• CARLOS FRESNEDA

    Correspondent

    London

Updated Monday,1May2023-16:17

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Send by email

Comment

  • Poll The monarchy is "very important" only for 29% of Britons
  • Diplomacy Joe Biden's "rudeness" to Carlos III, cordially arranged

Among the sacrosanct traditions that will clothe Charles III at the coronation on May 6, an outstanding novelty stands out this time: millions of Britons will be invited that day to swear allegiance to the monarch, a privilege until now reserved for the lords and aristocrats.

In the final stretch of the pompous ceremony, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will lead the so-called people's tribute and incite his countrymen to proclaim with him: "I swear that I will give true allegiance to Her Majesty, her heirs and her successors according to the law. With God's help."

"It will be an invitation, rather than a requirement or an expectation," said a spokesman for Lambeth Palace, the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. "This is simply an opportunity for people to join in the words that will be heard in Westminster Abbey. Some will want to take part, others may take it as a moment of reflection and others may reserve for the end and simply say, 'God save the King!'"

The invitation will be extended to the citizens of the other 14 countries that recognize the King as head of state (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, Bahamas, among others), perhaps with the hope of appeasing the republican rebellion that took shape in Barbados in 2021 and that threatens to spread throughout the Commonwealth of Nations.

In the United Kingdom, meanwhile, the pledge of allegiance announced over the weekend by Lambeth Palace has provoked fiery protests from republicans, who consider it "an offensive, outspoken and derogatory gesture" towards those who question the monarchy.

"In a democracy, it is the head of state who swears allegiance to the people, and not the other way around," denounces Graham Smith, head of the Republic group, which claims to have more than 130,000 active members. "To swear allegiance to Charles and his heirs and successors means to swear allegiance to Prince Andrew."

Scandals

Smith believes that the string of scandals and the succession to the throne have created "fertile ground" for supporters of the republic, who reach 26% of the population (according to the latest poll by the National Centre for Social Research, NatCen). "Support is approaching 40% among young people and the trend is increasing," he warns. "The turning point will come when the institution's popularity falls below 50%."

However, 58% of Britons still prefer a king or queen to an elected head of state, according to the NatCen survey, which reveals however that the monarchy is "very important" for only 29% of the population and only for 12% of young people between 18 and 24 years old.

"I would say monarchy enthusiasts at this point are staying at 9%," says Graham Smith. "There is a concerted effort by the conservative media and television to make us believe that the whole country is going to take to the streets these days, when the general feeling is very different."

"It is hard to believe that in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, when millions of Britons are struggling to pay their bills and make the purchase, more than 100 million pounds (114 million euros) can be spent on one man and in a single day," Smith attacks the expenses of the coronation.

A thousand Republic supporters hope to gather in Trafalgar Square on May 6, with the permission of the police, to display their banners and shout as the motorcade passes: "Not my king". Despite the news in The Daily Mail, about possible acts of sabotage of the parade launching personal alarms against the horses, Smith assures that the protest will be peaceful and does not intend to cause further disruption. The strategy most used to date by Republicans against King Charles has been egg throwing.

The news about the loyalty oath has in any case reactivated Republic's campaign and has given rise to criticism from the left, such as that launched in The Guardian by Baroness Jenny Jones, former candidate for mayor of London for the Green Party: "Making us recite an oath seems a rather strange requirement, When many of us think that the monarchy is outdated and in need of drastic reform. The king is rich enough to pay for his own coronation and not pass the bill on to taxpayers."

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Learn more

  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Bahamas
  • New Zealand
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • King Charles III of England
  • Articles Carlos Fresneda