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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Patrick Wintour and Oliver Holmes

King Charles’s ascension ignites debate over royals across Commonwealth

Charles, Prince of Wales, receiving the Order of Freedom of Barbados In 2021.
King Charles receiving the Order of Freedom of Barbados when he was Prince of Wales in 2021. Photograph: Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images

King Charles’s ascension to the throne has reignited a debate over whether the royal family deserves a global role in the 21st century, no more so than in the 14 Commonwealth realms where the British monarch remains the head of state.

A legacy of empire and slavery that was entwined with British royalty for centuries has raised tough questions about the place of a foreign king, and republican movements from the Pacific to North America to the Caribbean will be assessing whether they should seize the moment.

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