Vivat Rex Carolus

"Long live King Charles"

Saturday, May 6, 2023 marked the coronation of Charles Phillip Arthur George as King Charles III, reigning monarch of the United Kingdom and fourteen other commonwealth realms.  The ceremony, which also crowned Camilla Parker Bowles as Queen, was held at Westminster Abbey, full of the pomp and circumstance expected from such an event.  

King Charles ascends with several notable features.  He is the oldest person to ascend to the throne, and had served as the heir apparent for the longest tenure, thanks to the long reign of his mother.  He was also the longest serving Prince of Wales.

This marks an interesting transition in the United Kingdom and the world.  Queen Elizabeth had such a long tenure that she almost became a stabilizing force across so much.  It's like the changing of the Pope; a monumental shift.  I think back to John Paul II, the pope during much of my early life and the third longest serving pope.  We've had two popes since, each representing change.  With Charles ascending to the throne at 73, it's likely we'll see another coronation within a generation or sooner.  Unless the entire British monarchy is disassembled, which would be an even bigger shift.

Interesting times indeed.

Charles will serve, in many ways, as an interim monarch.  Following the grand long reign of his mother, and potentially preceding a long tenure by his son.  He certainly has interest that will likely guide him in this tenure, particularly in urban development and environmental sustainability.  Those would guide him well in our times.

However long his tenure, I pray it is a prosperous one for him and the people of the United Kingdom.

God save the King.