CHARLES... THE CURSED?

A PILE OF BAGGAGE COMES WITH THE NEW KING'S MONIKER

- Tim Gill

Long before St Edward’s Crown was officially placed on King Charles’ head at his coronation, the new sovereign was facing intense scrutiny over the British monarchy. From the minute he took the throne, staunch republicans and even the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were asking questions about its relevance and its future.

Given the fraught start to his reign, many palace watchers say it was a bold move then, that the King has chosen to tempt fate even further by challenging the ‘curse’ that befell his previous royal namesakes.

“Monarchs called Charles have not had much luck,” agrees UK-based genealogist Patrick Cracroft-Brennan. “One was beheaded, one was in exile and one was a pretender to the throne.”

The first King Charles came into power in 1625. His ascension heralded a reign of political strife, rebellion, the bloodiest of civil wars and embittered, deep-seated religious quarrels that rocked every corner of England, Scotland and Ireland.