Suggestions that King Charles, 74, sees himself as a "caretaker king", keeping the throne warm for the new prince of Wales who will be the real reformer, is not a scenario recognised at Buckingham Palace. There have been no eye-catching reforms, but there are clues to his aspirations in the small changes.
Charles has turbocharged royal receptions, harnessing their soft power, sources point out, in the knowledge he can no longer speak out publicly on subjects he remains passionate about. So, the "convening" king is a label it seems he will accept. When advised by Liz Truss's government not to attend the Cop27 climate conference in Egypt, he instead hosted an eve of Cop27 reception at Buckingham Palace. He found a way to remain a leader in the climate crisis field, albeit within the new constitutional parameters.
Now, "informal formality" are the bywords. Receptions are largerscale events, such as one held in February for the British east and south-east Asian communities. The nature of these receptions has changed from the late queen's days, precisely because Charles is no longer able to become involved in certain areas, sources indicate.
As head of state he also sees himself as a symbol of continuity, say sources. In the political turbulence of the early days of his reign, he was on to his second prime minister not longer after meeting his first.
Charles has made his debut as king on the international stage, addressing the German Bundestag, a first for a British monarch, and a similar honour will be accorded in France this month. He has also hosted the US president, Joe Biden, and the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa.
Denne historien er fra September 08, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra September 08, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Closing borders Electoral pressures put EU's freedom of movement under threat
In 2015, when more than 1.3 million people headed to Europe, mostly fleeing a brutal war in Syria, the response of Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, was to say: \"Wir schaffen das\" (\"We can manage this\"), and open the country's borders.
Fight does not end here, say critics, as Wimbledon wins the go-ahead to expand
Wimbledon's controversial plans to build 39 new tennis courts have been given the green light after a deputy mayor of London ruled that the \"very significant benefits\" of the scheme outweighed any potential harm to the environment.
Sue Gray Advisers to the PM are often targets of sniping but is it sustainable?
For someone who was not even in Liverpool for the Labour party conference, Sue Gray was the subject of a remarkable amount of conversation.
Revealed Alli gave PM a further £16,000 gift of clothing
Keir Starmer was given a further £16,000 worth of clothes by the Labour peer Waheed Alli, which was declared as money for his private office, the Guardian can reveal.
Tributes paid to 'one of a kind' in seven decades on stage and screen
Maggie Smith, the prolific, awardwinning actor described by peers as being \"one of a kind\" and possessed of a \"sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent\", has died aged 89.
Diplomacy Netanyahu insists Israel is winning on 'seven fronts'
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, shrugged off global appeals for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza yesterday, using a defiant speech at the UN general assembly to denounce the world body as an \"antisemitic swamp\" and insist Israel is \"winning\" its multi-front wars.
Van Gogh's Sunflowers in new protest as climate activists jailed
Climate activists threw tomato soup over two Sunflowers paintings by Vincent van Gogh yesterday, just an hour after two others were jailed for almost the same protest action in 2022.
Met Office issues wind warning after rains bring flooding
The Met Office has issued a warning for strong winds tomorrow as parts of the country were still recovering from heavy rain and flooding yesterday.
Blind contestant's Strictly cha-cha-cha inspires visually impaired to get on dancefloor
It may be early days, but Strictly Come Dancing's breakout star so far this season is also the show's first blind contestant, Chris McCausland.
Labour's non-dom policy has 'basic errors' copied from Tories, say Whitehall sources
Labour's flagship \"non-dom\" policy was largely copied and pasted from the Conservatives even though it contains \"basic errors\" and risks damaging the UK's financial sector, Whitehall sources have told the Guardian.
