The United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth has died. She will be succeeded by her eldest son, Charles. The people of Britain, many of them for the first time in their lives, will have the occasion to say “God save the King!” This despite the majority no longer believing in God.
I am not much of a monarchist. Indeed, that is true of quite a number of Britons these days (38% these days, more among the young).
Now the fate of the monarchy is in Charles’s hands. Will he reign under his own name or will he assume another as king? It has been over a century since the United Kingdom has had a king under other than his given name but more than 330 since it has had a king named Charles.
Will he be the last king of the United Kingdom?
At 73, the UK and Commonwealth ought to plan for a short reign for Charles.
His father was 99 years old when he died so he may live quite a while. But, no, he won’t match his mother’s record.
The real question is whether Biden will be the last elected President of the United States.
Charles is already established as a fool, so patriotic Brits should hope his reign is short. What to do about Camilla?
Elizabeth II is almost the last of her generation – which in American usage is sometimes called – the war generation or the “greatest generationâ€. Those old enough to be adults during World War II. Elizabeth had served in the reserves; I believe Jimmy Carter and Kissinger are the last leading Americans from that generation still alive.
As for the future of monarchy; the monarchy is deeply embedded into British culture — and the British have an aversion to revolutions. As many here know; the English tried a Republic 100 years before the American revolution during the “English Commonwealthâ€, it was a miserable experience which ironically led to the restoration of “King Charles IIâ€.