I see his much heralded "environmental activism" has already been cast aside. It was pretty much all he had going for him, even if the media did exaggerate it massively, but it is gone at the first test.
It was always going to, as the Monarch he’s not ‘allowed’ to express opinions. Hopefully William will step into the role…
Just another way of highlighting their pointlessness.
The lifestyle of the ultra rich tends to be the antithesis of environmentalism, regardless of the words spoken.
He's an irrelevant figurehead.
I'm not sure what people expect. If they do express opinions then they're accused of interfering, so (as expected of a Monarch) they don't and are accused of casting their values aside.
What do you think he should do or say (other than abolish himself)?
It was always going to, as the Monarch he’s not ‘allowed’ to express opinions.
I think was best summarised in a tweet that someone was 'really going to miss not knowing what the queen thinks about anything' - his mum had a really good poker face. We really don't know much about what her politics were (I think word eventually leaked out that she thought Thatcher was a bit cruel) or what opinions about pretty much anything were. Charlie barely had the crown on his head and we already knew what the king thinks about pens.
But I think Charlie has always known he's not going to be able act on his own initiative anymore once on the thone but given he's had more than a career's worth of time not being on the throne I guess being King is pretty much going to be his retirement.
What happens now to things like the Princes's Trust? Thats an operation that is definitely quite 'partial' in terms of its social ambitions.
What do you think he should do or say
He could actually follow some good environmental practices on the land under his own control. He's a complete hypocrite on this matter
I’m not sure what people expect. If they do express opinions then they’re accused of interfering, so (as expected of a Monarch) they don’t and are accused of casting their values aside.
What do you think he should do or say (other than abolish himself)?
So if he gets criticised either way, why not get criticised for sticking to his supposed principles rather than casting them aside?
Also it isn't the law, or even established protocol that the king can't express an opinion, that is just the way QEII played the game, charles could be his own king if he had a backbone.
Fair comment. I'm not taking sides, just pointing out there is a clash and he is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. I guess the next issue would then become how much can he interfere - could he call Liz in and tell her to get those tax cuts dumped for example?
So if he gets criticised either way, why not get criticised for sticking to his supposed principles rather than casting them aside?
'Doing things you don't want to' or 'not doing things you do want to' is pretty much describes a 'job' and why people get paid to do their job instead of doing it for free.
I'd rather go to the beach this morning, thats my opinion, but the people I'm going to invoice expect me not to and apparently they want all the stuff they've asked me to do to actually happen 🙂
Also it isn’t the law, or even established protocol that the king can’t express an opinion,
Its the job - they're effectively a spokesperson. Their job is is to deliver 'our' message (as in the nation's and the commonwealth's) not their own. Theres about 700 people from across various sectors of the UK and commonwealth charged with writing their script. The job is to stick to the script.
What scotroutes says
Ah he’s not allowed to express opinions openly,just in letters to ‘his’ PM advising what he would like.
It’s all part of the game/farce.
I’m not sure the King/Queen not openly expressing a view or interfering is that great tbh.
I find it funny that my gay FB friends were all over how good the queen was but forgetting that it was ‘her’ government who were happily doing the section 28 thing when we were kids.
He’s an irrelevant figurehead.
I’m not so sure,plenty of people are happy to kiss his ring :-), he’s at the top of a billion pound enterprise with access to all the political players world wise.
Time Charles learned that he can be a politically neutral (in public) head of state or a campaigner but not both. May as well start now before he gets off on the wrong foot.
We have a king for historical reasons. Logically a head of state by accident of birth does not make sense. If Charles starts preaching about his various causes I would switch from being a mild supporter of the current system to favouring abolition.
He’s an irrelevant figurehead.
I think this is being highlighted more due to the change of figurehead having had the Queen through many trials and tribulations the country has faced across her time.
Now as its Charles we can see that they are indeed pretty irrelevant in thew 21st century. Just mega wealthy land owners with a long history, and they should probably go the way of many in other European countries. Mostly not seen or heard.
The royals, their expensive tourist attractions. No different to that of Walt Disney.
To paraphrase Winston Churchill - our form of constitutional monarchy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried.
And yet, COP27 is trending and the news is being carried by all the MSM.
Prince Willian will most likely go, it's a an early use of Charles' soft power if you ask me.
It's just yet another example of poor political judgement by Truss. If she wants to backpedal on whatever climate action the UK has promised, she doesn't need to announce and do the walk of shame at COP27, she can do it far more stealthily at some other point. So she's manufactured a rift between her and the King for no reason at all.
Send harry, he’s not an official royal anymore
Now as its Charles we can see that they are indeed pretty irrelevant in thew 21st century. Just mega wealthy land owners with a long history, and they should probably go the way of many in other European countries. Mostly not seen or heard.
So what do you think might happen to the land they own? I can pretty much guarantee that those lands would end up in the hands of stupendously wealthy people with far less interest in caring for the environment, and far more interest in expanding their wealth.
The dead Queen was flown from Scotland to London in a military cargo plane with four engines. Not as if she was in a hurry was it. That's the royal/UK government idea of ecological transport.
The Royal family don't have a great record managing their land. Burning moors to promote grouse rather than natural regeneration. I've nothing against grouse shooting. But it is a bit monoculture. Not sure owning grouse moors is totalky compatible with saving the planet.
The way I interpreted it was Truss saying "you must say this" and Charlie saying "no". So obviously he can't go but we know he found what he was being asked to say was so distasteful that he couldn't deliver the speech.
As if you could get someone with Charles' record to say 'actually, I've had a rethink and I think net zero is a waste of time, fracking FTW'. I suppose Truss might be daft enough to try.
The speech opening Parliament is the only time you can put words in the monarch's mouth. The best you can hope for otherwise is silence.
can pretty much guarantee that those lands would end up in the hands of stupendously wealthy people with far less interest in caring for the environment, and far more interest in expanding their wealth.
Recent changes in land ownership in Scotland has in general led to better stewardship. Somes gone to the people of Scotland and some has gone to relatively benign landowners. Charles could go for good land management if he wanted. He doesn't.
I would think more of him if he had told truss where to stick it personally.
https://twitter.com/CarolineLucas/status/1576561879870279680?t=DX8aKenoDznquvRaSvpS2Q&s=19
Looks like somebody needs to school Caroline Lucas on what environmental practice looks like.
Think the big story is that Liz Truss is again making people dislike her, it's all good from that point, COP27 will continue without the King in attendance, as others say, now he's King he can't really say what he wants when at international events.
So what do you think might happen to the land they own?
I propose a land tax, where the cost is proportional to the square of the amount land owned.
@gauss1777
"I propose a land tax, where the cost is proportional to the square of the amount land owned."
Great. They will be exempt and ****s like us will be paying :(.
