Following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday (September 8), the former Prince of Wales ascended to the British throne.
King Charles III, now 73, has been the longest-serving heir apparent to become the British monarch. The official proclamation, as the new King, by the Accession Council is scheduled to take place on Saturday (September 10) at St James’s Palace in London.
Britain’s new monarch will be known as King Charles III.
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 8, 2022
At age 73, he is the oldest person to ever assume the British throne. https://t.co/6twgQqcVg0 pic.twitter.com/i0uXFTtf6C
The former Prince of Wales has been quite unpopular among the British public, with almost half of them wanting him to step aside and make way for Prince William. Here is a list of few controversies that King Charles III courted over the years.
Cashgate
In June this year, The Sunday Times reported that King Charles III accepted 3 million euros from Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, as donations to his charitable fund between 2011 and 2015.
In one instance, the new British monarch reportedly accepted a suitcase full of cash, totalling 1 million euros. Later, it also came to light that he accepted money(about $1.2 million) from two half-brothers of the slain terrorist Osama bin Laden.
Although the payments were legal, the King was criticised for being indifferent to Qatar’s grave violation of human rights. His office, Clarence House, defended the decision and claimed that the monarch did not personally solicit the funds.
“Charitable donations received from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim were passed immediately to one of the Prince’s charities who carried out the appropriate governance and have assured us that all the correct processes were followed,” it said in a statement.
King Charles III’s charity told The Sunday Times that cash payment was the choice of the donor and that the funds were accepted by the trustees after ‘due diligence.’ Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund’s (PWCF) Chairman, Sir Ian Cheshire, emphasised, “Any attempt to characterise it otherwise is false.”
Infidelity
During the infamous “Panorama” interview, telecast in 1995 and watched by more than 20 million viewers in Britain, Princess Diana had revealed personal details about her marriage to the erstwhile Prince of Wales.
It was the first time Diana had commented publicly about her doomed marriage. Diana had said, “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded” – a reference to Charles rekindling his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, now his wife.
It had become a talking point across the world. Diana and King Charles III formally divorced in 1996. She died at the age of 36 in a high-speed car crash while being chased by the media in Paris. The fallout with Diana and the subsequent revelation about his infidelity had dented the public image of the British Monarchy.
Attempts to influence the British government
King Charles III, who has now ascended to the throne, had earlier been accused of interfering in the affairs of the British government. It must be mentioned that the monarchy in Britain is constitutional and that the royal family is expected to not influence political opinion in the country.
In 2015, it came to light that King Charles III personally lobbied with senior British politicians on an array of issues, ranging from the purchase of helicopters during the Iraq War to illegal fishing of Patagonian toothfish.
Private letters of Prince Charles, known as “black spider memos,” released after court battlehttp://t.co/tA2VGDlRro pic.twitter.com/gjxGIorb1d
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 14, 2015
A total of 27 memos were released, which showed that the erstwhile Prince of Wales had access to confidential papers pertaining to the British government, which were not seen even by some elected Ministers. The private letters were called black spider memos due to the distinct handwriting of the new Monarch.
Promotion of Pseudo-Science
King Charles III also came under fire for advocating homoeopathy, which is considered an alternate form of medicine and pseudo-science. He has been accused of lobbying for National Health Service (NHS) funding for homoeopathy, an initiative that had drawn the ire of modern medical practitioners.
Ahh it occurs to me that not everyone knows what an absolute piece of shit Prince Charles has historically been regarding NHS funding for the dangerous, proven-ineffective bullshit that is homeopathy. Google ‘black spider memos’ and let that inform your politics better.
— Tracy King (@tkingdot) March 25, 2020
In a Twitter thread in 2020, writer Tracy King claimed, “Every penny spent on alt med is a penny not spent on actual medicine. Fortunately for us, he failed, although he will try again when he’s king.”
She further added, “He and the government also tried VERY hard to suppress evidence of his interference in the NHS. He’s welcome to sit in isolation with his homoeopathy and keep the hell away from our NHS.”
He and the governement also tried VERY hard to suppress evidence of his interference in the NHS. He’s welcome to sit in isolation with his homeopathy and keep the hell away from our NHS.
— Tracy King (@tkingdot) March 25, 2020
“He has tried to use his unearned power to defund lifesaving medicine and research in favour of his pet alt med. That is extremely serious and essential political perspective regardless of your personal feelings about monarchy,” she had alleged.
So yes. It sticks in the craw. He has tried to use his unearned power to defund lifesaving medicine and research in favour of his pet alt med. That is extremely serious and essential political perspective regardless of your personal feelings about monarchy.
— Tracy King (@tkingdot) March 25, 2020
King Charles III and the Paradise Papers
When the Paradise Papers (a follow-up of the Panama papers) were released in 2017 by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), the name of King Charles III cropped up among those who stashed their wealth in safe tax havens.
He was accused of benefitting from his advocacy against climate change. Media reports suggested that King Charles III was engaged in a conflict of interest and bought shares worth $113,500 in ‘Sustainable Forestry Management’, a Bermuda-based company.
Prince Charles is embroiled in controversy after the Paradise Papers showed his Duchy of Cornwall estate invested in an offshore tax haven.
— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) November 7, 2017
The Monarchy’s Office however refuted allegations about the ‘secret investment’ in the offshore company, which lobbied with global politicians to allow the trading of carbon credits from rainforests.
Amidst his climate change advocacy, King Charles III’s almost tripled its investments in Sustainable Forestry Management in 1 year.
The ‘Golden’ Handshake
In April 2005, the former Prince of Wales committed a diplomatic gaffe and shook hands with the Zimbabwean President and dictator, Rober Mugabe. The incident took place during the funeral of Pope John Paul II and a day before his marriage to Camilla.
At that point in time, Mugabe was banned by the European Union (EU) for rigging parliamentary polls. He was on a travel ban but he defied all rules to attend the Pope’s funeral in the Vatican. King Charles III’s gesture was dubbed as ‘stupid’ and ‘not very sensible.’
“The Prince of Wales was caught by surprise and wasn’t in a position to avoid shaking Mr Mugabe’s hand,” the former Prince of Wales’ spokesperson had defended. Clarence House also claimed that he supported Zimbabwe Defence and Aid Fund, which worked against Mugabe’s regime.
King Charles III’s life has been mired in controversies. Only time will tell what impact his ascent to the throne will have on British politics, especially at a time when the public charm of the monarchy is fading and voices are raising to abolish it.
