and that was Charles' great-uncle King Edward VIII. Edward gave up the throne to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson, leaving his brother Albert (George VI) to rule in his place.

The abdication crisis of 1936 was a scandal that rocked Britain and the monarchy, seen by many as a shameful example of dereliction of duty. It would appear, however, as highlighted on the Royal Report, that according to recent developments, public attitude towards this could be shifting and that the boost in support and popularity given to Charles after his accession has neutralized.

Newsweek's chief royal correspondent Jack Royston told listeners that the British press took "easily" to discussing Charles and the possibility of future abdication in favor of Prince William in a way that would not, and did not, happen in connection with his mother, Queen Elizabeth, during her lifetime.

"There were TV debates, headlines on the papers. They really seemed to capture people's imaginations," he said, going on to reference the fact that abdication had even been discussed in relation to William.

A recently published biography suggested that William may not wish to become the head of the Church of England when he is king, a position formed by the Tudor King Henry VIII, as he is not as religious as his father or grandmother. In response to this a former royal chaplain appeared on British TV suggesting that if William didn't wish to fulfill this role, he may as well abdicate in favor of someone who would.

"Obviously, saying all these things about Queen Elizabeth II would have been completely unthinkable," Royston said.

"She was so revered, and yet some of the most monarchist outlets seem perfectly happy to have all these discussions during what you might expect would be a honeymoon period for Charles. You know it's right at the beginning of his reign, we've just had succession. He definitely got a PR bounce in the immediate aftermath, and he had another PR bounce when it was his coronation, and that seems to have dissolved quite quickly and already people are straight onto talking about the possibility that he might go or William could go now."

So far, King Charles has made no comment regarding abdication, and it is likely that he will follow his mother and predecessors' examples of ruling until his death.

In his first address to the nation as monarch, he referenced his mother's pledge to serve for life.

"As the queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation," he said from Buckingham Palace on September 9, 2022.

"And wherever you may live in the United Kingdom, or in the realms and territories across the world, and whatever may be your background or beliefs, I shall endeavor to serve you with loyalty, respect and love, as I have throughout my life."

Newsweek has approached Buckingham Palace via email for comment.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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