Richard Berthelsen: Where will the King and Queen Consort live in everyday life?

On Monday this week, the King and Queen Consorts left Birkhall, near Balmoral, to return to public engagements and duties following the end of state and court mourning and private recovery time. In just over three weeks, everything has changed in royal life.

Recently, the palace released photos showing the king checking the contents of his red boxes, a duty he will now perform every working day for the rest of his life, as the late queen did to the end. He will now review government documents that need approval, telegrams from diplomatic missions around the world, and updates and papers from Commonwealth realms like Canada.

The king will return to London in the coming days for a very busy inbox of expenses and the complete reorganization of the monarchy while the Carolean age of Charles III. seriously begins.

Among the many issues occupying the King’s attention are deteriorating economic conditions, political instability and disunity – particularly in the UK, along with global inflationary pressures, the possibility of a widening war in Europe, energy shortages and environmental disasters affecting the affecting not only the United Kingdom but also all the realms of which he is sovereign. Incidentally, these issues will influence the priorities of the monarchy in the first year of its reign.

HOW THE KING’S STATEMENT DIFFERS FROM THAT OF THE DECEASED QUEEN

Tragic and unplanned events are also at the fore – his first statement after the period of mourning was in support of those affected by the devastation caused by Hurricane Fiona in Atlantic Canada. It was notable how the King’s statement differs from that of the late Queen, being much more emotional and personal based on his recent travels and experiences. This is a king who wears his heart on his sleeve. It is interesting for Canadians to note that the Queen’s final statement was to the people of Saskatchewan to honor the killings on the James Smith Cree Reservation and in Weldon, Sask.

The king will also be grappling with a schedule planned for the fall that will need to be adjusted. One of the first casualties will be a re-examination of some commitments in the face of its change of status, such as the upcoming COP 27 conference in Egypt. It is not possible for Charles to attend international conferences outside the UK in areas where political figures need to lead the negotiations and be responsible for their success or failure. It was no surprise that this had to be denied, but much more needs to be considered as he will now attend the ceremonies involving the sovereign and distance himself from the charities and other interests he founded. This commitment was the focus of his first speech the day after the Queen’s death.

There is much speculation about the Commonwealth in the new reign. Confusion remains in the media and among the general public about the Commonwealth, which has actually grown by five members in recent years, some of which were never part of the British Empire. There is no question that the Commonwealth continues to face challenges and must work to remain relevant as an international organization, but that is quite apart from the King’s role as head of state in 15 of the Commonwealth’s countries – the realms. There is no indication that countries that do not continue as monarchies will leave the Commonwealth. Links remain strong – In fact, one of the first calls the King received was the Prime Minister of Barbados to express his condolences – he had attended their ceremony of transition to a republic and wished them well, which was unprecedented.

In recent years the Palace has fully understood and accepted countries wishing to become republics, and all have remained within the Commonwealth itself. The Queen herself saw more than 30 countries transition from their role as heads of state to presidents of their own. All remained Commonwealth members.

THE KING WILL TAKE REPRESENTATIONS OF CURRENCIES AND BANKNOTES

It is up to the countries that see the king as their head of state to determine their constitutional future, and it is likely that many of them will choose other arrangements. In the meantime, it is up to each of them to determine how the king will be represented on currency, banknotes, in portraits and in the name. The King will approve these depictions, but many other changes occurred immediately after the Queen’s death, e.g. B. in the courts, in contract terms, in oaths and other representations.

The king will seek to make significant changes to the monarchy in the coming months leading up to the coronation. As the institution has modernized over a long reign, this is an opportunity for forward-looking 21st-century change and a post-Elizabethan monarchy.

Among the issues the King will grapple with is a rationalization of residences, determining where he and the Queen Consort will live on a daily basis and whether the rotation between them that is so familiar will continue. A decision has to be made as to whether the residences he used as Prince of Wales would be offered to other family members or closed altogether. For example, there is speculation that Balmoral Castle, where the Queen’s life ended, could become a museum and serve more as a tribute to Elizabeth II, much like Osborne House on the Isle of Wight after Queen Victoria’s death. The king may prefer smaller, cozier residences like Birkhall or Highgrove to larger houses that require more staff and upkeep. After 70 years of intimate rotation between these houses, following the contours of the established order of the Queen’s life, this will be a change in the way they are used, by the public and staff.

There will be staffing decisions and the size of domestic staff will change. Traditional roles and sinecures, which are largely volunteer, are up for discussion for perhaps the first time in many decades in a bid to streamline operations.

AGE A MATTER AMONG ROYAL FAMILY WORKERS

The Royal Family now numbers just 11 working members, the fewest since the end of World War II, and yet the Commonwealth continues to grow and public expectations of royal performances continue to rise. Two of the 11 are over 85 and unlikely to do much work. Five members of the Royal Family including the King and Queen Consort. are over 70, and while they remain the mainstay of the royal calendar, they may have to limit what they can take on in the years to come. Only the Prince and Princess of Wales (William and Catherine) and the King’s brother Prince Edward and his wife Sophie are younger and the mantle will fall on them to fill the gap. This remains an important issue.

The suggestion that royal titles or status be removed creates difficulties, particularly those that have held them well beyond childhood. Recent experience in Denmark shows that this is not easy.

With the deaths of the Queen and Prince Philip, the removal of Prince Andrew and the resignation of Prince Harry, there are more than fifty military units across the Commonwealth that are no longer royally connected. They will look for dates to fill in these gaps. Additionally, there are hundreds of charities that have had a royal patron over the years and are now without that connection. The charitable role of the Royal Family is extremely important for the visibility of these organizations, for their volunteers and for fundraising.

All of this would be a huge to-do list, but the crowning glory is upon us, and important decisions about scale, scope, and guest list must soon be made. A much more secular and ecumenical approach is likely to emerge, with a significant review of pomp and ceremony. It will look very different from 1953 and capturing the public mood with the expected ceremony but with a more contemporary and realistic tone will be a challenge. It will be harder to succeed than the mourning and succession ceremonies we’ve seen over the past few weeks.

Will there be a reconciliation with Prince Harry and Meghan?

It will be of great interest to the public to see if there can be a reconciliation in relations with Prince Harry and Meghan. The events of the last few weeks have been difficult to read between the lines, and much may have happened off-camera. Certainly one of the king’s top priorities is to develop a more harmonious relationship with his son and wife and the rest of the royal family, with a reduction in innuendos and accusations by reading between the lines of their interviews, podcasts and other media. Getting things out of the media and defusing some of the direct criticism that appears to be aimed at the family is certainly a priority. While a UK return is unlikely for the Sussexes, a reduction in grudges will be essential to focus on the work ahead.

Most observers agree that the king set the right tone in his early speeches and behavior during the 10 days leading up to the state funeral early in his reign. There seems to be a great deal of sympathy and respect for him as he shoulders the burden of royalty in mourning the death of the late, well-loved Queen.

But the challenges of the past few weeks seem easier compared to the tasks that await in this first year of a new reign, especially in these troubled times.