According to the Guardian, England’s Charles, Prince of Whales, who is the eldest son and direct heir to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II, has made a statement that outraged the British political arena. Although it is yet unclear if the prince had actually made this statement in person, the British government is in shock that the royal family is hoping to re-enter the political arena.
Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for the past 62 years, and upheld the discipline that the royal family will not be intervening in British politics. However, when Prince Charles takes the throne, the Guardian expressed that he will be more actively trying to influence politics.
Roger Godsiff, a politician for the British Labour Party said in a speech he gave on the 20th that he is greatly concerned. He expressed that if the new king were to directly intervene in politics it may seriously undermine the disciplines of democracy and the separation of power. Even though the British king is still regarded as the official “leader” of Great Britain, democracy was maintained by not allowing him any kind of political power.
The “Republic” which is a British organization that has been working to disband the English monarchy expressed that if Prince Charles is able to exercise too much influence on English politics, it will become inevitable that the monarchy will have to be disbanded for good, and a new leader will be elected.
Even though the monarchy has no political power, the U.K. and its citizens have shown a considerable amount of respect for the royal family, particularly for Queen Elizabeth II herself for her acts of valor and aid while she was serving as a nurse during the Second World War. However, many have also asked the question of why the monarch should be maintained through taxes if they serve no other purpose than tradition.
