# The reign of King Charles III of the United Kingdom **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 8, 2022, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232 "2022-09-08T18:05:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 71
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1404 "2024-02-22T22:19:35Z")
The snowflake at the top is the symbol of the Order of Canada, commonly worn as a lapel pin by recipients. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1405 "2024-02-22T22:27:45Z")
But fencing off animal activists by keeping the ermine trim. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1406 "2024-02-22T22:28:34Z")
Y’know, I kind of like it. Maybe all the Realms should have their own. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1407 "2024-02-22T22:34:07Z")
Have any jewelers offered to build a real one? If you did it like the Prince of Wales coronet (electroplating an incredibly thin layer of gold onto a plastic base), and used synthetic corundums for gems, you could do it relatively cheaply. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1408 "2024-02-23T00:08:52Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > But fencing off animal activists by keeping the ermine trim. Canada owes its existence to the fur trade. Snow, maples and fur - can’t get much more Canadian! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1409 "2024-02-23T00:11:09Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > soon to be the King on the twenty, King on the fifty? Definite articles have an important role. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2024, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1410 "2024-02-25T05:54:37Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Have any jewelers offered to build a real one?…. I wondered that myself. Could be cool to have one on hand for HM’s visits to Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1411 "2024-02-26T10:21:27Z")
There’s a story that Charles has started succession planning, which is surprising in two ways. The first is that it sadly suggests his diagnosis is serious enough to focus his mind on this topic; the second is: it’s a monarchy, what possible succession planning can be needed? It’s William, that’s the succession, it’s mapped out to the nth degree, it doesn’t need him to draw up a plan, say what you will about constitutional monarchy but “what happens when the current monarch shuffles off this mortal coil?” is not a difficult question to answer. (I assume that, boringly, this is institutional stuff about Camilla’s position or roles within his household or something equally necessary but banal, it’s just a really odd way of phrasing it). ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1412 "2024-02-26T10:36:21Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > (I assume that, boringly, this is institutional stuff about Camilla’s position or roles within his household Or, less boringly, what happens when Harry takes another step up the line of succession. With Elizabeth’s death he is now fifth in line, and technically entitled to royal protection, but none has been forthcoming. When he is fourth in line, I wonder if they will still be able to ignore the fact? I was truly stunned by his treatment after his father’s diagnosis. The man flew 6,000 miles to be at his father’s side, who gave him less than an hour’s meeting and then fecked off to Sandringham, leaving his heartbroken son alone in London. “The Crown” on netflix went a long way toward making Charles a more sympathetic figure. He wiped it all out in a single afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1413 "2024-02-26T11:13:29Z")
Lot of supposition there. As for “succession planning”, there are contingency plans for just about any eventuality and presumably they’re updated fairly regularly. ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1414 "2024-02-26T12:01:41Z")
Also, the aftermath of an accession and a coronation is a rather good moment at which to review the plans for next time. The officials who handled things the last time are still around and so will have views on what worked and on what could be done differently. William’s views might also have evolved in the light of having been a prominent participant last time. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1415 "2024-02-26T12:06:22Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > The man flew 6,000 miles to be at his father’s side, who gave him less than an hour’s meeting and then fecked off to Sandringham Actually Harry gave Charles half an hour of his oh so valuable time then fecked off to Las Vegas. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1416 "2024-02-27T00:29:26Z")
> [@APB](#): > > The officials who handled things the last time are still around and so will have views on what worked and on what could be done differently. I really hope they decide to somehow update that cape that poor Kate had to wear. It looked straight out of an elementary school play. [https://katemiddletonstyle.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/kate-middleton-coronation-headpiece.jpg.webp](https://katemiddletonstyle.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/kate-middleton-coronation-headpiece.jpg.webp) ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1417 "2024-02-27T00:36:59Z")
> [@colinfred](#): > > Actually Harry gave Charles half an hour of his oh so valuable time then fecked off to Las Vegas. Well, you made me look, so points for that. But every report I found said Harry was in London for 24 hours. King Charles was not. ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1418 "2024-02-27T01:10:09Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > There’s a story that Charles has started succession planning, which is surprising in two ways. The first is that it sadly suggests his diagnosis is serious enough to focus his mind on this topic; the second is: it’s a monarchy, what possible succession planning can be needed? It’s William, that’s the succession, it’s mapped out to the nth degree, it doesn’t need him to draw up a plan, say what you will about constitutional monarchy but “what happens when the current monarch shuffles off this mortal coil?” is not a difficult question to answer. > > (I assume that, boringly, this is institutional stuff about Camilla’s position or roles within his household or something equally necessary but banal, it’s just a really odd way of phrasing it). My guess is that it’s about William being asked to step up and get more involved in/do more of the kingly things, earlier than might otherwise have been considered necessary or desirable. Early on in The Crown there’s a scene where George VI introduces his daughter Elizabeth to the business of dealing with red boxes (which contain all the papers with which the monarch is briefed). He knows she’s likely to have to take the primary responsibility for this rather sooner than she expects. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1419 "2024-02-27T01:46:56Z")
> [@APB](#): > > The officials who handled things the last time are still around and so will have views on what worked and on what could be done differently. Agreed. I would think it’s that, not the cancer diagnosis, that is driving it. What worked, what didn’t work, what needs tweaking, what could be dropped; think about all those things while memories are still fresh. I remember reading that when Victoria died, planning the coronation for Edward VII was a major issue, because there was no-one in the government or Royal household who had any experience with a coronation. Even a then-young flunkey for Victoria’s coronation who was in their 20s in 1837 would have been in their 80s when she died, if still living. They had to do a fair bit of historical research. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1420 "2024-02-27T07:40:23Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > They had to do a fair bit of historical research. And scramble to re-schedule when he got appendicitis. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1421 "2024-02-27T13:35:01Z")
> [@UDS1](#): > > My guess is that it’s about William being asked to step up and get more involved in/do more of the kingly things, earlier than might otherwise have been considered necessary or desirable. > > Early on in The Crown there’s a scene where George VI introduces his daughter Elizabeth to the business of dealing with red boxes (which contain all the papers with which the monarch is briefed). He knows she’s likely to have to take the primary responsibility for this rather sooner than she expects. This is my take. You want the King to be able to do their job well from day 1. And despite the joking, there’s a bunch more to the job than smiling and waving and ribbon-cutting. If Charles is about to become infirm, and perhaps followed by becoming incapacitated then dead, better to get the next in line fully up to speed sooner rather than later. Just as Charles himself had done as Elizabeth declined. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1422 "2024-02-28T19:00:34Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > … less boringly, what happens when Harry takes another step up the line of succession. With Elizabeth’s death he is now fifth in line, and technically entitled to royal protection, but none has been forthcoming. When he is fourth in line, I wonder if they will still be able to ignore the fact?.. Indeed: [https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/28/uk/prince-harry-security-court-government-intl/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/28/uk/prince-harry-security-court-government-intl/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1423 "2024-02-28T19:29:08Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I really hope they decide to somehow update that cape that poor Kate had to wear. It looked straight out of an elementary school play. Oh, that’s just the mantle of a Dame Grand Cross of the [Royal Victorian Order.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Victorian_Order#/media/File:Royal_Victorian_Order_mantle_and_star.jpg) Before World War One, knights grand cross had to wear [this outfit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VIII#/media/File:King_Edward_VIII,_when_Prince_of_Wales_-_Cope_1912.jpg) underneath the mantle. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232.md?page=70) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232.md?page=72)