Former Prime Minister David Cameron revealed on Sunday that King Charles III prepared for the day he would become the new monarch and Head of State of Britain by having weekly audiences with the Head of Government. Cameron was thinking about the former Prince of Wales’ “longest apprenticeship in history” as the replacement for Queen Elizabeth II.
Between 2010 and 2016, Cameron served as the prime minister of the United Kingdom. He revealed that while he was in 10 Downing Street, he had meetings with the prince of Wales to help him be ready for his upcoming throne. The 73-year-old King Charles III, who became the new monarch on Thursday when his mother passed away, will be holding weekly audiences with the Prime Minister as an important component of his routine calendar of events.
“I saw him in action at Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings and he knows everybody personally, he interacts with them brilliantly,” said Cameron.
“The soft power that the British monarch brings to help a Prime Minister and a government with all those international relations, it was obviously outstanding under Queen Elizabeth II. I think you will see Charles III will be a very worthy successor in that regard,” he said.
Other previous British prime ministers, who were all present for the proclamation of Charles as king on Saturday at St. James’s Palace, have also been thinking about how the monarchy has changed under the new King. Gordon Brown, a former leader of the Labour Party, predicts that King Charles III will modernise the monarchy in line with other European dynasties.
The end of the Elizabethan Age and the coronation of the new queen, however, have already brought about a number of minor changes. The nation’s anthem was changed to “God Save the King,” and the government of Her Majesty will now be referred to as His Majesty’s Government. Other changes, like the design of the country’s currency, will happen more gradually because coins and notes bearing the Queen’s portrait will still be in use for at least a few years.
