LONDON — The early numbers are in and looking good for the new king. Some 63 percent of Britons expect Charles III to do a good job as monarch, compared with 15 percent who think he will do a poor job, YouGov said on Tuesday. That’s a big jump from May, when Britons were split 32% to 32%. So what does this mean in the long run? It’s too early to tell. The same applies to questions about republican movements. For years, people have wondered whether Commonwealth countries like Australia could opt out after the Queen’s death. As former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull noted after meeting the monarch in 2017: “Even Republicans like me can be, and in my case, very strong Elizabethans.” But after Elizabeth? Her less popular son was not a sure bet to be welcomed. A rise of republicanism is not yet likely. “Now is not the time to talk about our system of government, now is the time to pay tribute to the life of Queen Elizabeth,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said this week. Similarly, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expects her country to become a democracy, but not “soon” — and has no plans to push the issue after the queen’s death. Some resist the reign of Charles. #NotMyKing has recently surfaced on social media and some protesters have been arrested. Recent sympathy may also not translate into long-term support. But the focus will remain on honoring Elizabeth’s legacy at least through her funeral. Regal dash: Charles landed in Belfast on Tuesday as part of his plan to visit all of the UK’s kingdoms ahead of the Queen’s funeral. This is the first visit by a monarch to Northern Ireland in six years. Charles’ whirlwind tour, a highly choreographed offensive stunt known as Operation Spring Tide, took him to Scotland on Monday. he is scheduled to visit Wales on Friday. Long lines: Some 26,000 people paid their respects to the Queen in Scotland before the queue closed, the Scottish government said on Tuesday, with more still waiting. Here in London, people have started queuing long before the laying in State opens later this week. (The Post has mapped the queen’s final 500-plus mile journey.) The line in the capital is expected to stretch for miles and could take 30 hours, officials warned. Due to restrictions on what mourners will be allowed to carry next to the casket (no large bags, no food or drink, no seats or other bulky items), few have chosen to attempt to place markers along the funeral procession. Some royal fans started camping along the Mall days ago. Yes, days. A day before #QueenElizabethII’s coffin arrives in London, people are already lining up to pay their respects. Others have staked their places along the funeral procession route. This woman has been sleeping at the Mall since Saturday. pic.twitter.com/FKVJUKZr8y — Autumn Brewington (@Autumnsan1) September 12, 2022 Government guidance discourages camping along the procession route. The critic was silent: A man who punched Prince Andrew during the procession in Edinburgh on Monday has been arrested for disturbing the peace. Coverage from around The Post “In our countries, colonialism is now. “ Journalists Rael Ombuor, Rachel Chason and Meena Venkataramanan assess the complex reactions to the Queen’s death in England’s former colonies, “some of which fought violent struggles to secure their independence during Queen Elizabeth’s reign”. The bottom line: what responsibility lay with the queen, who had a largely ceremonial role, “and how to balance respect for the dead with reckoning with past injustices.” “Charles was not just right, but a generation ahead of the curve” on climate change and the environment, writes Opinions columnist (and former London correspondent) Eugene Robinson. But the new king – once dubbed “the meddlesome prince” in his defense – “is not expected to express any opinion at all” in his new position. Maybe a 73-year-old can change, Robinson says, but it’s “hard to imagine he’ll go easy on the royal lip zip.” Scotland Embraced ‘The Queen of Scots’ William Booth, Anthony Faiola and Karla Adam write, detailing Monday’s events in Edinburgh. Although most people here deeply respected the Queen, “Scots have complicated feelings about the monarchy and whether Scotland should be independent — or even a republic free of hereditary royals.” The queen’s four children took their places around her coffin in the Cathedral of St. Giles in Edinburgh on Monday. Princess Anne was the first woman to take part in the brief Princes’ Vigil (along with her brothers Charles, Andrew and Prince Edward). See more photos from Monday’s events here. “The weight of history” surrounds us, said King Charles III in his first address to both houses of Parliament as sovereign. (In previous speeches in Parliament, he spoke on behalf of the queen.) London correspondent Karla Adam notes that the king spoke under the medieval wooden ceiling at Westminster Hall, built in 1097. Monarchs are generally not allowed into the House of Commons. Communities. a centuries-old tradition established when King Charles I tried to invade and cause mayhem. To speak there is considered a special honor. ICYMI: The Post’s Retropolis looked back at the first two British kings named Charles. And here’s the video of the new king’s speech to Parliament and, later, the activities in Scotland on Monday. King Charles III arrived in Edinburgh on September 12, marking the start of the second leg of the Queen’s ceremonial journey to her final resting place. (Video: The Washington Post) Follow The Post’s live coverage Wednesday starting at 8:30 a.m. ET as Queen Elizabeth II is carried by carriage from Buckingham Palace to lie in state at Westminster. Photographer Samir Hussein (@samhussein1) captured this image outside St. Giles in Edinburgh on Monday. Follow along @washingtonpost and @postopinions on Instagram for more news coverage. Have questions about Britain’s royal transition? Submit them here.
