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

[monrymeadows73]

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?

No he simply doesn’t have that history and longevity the Queen had. I didn’t even like the Queen until she became a more granny type version. Had no time for her when she was younger.

I hope William and Catherine do a good job, I have no problem with them. We aren’t the only country to have monarchs (or emperors).

Do you know everyone in the UK?

I'm not crying but it does make me sad to be reminded that lives are lost through misdiagnosis and that someone who lost someone special is currently on their keyboard still feeling the loss.

Life is sad.

ETA I guess without knowing you, it is still a small interaction with your loss. IT has put it in my mind.

And I think that's why public figures elicit sympathy. When things are brought to our attention, especially with a televised funeral etc, we are in that loss for a short period time.

Mind you, I once cried at a funeral of someone I didn't know!

He is an elderly man , and we have been told he has had / has cancer .
Yes it will be sad ( for some ) and I will feel sorry for his family , as I would any family
But devastated , no I won't be .
The death of his mother was a shock inspite of her great age and obvious diminishing health , likewise Prince Phillip as we all grew up seeing them on t.v.
But life goes on .

the king is dead. Long live the king

and so on

I wasn't devastated when Queen Elizabeth died and I won't be when Charles died. I didn't/don't know them. I would also prefer a republic and think the monarchy is outdated.

Devastated is an odd over-statement I think.

But personally I think the op was trying to make that point.

I'll feel sad, I will certainly feel reflective and it will mark the passage of time in a very formal way for me.

I'm struck by the horror if Harry had been the first born child and due to become King.The reality would probably have been that we'd have been shielded from just how silly he is.
I suppose Charles has had an interesting life and he's certainly been resolute in pursuing what he wants but so is every spoilt child.

Just because someone cries when the general athmosphere or situation is sad, they are not attention seekers. People are allowed to feel and express their emotions.

Apart from that, crying is one of the ways to relieve tension.

No

Yes I have done it before and I actually feel embarrassed.

I imagine his family will care, but other than the most devoted monarchists, I’m not sure why anyone would be devastated. The monarchy is an outdated and undemocratic institution that should be consigned to the history books.

After all, we were one ‘not tonight Phillip’ away from King Andrew. 🫣

But they don't actually DO anything for these causes themselves because they're royalty. They are figureheads. Every speech, event, initiative is planned by their employees in these organisations and none of them get credit for working hard. I would like to see them thank the people who do the actual work for their chosen causes!

I'm English and I totally agree with this person from NI

@2dogsandabudgie Ok then. You only have to do some research of your own, it's all out there.
I'll leave it there, there's no point carrying on a conversation with people who blindly worship and idolise the RF and won't have a word said against them.
Wishing you a great day.

But you do understand what he does? How?

The Duchy is run by its own CEO, someone who was employed after William took over from his dad. William's role will be more like a trustee, more governance than operations, so it's hardly going to take up too much time.

Well you are certainly more pompous than the king, he would never assume that he knows everyone in the UK's opinions.

I will spare him a thought when the time comes, so you are incorrect.

I don't think it will have as big an impact.

For almost all of us Queen Elizabeth II was there before we were born and seemed a permanent fixture but we won't have that sentimental value with Chuck.

Charles was actually quite pioneering about some of his causes. People thought he was kind of a batty eccentric going on about organic food in the early days.

So that went beyond speeches.

Huh? I felt insecure and worried when the queen died but not because she died. It was because Truss was put in charge and crashed the economy, Russia had invaded Ukraine, our bills went sky high, food prices soared and we (my family and I) had concerns about all that. I have nothing against the royal family really, other than thinking they’re a colossal waste of time and money, but I will never understand the handwringing from some when the queen died. We didn’t know her, she didn’t give a shit about us and that’s fine.

I don't think the RF should be handing out advice on climate change, given their extravagant lifestyles.

It won't "devastate" Britain. Even the Queen's death didn't devastate Britain. A lot of people were upset and there was public mourning and so on but after a couple of weeks things went back to normal. The Queen reigned or so long that for the majority of the population she was the only monarch they had ever known. People had never seen a monarch's funeral and then the coronation of the next monarch so it was interesting from that point of view.
When Charles goes I think the majority of people won't be bothered or interested because he hasn't reigned for long and we've seen all the pomp and circumstance just a couple of years ago. Also people will see it as pissing yet more money up the wall.

And as for this:
Who will the British look to to guide the nation from then on? Who will be their new rock?
The King is dead, long live the King.
William will be King.

QEII and her revolting husband going to Canada and turning up at an orphanage unannounced, taking 10 children on a picnic unsupervised and none of those children coming back

I must have missed this tale! You are claiming that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip left their bodyguards behind in order to take ten children on a fake picnic and massacre them, and then buried the bodies somewhere, all by themselves, then wandered back to the royal car and continued onto their next engagement? If QE2 was a spree killer of children it seems strange she only did it once, and started off on such a massive scale.

I do appreciate that Charles was a bit unique for the environmentalism but essentially this is just having strong opinions on a political topic and voicing them - we all have opinions. I don't see being controversial as working hard.

Also people tend to forget Charles' "black spider memos" where he used his position to influence politics behind the scenes. The whole point of being royalty is that you don't get involved in government business!

Why would anyone consider the royal family to be a source of comfort or a ‘rock’. Elizabeth lasted long enough that she was an institution in and of herself, but Charles is King in a country where the monarchy is naught but performative. He has to dance to the tune of the media and the government.

He seems decent enough, fairly content in the gilded cage he lives in, and I hope he lives and dies well. But I hope that for all decent enough people. But when he dies it won’t affect me at all (unless they give us another bank holiday for the year).

The UK is leaving its monarchy behind faster and faster. They at least used to be personally rich - but successful businessmen can readily surpass them now.

Once he dies, I hope William and Kate get proper jobs and raise their kids to be normal people.