Camilla, the Queen Consort, once said that King Charles’s destiny didn’t “weigh heavily on his shoulders at all”, but he accedes to the throne with a country in crisis and a monarchy seeking to reshape its role for the modern age.
Over what has been described as a “50-year apprenticeship”, King Charles has championed his causes and concerns, from better training and opportunities for young people to pollution and the climate crisis. He has lobbied UK ministers with letters described as “black spider memos” because of the scrawled handwriting, rallied business leaders and urged action on the international stage.
