2023-04-24 13:47:39
- Jane Corbin & Sean Coughlan
- BBC Panorama
image source, Getty Images
Carlos III will be crowned on May 6.
The British monarchy is currently in a moment of transition. The long reign of Elizabeth II went through moments of great family turmoil, but it was mostly a period of stability and continuity for the monarchy. Now there is a new king.
But is public opinion about the monarchy also changing?
Recent visits by King Charles have seen protesters against the monarchy as well as people who support the new reign.
These anti-monarchy groups acknowledge that they probably would not have carried out these protests when Queen Elizabeth II was alive, because of the risk of antagonizing the public. But now the situation is different.
To gauge the public’s mood before the coronation, the BBC’s Panorama program commissioned a new survey opinion to YouGov.
The results show a broad support for keep the monarchy: he 58% prefer it instead of an elected head of state (supported by 26%).
However, behind these figures, the survey points to a change in attitude, with clear challenges for the new king in terms of popularity, especially at the beginning.
youth disinterest
In particular, the monarchy seems to have a problem attracting youths.
While 78% of people over the age of 75 support the monarchy, only 32% of people between the ages of 18 and 24 think the same.
More people within this group (38%) would prefer to have an elected head of state than a monarchy, although 30% did not have a clear opinion on the matter.
image source, Getty Images
The royal family together on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during a Royal Air Force display in 2019, on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday.
Indifference can be as much a problem as opposition. 78% of the younger age group said “not be interested” in the royal family.
Problems
What then are the difficult problems facing the new kingdom?
The wealth of the royal familyamid great pressure from the rising cost of living, is a factor that seems to create a sharp divide between the different age groups.
54% of people in this online survey of 4,592 British adults say the monarchy has a positive value, compared with 32% who think it has a negative value.
But, among young people (18 to 24 years old), 40% think that the monarchy is not good from the quality/price point of view, while 36% think the opposite.
“The number of palaces is absurd. Frankly, you need a palace for state events, Buckingham Palace, and maybe one more for when they want to spend time in the countryside,” says Norman Baker, a former Liberal Democrat minister and critic of how the monarchy is financed.
image source, Getty Images
Although Carlos III is recognized for his defense of environmental protection, many criticize his use of helicopters and private jets.
The politician also highlights what he calls the excessive use of helicopters and private jets when the king is giving “lessons to people about climate change.”
These accusations are denied by Lord Nicholas Soames, a friend of the King for many years, who says that only one helicopter is used for a “very good cause” in public events.
Constitutional expert Sir Vernon Bogdanor also does not accept criticism of funding.
“I think the royal family generally offers very good value for money. And the only people who get money are those who perform public functions.”
However the public questions spendingas highlighted by another YouGov poll from last week, which revealed that most people do not believe that the government should pay for the coronation.
The government will not reveal how much it will cost, in terms of public spending, until after the event.
Limits between public and private funding
There have also been recent journalistic investigations into royal funding that have questioned the boundaries between private and public funding of the monarchy, including the status of the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwell, which (each) generate over $25 million in royal benefits.
image source, Getty Images
The wealth of the royal family is also a controversial topic.
According to Baker, these lands and properties should be considered as “public goods” and “money generated by them in terms of profits should go to the taxpayer to finance public services”, rather than “diverted to royal coffers”.
In response, Buckingham Palace says the Duchy of Cornwell funds public, private and charitable activities for the heir to the throne, while the Duchy of Lancaster helps finance the sovereign so that he is not a “burden on the State”.
Anna Whitelock, a City University historian exploring the place of the monarchy in today’s UK, questions why a new monarch doesn’t have to pay the tax on successions by the death of a previous sovereign.
But Buckingham points out that decisions about funding and taxes are made by the government, not the royal family.
However, doubts about the lack of transparency of royal finances are likely to continue, and the magnitude of the uncertainty is evident in the differing conclusions of two separate recent journalistic investigations into the king’s wealth: one that claims it amounts to 600 million pounds (about US$747 million) and another to £1.8 billion (US$2,242 million).
Questions about money could fuel questions about how much the royals can empathize with the experiences of the public.
The survey of British adults commissioned by Panorama – carried out between April 14 and 17 – showed that more people believe that the king “it’s far from reality” (45% over 36%).
image source, Getty Images
For supporters of the monarchy, there are hundreds of commemorative decorations already on sale in anticipation of the coronation.
But the king has worked for decades through his charities to support underprivileged families, and Martina Milburn, former CEO of the Prince’s Trust (a non-profit organization founded by Charles III), praised his ability to communicate with a wide range of people.
“I’ve literally been with him in prisons, in juvenile halls, in workplaces, and he can make that connection, it’s quite extraordinary,” he says.
Although Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy group Republic, believes the polls reflect a level of opposition to the monarchy which is usually underestimated. “Throughout the country there are millions of people who want to abolish the monarchy,” she says.
accusations of racism
Another particularly sensitive area for the royal family concerns perceptions of their attitudes towards racism.
From the relationship with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to the high-profile spat over the treatment of black NGO founder Ngozi Fulani at a reception at Buckingham Palace, this has been a thorny issue.
image source, Getty Images
“Not my king,” read the banners of these two anti-monarchists who took part in an anti-monarchy protest in York on April 6.
The YouGov survey reveals the scale of this challenge: the 40% of people from ethnic minorities wanted an elected head of state instead of a monarchy.
The percentage was even higher – 49% – when that group was asked if the royals had “a problem with racism and diversity”. The total percentage of people who responded to that question – regardless of their ethnic origin – was 32%.
Lord Soames emphatically rejects any suggestion of racism. “There is not a drop of racism in the king,” he points out.
Buckingham Palace says the king and royal house treat all issues of racism and diversity very seriously, pointing to the “swift and robust” response to the Ngozi Fulani dispute as evidence.
It also says that they have conducted a review of their policies on diversity and inclusion.
Colonialism and slavery
But this is also an issue that affects relations outside the UK, including the Commonwealth of Nations, where questions are being raised about the legacy of colonialism and slavery.
image source, Getty Images
In November, King Charles attended an art exhibition in the city of Leeds that explored the UK’s role in slavery.
In a speech to Commonwealth leaders in Rwanda last year, then-Prince Charles spoke of the “depth of his personal grief” over the pain caused by the slave trade.
In another speech – during the visit last autumn of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa – the king said: “We must acknowledge the mistakes that have shaped our past if we are to discover the power of our common future.”
However, Hilary Beckles, a Barbadian historian and chair of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Reparations Commission, says more action is needed because, at present, relations between the monarchy and the Caribbean they are “tense”.
“That tension can be easily alleviated by the king if he takes the path of restorative justice, which starts with the language of apologies, and then turns into practical, day-to-day activities that will help promote economic development in the Caribbean,” he explains.
Buckingham Palace says Historic Royal Palaces – a charity charged with preserving six sites including the Tower of London and Kensington Palace – is a partner in an independent research project exploring links between the British monarchy and the slave trade.
King Charles takes the issue deeply seriously, he says.
Pattern
The Panorama survey may raise questions about whether it is a time of change for the monarchy. But it also shows a kind of image of continuity.
The overall results show a broad support for the monarchy, along with a sizeable minority of skeptics.
Many surveys done over the years show something similar.
The popularity of the royal seems to have peaked around 2011-2012the time of the wedding of Prince William and Kate, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
image source, Getty Images
The book published by Prince Harry was a blow to the popularity of the monarchy.
In the following years there was a downward trendand the disputes that arose as a result of the publication of the book Spare Prince Harry earlier this year dealt a blow to the royal’s approval ratings. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t recover.
Everything will also depend on how long the young will maintain their current trend of growing lack of enthusiasm for the monarchy.
The long-running annual survey called British Social Attitudes previously found that people tend to be more sympathetic to the monarchy as they get older.
The new reign will be watching those changes closely, hoping that pattern continues.
image source, Getty Images
Remember that you can receive notifications from BBC Mundo. Download the new version of our app and activate them so you don’t miss out on our best content.
#Charles #III #popular #British #monarchy #reign