EDITORIAL: King Charles must define a future-fit role for the monarchy

South Africans are not a monarchist lot, yet many will have been glued to their TV screens at the weekend watching the coronation of Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla and marvelling at the spectacle. And there was at least some sense of pride at SA soprano Pretty Yende’s role in the ceremony at Westminster Abbey and the Soweto Gospel Choir’s role in the coronation concert at Windsor on Sunday.    

At its core the coronation is an anachronistic celebration of class and church. But significant efforts were made to modernise it and make it more diverse and inclusive. And the king, whose popularity has surged since he succeeded his late mother Queen Elizabeth II in September, has made it clear he wants to forge a more modern and relevant role for the monarchy.

What that might mean is not yet clear. There is no doubt that it is a contested issue — not only in the UK but also in the 14 other countries (including Australia, Canada and Tuvalu) which have the UK monarch as their head of state. There can be no doubt either that any attempt to make the monarchy more relevant has to acknowledge the abuses of the past, and the role it has played in anchoring a system of class privilege in the UK and of colonialism outside it. For Africa in particular that is a big issue given the colonial past and Britain’s central role in it.

But the opportunity is there, not only in the UK but also in the Commonwealth, for King Charles and his heirs to reshape the institution. His challenge is to find a way to take advantage of its place above politics to make a positive difference in a UK facing tough times and a world riven by conflict.

And SA and the other 55 Commonwealth countries will be looking to the king to help define a clearer role for that institution. In contrast to the monarchy, the king is not leader of the Commonwealth by right of succession but because the membership chose to keep him at the helm. It is no longer an exclusive club of former British colonies but has expanded in recent years to include developing countries such as Rwanda, Gabon and Togo that never were under UK rule. That its secretariat is still London-based and UK-dominated is an anachronism that the Commonwealth might want to address to reflect the diversity of its membership better. But its bigger problem is simply that it has drifted without playing any clear role in world affairs. It surely could take advantage of its unique history and mix of members to define a clearer position for itself and give voice to the needs of developing countries, in Africa and elsewhere.

King Charles’ concern about climate change and “green” issues were once seen as eccentricities; now they are mainstream, as is his commitment to issues such as youth development. The coronation may have been as much about history as the present, but he has been given a chance to make the monarchy fit for the future.