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Original poster

AIBU in thinking that King Charles' passing will devastate Britain?

781 replies

monrymeadows73 · 07/12/2025 10:28

If you remember back when Queen Elizabeth II died, how upset most British people were and how it caused some social insecurity as many British people saw her as a sense of strength and a rock due to her continuity and longevity, but with her gone, they weren't sure how Britain would fare. Hence, the large crowds of mourners and a lot of upset.

King Charles III - though not as admired as Queen Elizabeth was - also has longevity and a sense of continuity in a different way: not as monarch since he's only been in the role for three years, but as a royal figure, i.e. he has been in the spotlight since the 1940s and conducting royal duties since the 1960s. When he dies, will Britain finally feel as though the older generation of royals - who for so long have provided reassurance and comfort to the British people - have gone?

Will this lead to a lot of soul-searching about where next Britain must go and perhaps cause social tensions due to the insecurity of identity? Who will the British look to to guide the nation from then on? Who will be their new rock?

OP posts:
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Cheguevarahamster · 07/12/2025 10:42

Yabu. I couldn't a shiny f#ck. The monarchy are a ridiculous institution and should be abolished.

DisforDarkChocolate · 07/12/2025 10:42

I'm not even sure Camilla will be devastated.

Me, I'll just be wondering if any of modernising Charles promised for 40 years actually happened and if Wills will manage any. I think not, they are all an expensive pointless waste of my money.

SheinIsShite · 07/12/2025 10:42

The Queen's passing did not cause "social insecurity". For that reason you are being unreasonable.

Witheringlights · 07/12/2025 10:42

Santasbigredbobblehat · 07/12/2025 10:32

I’m here for the republic.

I second that! Or at least for a monarchy so slimmed down it’s bordering on anorexic.

I can’t abide all of this “nation’s rock” business either! it’s a narrative largely constructed by tabloid newspapers.

I think the people should have been consulted after QE2’s reign and I think the people should be consulted after Charles has gone.

soocool · 07/12/2025 10:42

I'd be more concerned about Lazy Arse W becoming the monarch, and closing ranks and refusing to be financially transparent about the Sovereign Grant and his taxes/assets and so on and so forth. He doesn't inspire me one bit and all this talk about him reforming and slimming down the monarchy sounds very hollow to me.

But we shall see. As for KC3s passing, well I don't know him, never met him, he's not a relative or close friend, so I shall leave the mourning to those people and other sycophantic hangers on. I will however, have no choice but to cough up via my taxes for another week of sombre expensive funereal pageantry.

Shoxfordian · 07/12/2025 10:42

On the plus side, we will get a day off

piglet879 · 07/12/2025 10:41

😂😂😂

gudetamathelazyegg · 07/12/2025 10:41

InterestedDad37 · 07/12/2025 10:36

I think (hope) it will be the end of the monarchy in the UK.
We don't need one.
Long live the Republic ✊

Yeah this is the only reason I would care at all. Maybe we can finally be rid of the whole thing!

Lemonysnickety · 07/12/2025 10:41

I think William and Catherine are way more popular than Charles.

redboxer321 · 07/12/2025 10:41

I honestly don't know how I'll go on.

ThatWildMintSloth · 07/12/2025 10:41

sprigatito · 07/12/2025 10:31

Eh? I couldn’t give two tugs of a dead dog’s cock about any of them. Inbred parasitical dimwits.

🤣🤣🤣Never heard this phrase before, hilarious!

Thundertoast · 07/12/2025 10:40

The man who married a 19 year old when he was 32, a man who will have 100% known about what Epstein was up to and his brothers association with him and as far as I can tell did nothing? No.

Endofyear · 07/12/2025 10:40

I don't think so. The monarchy is largely irrelevant to most people. I certainly don't look to them for moral guidance or anything else!

thecalmsea · 07/12/2025 10:39

Er, no. Are you from some US media outlet?

I actually find this position quite insulting. I've had 3 very close family member due this year, one tragically young. That's what I care about. Why would I be anyway affected by some pampered stranger dying? He doesn't 'lead the country'. I am not particularly anti royalist - I think they serve quite a useful purpose for the tourism industry, the immediate ones at least and I quite like William and Kate's more modern approach, and I would feel mild curiosity from a gossipy point of view if one of them died (and mild sadness if it was a younger one) but I would not be anything close to devastated if/when an approaching 80y old stranger that has lived a full, comfortable life dies.

cariadlet · 07/12/2025 10:38

Were most people upset when the Queen died?

No doubt many were but equally many weren't bothered. I was surprised by how huge the queues to file past her coffin were but I expect that was a mixture of people who genuinely cared and wanted to pay their respects and people who wanted to be part of what they saw as a national event.

Personally, I thought it was sad for her family, thought it would be strange not to have her as Head of State as she had been queen since long before I was born but didn't feel in the slightest bit personally affected. Most people I know had similar feelings.

Slightyamusedandsilly · 07/12/2025 10:38

Nope. He's weak and irrelevant. The next one will be angry / stroppy and irrelevant.

QE was sensible and respected. Neither of the blokes following her are those things.

SimplyBudgie · 07/12/2025 10:38

Who will the British look to to guide the nation from then on? Who will be their new rock?

Oh get on with you 😂

Simonjt · 07/12/2025 10:38

I wasn’t upset when someone who protects a peadophile died, I equally won’t be bothered when Charles dies, just as I’m not bothered when hundreds of elderly men that I don’t know die every month.

SilverPink · 07/12/2025 10:38

Dodonutty · 07/12/2025 10:34

This poster loves writing these posts about the royals with Mills & Boon type language.

Show quote history

🤦‍♀️ hope they’re not looking to be published any time soon

Katypp · 07/12/2025 10:38

I am about as far from a Royalist as you can be, but i cannot understand why pps seem to think the more they swear, the more Republican they are.
It's immature and tiresome.

booboohoohoo · 07/12/2025 10:37

I will be very sad when he dies. I understand your point completely.

Notmyreality · 07/12/2025 10:37

stclementine · 07/12/2025 10:32

Most people weren’t upset at all, it was the media telling us we were all upset. Same as when this one goes, there’ll be wall to wall media induced mourning which won’t affect or reflect what most of us are doing or thinking. The monarchy isn’t really as relevant to our day to day lives as they like to think.

This. Hopefully the BBC learned a big lesson when the Queen died. Their coverage model assumed we were all still living in the 50s.

user2848502016 · 07/12/2025 10:37

There are good and bad points about having a monarchy, on balance I am in favour.
However although I watched the Queen’s funeral etc I was in no way devastated or upset by her death, she was a very old lady so it was hardly a surprise.
I don’t thing King Charles will have quite as big a reaction from the nation because he won’t have been King for very long and I doubt he will ever be as popular as the late Queen was.
I think a lot of people will actually see his passing as a new beginning for the UK.

InterestedDad37 · 07/12/2025 10:36

I think (hope) it will be the end of the monarchy in the UK.
We don't need one.
Long live the Republic ✊

EchoedSilence · 07/12/2025 10:36

I don't think anyone will be devastated. The monarchy should have died with the queen.