As if fighting with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was not tricky enough. King Charles III is being criticized by supporters of the British monarchy over a recent decision.
The Monarch has opted not to follow through on a promise Queen Elizabeth II made to his brother, Prince Edward.
In 1999, after his marriage to Sophie Wessex, the Queen pledged that Prince Edward would become the Duke of Edinburgh after the death of his father, Prince Philip.
The plan now clashes with the King‘s desire to slim down the monarchy. King Charles is not showing any sign of backing down on the matter.
However, fans say the move was unnecessary, and they believe that he should have respected his late mother’s wishes. Prince Edward’s wife, who was very close to the Queen, was expected to become Duchess of Edinburgh.
The Sovereign has decided to keep the title to himself. However, he will not use it.
A source told the Daily Mail: “The King wants to slim down the monarchy [so] it wouldn’t make sense to make the Earl the Duke of Edinburgh. It’s a hereditary title that would then be passed on to the Earl and Countess of Wessex‘s son, James, Viscount Severn. Essentially, this was accepted by the Earl when he agreed that his children would not be a prince or princess.”
A statement released by the monarchy 23 years ago said something completely different. At the time, it was stated: “The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prince of Wales have also agreed that the Prince Edward should be given the Dukedom of Edinburgh in due course when the present title held now by Prince Philip eventually reverts to the Crown.”
As a form of consolation, Prince Edward was recently added to the list of Counselours of State. Prince Edward is well-liked because the public sees him as the only son of the Queen who did not get into a major scandal.
Moreover, critics say by shrinking the monarchy too much, he runs the risk of appearing small in some sense. There is also a form of hypocrisy in the situation because King Charles intends to rely on Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex to make public appearances on his behalf.
Royal supporters say it is a lack of respect when it comes to the wishes of his parents. Since ascending to the throne, King Charles has shown a lot of toughness when dealing with difficult issues.
Time will tell if this re-branding of the monarchy is a success.
