Crowds followed the funeral procession from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh on a six-hour journey through Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth, some of Scotland’s most populous cities. As tributes to the late sovereign continue, the successor unfolds in a series of audiences and journeys. On the day he received the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, and the High Commissioners (that is, the diplomatic representatives of the Commonwealth of Nations) at Buckingham Palace, Charles III learned that one of the countries of which he is Head of State was planning decide whether to preserve the monarchy.
The head of government of Antigua and Barbuda insisted “it is not a hostile act” but plans to hold a referendum in the next three years so that voters in that Caribbean country of about 100,000 people decide whether to support the republic select. Speaking to ITV News, Gaston Browne admitted the topic is off the agenda: “I don’t think most people have even bothered to think about it.”
Of the more than 50 Commonwealth countries, 15 have Charles III as head of state. Last year, Barbados bid farewell to the monarchy and elected the former governor as president, making the Caribbean country a rare case of a president and head of government with two wives. Other countries that are planning to scrap Windsor include Australia – it has an assistant minister for the Republic, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has already said the change will not happen during the tenure that started less than four months ago -, Belize and Jamaica.
The day after the proclamation at St. James’s Palace, similar ceremonies of Charles III took place in other areas, from Scotland to Australia, from Northern Ireland to the Iberian Peninsula, most notably in Gibraltar. On the rock, Governor David Steel read the document on the balcony of the official residence, in front of hundreds of people. Steel, who was Elizabeth II’s aide, reminded the BBC of “the Queen’s dignity, devotion to duty, sense of humor and love for what she did”.
Similar ceremonies took place in Australia and New Zealand. In Auckland, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took the opportunity to praise Elizabeth II and the loving relationship between the monarch and New Zealanders. “This relationship is highly valued by our people. I have no doubt that it will deepen,” he predicted.
In Edinburgh it became clear that the monarchy is not a peaceful affair: there was no shortage of those who whistled Charles III’s proclamation. However, the city received the Queen’s remains at Holyroodhouse Palace, where Princes Anne, Andrew and Edward were. It’s time to pay tribute to Elizabeth II, in an environment that contrasts with that of central London, where crowds gathered to cheer Charles III.
Today the King will travel to Scotland and will attend a Mass dedicated to the Queen at St Egidio Cathedral in the Scottish capital. On Tuesday, as his mother’s coffin is flown to London and then buried in Westminster, Carlos will fly to Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he will also take part in a religious ceremony. On Friday he finally goes to Wales. Prime Minister Liz Truss will attend all of these ceremonies, which has been criticized by several commentators. In the face of criticism, Downing Street clarified that Truss “is not ‘accompanying’ the King and is not on ‘tour’. She is merely attending these services.”
Source: DN
