King Charles III has been in the spotlight all his life – but does he need a rebrand now that he’s head of state?
Until September 8 of this year. Charles was the world’s longest-serving heir, having been first in line to the throne since 1952. It’s 70 years – his mother was crowned when he was only three years old.
However, during this time, the royal family had a rather stormy relationship with the public. Perhaps as he transitions into his new role as sovereign, Charles is also looking to rejuvenate his image.
But why is he rebranding?
The king has faced a lot of scrutiny over the years, and his public persona has not always remained intact.
In 1994, he indirectly insulted his parents, telling interviewer Jonathan Dimbleby that they did not support him throughout his childhood, prompting pundits to speculate about a royal split – and that Charles redid.
During this same period, Charles’s reputation was under threat as his relationship with his first wife deteriorated. Princess Diana.
Not only was she considered the “people’s princess” and more popular than he, their acrimonious split in 1992 and her subsequent death in a car crash in 1997 led to an outpouring of grief – and many people rebelling against the royal family.
Charles’ affair with his current wife, the Queen, then known as Camilla Parker-Bowles, through part of his marriage to Diana was widely publicized. Camilla was also married at the time of their affair, which swayed much of the public to side with Diana, then Princess of Wales.
While Charles and Camilla have been happily married since 2005, popular Netflix series The Crown has raked up the entire history of the Queen’s reign over the past few years, also taking considerable creative license.
This sparked new anger among younger generations who may not have experienced the tension between Charles and his parents and his ex-wife the first time around.
Further questions about the future of the royal family under Charles arose when his second son Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle announced that they were leaving “The Firm”. The Sussexes have since revealed that there is still a rift between them and the new king.
Charles has also been criticized for “meddling” in politics and allegedly lobbying politicians after his “black spider memos” were published by the Guardian in 2015. This particularly worried many palace staff because Charles is part of a constitutional monarchy – he is supposed to be apolitical.
Has he started rebranding yet?
yes. It seems that just days into his reign, Charles was already trying to shake off some of the more “stifling” images and stiff upper lips often associated with the crown as he began his own reign as king.
As soon as he returned to London after being at the Queen’s side during her death, he jumped out of the car and began to greet the crowd near Buckingham Palace.
During the unscheduled walk, he shook hands with well-wishers and even received a kiss on the cheek from one member of the public.
He called his mother “sweet mom” in his first official address to the nation on Friday, in an unexpected emotional twist, and has since said: “I am very lucky to have had her as my mother.”
He also explained that he was passing on the title of Queen Consort to Camille because of her loyal service to the country over the past 17 years, tacitly acknowledging their complicated past.
He pointed to the Duchess of Cambridge will become the Princess of Wales – a title not used in public since Diana was alive – and expressed his love for Harry and Meghan in his speech as he sought to create a sense of a more unified monarchy.
It should be noted that in the same speech, Charles indicated that it was time for a “change” and suggested that he was going to leave all his passion projects, adapting to the life of a sovereign.
“My life will certainly change when I take on my new responsibilities,” he said on Saturday. “I will no longer be able to devote so much time and energy to charities and issues that I care about so much. But I know that this important work will continue in the safe hands of others.”
Does it work?
Well, to a certain extent. A YouGov poll published on Tuesday shows people already trust him more than before he inherited the throne.
In May, there was a fairly even split between those who thought he would do poorly and those who thought he would do well as monarch, with about 30% on either side.
In fact, as of July 2019, roughly 30% of those polled had no faith in the monarch’s future on the throne – until now.
A new poll found that 63% of respondents think Charles would make a good king.
But, as always, the support is not unanimous.
Social media has been more critical, with two separate clips showing Charles losing his temper over pens over the past few days going viral.
Visiting Hillsborough in Northern Ireland on Tuesday, the King signed in the visitor’s book of the estate and became enraged when he discovered that his pen was leaking.
He was caught on camera saying: “I can’t stand the bloody thing!”
A similar incident occurred during the Accession Council on Saturday, when he was seen directing staff to clear his desk while he signed his declaration.
It’s probably too early to tell, but it’s definitely going to be an uphill battle to earn the same reputation as his mother.
How YouGov As noted at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Queen has maintained the positive attitude of around 70% of the population for at least the past decade.
Other successful royal renovations
What makes it likely that it will get rebranded anyway? Well, royals have done it before. Quite often, actually.
Camila is probably the best. As Charles’ first love, she was very unpopular for having an affair with Charles throughout his first marriage, and the scandalous rumors that circulated about their relationship certainly didn’t help.
After Diana’s death, Charles even tried to keep his relationship with Camilla out of the public eye to avoid further scrutiny.
Even when they married, she chose not to take the title of Princess of Wales, despite the fact that it had technically been her surname as the official wife of the Prince of Wales since 2005.
However, over the years, she has completely changed her image. That was made clear when the Queen confirmed it was her “sincere wish” for Camilla to take on the disputed title of Queen earlier this year – a departure from tradition given that Charles and Camilla are divorced.
It was also a title that many still associate with Diana.
Tim Graham via Getty Images
The Queen also rebranded throughout her reign. When she first became monarch after her father’s sudden death in 1952, she suddenly had to prove herself not only as the first female monarch since Queen Victoria, but also as a 25-year-old sovereign.
It is a known fact that after Diana’s death she rediscovered herself – even if some felt her hand was forced. As a result, there was a big drop in the royal family’s popularity, and the public frowned upon the queen for not welcoming the princess wholeheartedly (in their eyes) into the royal household.
Since then, she has become the Queen’s ‘grandmother’, appearing much warmer in her public appearances and seen as a reassuring face in times of crisis – especially during the covid pandemic.
Princess Diana also changed her image from a shy teenager when she first met Charles to the most fashionable member of the royal family and a sharp person.
After her divorce, she adopted a new persona, taking more fashion risks than she might have while working as a royal and championing more controversial causes, such as joining a campaign to destroy all land mines in Angola.
