I had an article ready to write, at least outlined in my head and just needing to be fleshed out with words. And then poof, the unbelievable happened, QEII died. A mere 48 hours earlier she was inviting the new Primer Minister to serve and she was looking good for 96 years old. She was standing with a cane but her hair was coiffed nicely, her makeup was perfect and smiling that famous smile. I knew she had been slowing down but, at 96, she is allowed. So at first I was scoffing the early reports on Sept. 8 about the Queen’s family being called to her bedside. “Well, that can’t be right” went through my mind. But as the day wore on, and even the erstwhile Prince Harry was on his way to Balmoral, I realized that this was no false alarm. When the somber announcement came, it left me wondering where Britain goes from here.
It occurred to me that Elizabeth may be a hard act to follow no matter who the heir might be. She was active in World War II, getting her hands dirty, changing tires on Army Jeeps and not being exiled to safety. Seeing the pictures of her in WWII, I don’t think she wanted to be anywhere else but helping her countrymen defeat the enemy. She was there for her country. By all accounts, she was a steady hand on the ship of state and and was not afraid to bring her faith to the conversation (https://www.toddstarnes.com/religion/12-times-queen-elizabeth-spoke-boldly-about-her-christian-faith/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=todd-starnes-newsletter&utm_campaign=breaking&utm_content=firefly). Even through the many escapades of her children which might have been a trial to anyone, she weathered the storm with outward dignity and grace.
I am a bit of an anglophile having read quite a lot of British history and visited the isles on multiple occasions. I love the history and the countryside and even the sheep meandering and grazing on those hillsides. I really love the pubs, especially in small villages where people will sit down and chat with you. They love Americans with their American “accent”. The pomp and circumstance surrounding the royal family is something I find fascinating, if not a bit extravagant. Signs of royalty are everywhere. On the signage, on the money, in the shops and even on many shopping bags, logos give a shout out to the royals. And the Brits, at least many of them, loved their queen well. She represented a firm, steady, consistent hand on the helm of the ship of state. And regardless of what atrocity occurred in the nether regions of the world, no matter what peccadillos her duplicitous children might have committed for all the world to see, she just kept calm and carried on. There’s something re-assuring about the ability to do that and certainly that’s big reason her subjects loved her so well.
It is because she maintained such a sure and steady hand for the past 70 years that now, I cannot help but wonder about how Britain will fare under King Charles III. I’m not sure why, but I thought about Charles’ ancestor, Charles I, who quarreled with Parliament, had no concept of what his subjects needed or wanted (nor did he care), and who, when given a chance to change his ways, doubled down on his waywardness. He was summarily beheaded and the monarchy suspended for about 11 years. This period of the English Civil War was a very hard time for Britain because Charles I was such a poor monarch. With all the current problems in the world today, Britain needs that sure hand, that calm demeanor and consistent leadership on the world stage. The only question is, can Charles III deliver it, or will he go the path of political overreach in an agenda-driven direction?
I’ve heard reports that the people of Britain will respond positively to Camilla who will have that
“Keep Calm and Carry On” composure through thick and thin. Because there are many younger Brits who are not familiar with Diana, that may be the case and it may play well. But there have to be many remembering who Charles really is and they will not forget. He was a bad husband and philandered with impunity. He drove his wife to distraction with his behavior and the paparazzi, who responded to the soap opera with glee, drove her to her death. I think many of those people even wondered if Charles set up that accident? Is he going to have the trust of those folks??
Then, of course, there is his friendship with the late Jimmy Savile, one of the most reviled sex offenders in history (not in British history but in history). (https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/who-was-jimmy-savile-sex-abuse-details) I am providing one link but the evidence of their friendship is obvious to anyone with a Google engine. Jimmy Savile fooled a lot of people, but the clues were there. He was a horrible, disgusting man and Charles called him a friend and solicited his advice, especially on family matters. Perhaps in history, he will be called King Charles of Bad Judgement.
But even being a bad husband and having bad judgement can be overlooked if Charles is a good King. As Europe moves into the Winter of 2022 and 2023, the news is full of concern about resources for heating homes and fueling vehicles. As an apologist for the World Economic Forum (WEF), Charles is dedicated to the abolition of fossil fuels, reduction of nitrogen-based fertilizers, massive reduction of the carbon footprint and reliance on “sustainable” energy, e.g. wind, solar, etc. I have not read that he is ready to give up his Rolls Royce or Prince Andrew is giving up his Bentley, or that any royal yacht or airplane is being mothballed, but Charles and Klaus Schwab of the WEF have big plans for the rest of us. If Britain lets its’ citizens freeze along with the rest of Europe, or not have enough food or fuel for vehicles, Charles might want to refresh his history lesson on the English Civil War and Charles I. Somehow, I don’t think the British people are ready to keep a stiff upper lip or keep calm and carry on in the face of those odds. It’s a volatile world and someone might just start thinking “Off with his head!”.