– It is an unprecedented situation, and he has spent his entire 73-year-old life waiting for what was to come. That’s what Øivind Bratberg, political scientist at UiO and UK expert, says about Britain’s new king, Charles III. On Thursday evening came the news of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain’s passing. Throughout the day, there were signals that the Queen’s health was critical, and members of the British royal family flocked to Balmoral Castle in Scotland to be close to her. That same evening it was announced that her son Charles would take the royal title Charles III. He for all practical purposes assumed the throne the moment Elizabeth died, but he will be formally proclaimed king at St James’s Palace in London on Saturday morning. King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla. Photo: Carl Court / AP Speaking on Friday According to operation “London Bridge”, the official plan for the days after the Queen’s death, the new regent will address the people the very next day. Read Urix’s overview of what will happen in the next ten days here. According to the plan, Charles will speak on TV at 19:00 Friday Norwegian time. Just after 3 pm Norwegian time, he arrived at Buckingham Palace in London. The televised speech is pre-recorded in the capital. Queen Elizabeth and her son Charles, who is now Britain’s new king. Photo: POOL / REUTERS Senior lecturer in British studies at the University of Agder, Erik Mustad, believes that Charles has reflected for quite a few years on when he will become king and how he wants to fulfill that role. – We get to see all these official tasks he will go through today, and then give this speech, which we assume will be a kind of memorial speech for his mother and the role she had in the British people, says Maustad. In the speech, it is also expected that he will repeat parts of the speech Queen Elizabeth gave on her 21st birthday in 1947, according to the British newspaper i. – I declare to you all that my whole life, whether long or short, will be devoted to your service and the service of our great Imperial Family to which we all belong, said the Queen then. Read also: Rhetoric expert: – Should create pride The speech Charles will give will be a so-called epideictic speech. Such speeches are given on “occasions”, and should pay tribute to and cultivate common values, explains Kjell Terje Ringdal, senior lecturer at the Department of Communication at Kristiania University College. – The speech should point backwards towards what was, and it should point forward towards what is to come. It is an important speech for the nation, it should create pride and continued hope, says Ringdal. Rhetoric expert Kjell Terje Ringdal says King Charles must rally the nation in grief through Friday’s speech. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB He thinks King Charles will probably use the opportunity to position himself and his new role, at the same time as he will pay tribute to his mother and the nation. – That is what he will do today – create community in grief. His own style It is expected that Charles will have a completely different style as king than what his mother had as queen, according to Bratberg. – He will probably have a clear plan on how to fill those shoes, and he will want to do it in his own way. – What we can be sure of is that it will be something other than what his mother respected, for the simple reason that he is a different person with a very different starting point from what she had when she took over as a young mother in 1952, says The UK connoisseur. Øyvind Bratberg is a political scientist at UiO and an expert on Great Britain. Photo: Vidar Ruud / NTB scanpix Uncertainty about the Commonwealth Bratberg believes it is too early to say what Charles’ time as king will look like, in terms of the relationship with the British people. – Beyond the early goodwill, it is difficult to say what his relationship with the British people will look like. He also watches with excitement the reactions of the countries in the British Commonwealth of Nations. It is far from certain that all the countries still want a British head of state when Charles is on the throne. According to Maustad, the new king is fully aware that he is not as popular as his mother. – He knows about all the opinion polls, he knows that he is less popular in Scotland, among other places. King Charles in his youth. Photo: Peter Kemp / AP Royal house expert Trond Norén Isaksen also points to this as a challenge for King Charles. – Several have signaled that when Queen Elizabeth is gone, they will reconsider having the British monarch as head of state, says Norén Isaksen. Over the years, 17 out of 32 Commonwealth countries have withdrawn, with Barbados the last in line last year. Jamaica has signaled it wants to follow suit, and a growing movement in Australia wants the same, according to The Mirror. – One can imagine more such discussions in the coming years, then we will see what it ends up in. It fits well with the understanding of this chapter change, that now that the Elizabethan period is over, there is room to see things in in a slightly different light and assess the institution’s power and impact, and not just take it for granted.
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This is how King Charles’ first speech will be – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
