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Column: King’s crown a heavy burden, to be worn with care

The royal life is nothing but a gilded cage
coronation2
The Best of British store in Steveston decked out for King Charles III's coronation

Would you want to be the King or Queen of England? I can definitively answer that question: absolutely not.

On the surface, it may look like a cushy life. Raised in luxury, wanting for nothing, rich beyond rich. But in my view, such a life is nothing but a gilded cage. There is no freedom as a monarch and really, freedom means everything. Does wee Prince George have any freedom in his future? Unlikely – everything from the types of clothes he wears to the school he attends to the job that will occupy his days has been set out, predetermined decades before his birth.

Not only is there no freedom for royals, but there’s also no privacy. As was the case with King Charles, when he was the Prince of Wales and conducting an affair, even your telephone calls are secretly recorded and published in the news. If you’re a princess on vacation at a topless beach, your photo will catch top dollar, as happened to Kate Middleton in 2012.

On top of having no freedom and no privacy, royals live a life that’s semi-ridiculous. Their purpose is to be adorned and look good, while making appearances or giving speeches in support of special causes. Yes, there is a governmental role, but it is largely ceremonial. And yet, they are still accountable for the mistakes of the past – things like colonialism or racism.

King Charles III’s coronation last weekend was a perfect example of that semi-ridiculousness. Did you see the outfits William and Kate had to wear? Both wore multi-layered robes that looked like graduation gowns. Kate’s was a patriotic red, white and blue, while William’s was in darker, jewel-toned velvet. Both were adorned with heavy chains, medals, bows and sashes.

Those robes likely hold hidden meanings of prestige, rank and honour, but personally, I thought Harry looked classier – and much more comfortable – in his regular suit. I must admit though, I didn’t get a very good look at him because he was often hidden from view by Princess Anne’s huge feather in her cap.

Anne, Charles’s younger sister, had a position of honour at the coronation, as the “Gold Stick In Waiting.” What’s that, you may rightfully ask. It’s a ceremonial role, but in the past, it was a title given to one of the King’s bodyguards. For the 2023 version, Anne rode a horse in the parade after the coronation, just directly behind and to the left of the King’s carriage.

Her outfit was a forest green robe, with a large hat adorned with a tall, dark red feather. She just happened to be sitting directly in front of Harry – perhaps by design, so his father didn’t catch of glimpse of him.

After Harry’s biography, Spare, spilled family dirt, his relationship with his family has spoiled, perhaps permanently. And where he has always had a place of honour at other royal events, this time, he was relegated to the third row. It didn’t appear that he interacted at all with his father or his brother, and that feather may have been strategically placed to avoid even eye contact.

I noticed that Harry looked a little anxious coming into Westminster Abbey, but so did everyone else. Nerves were running high. That’s probably why the King and the Prince of Wales had to read their lines off cue cards, rather than take the chance they might forget in a moment of anxiety. It did seem odd to see them looking off to the side to read the cards – you’d think amid all that splendour and riches, they could have organized a teleprompter for the key moments. The nerves, I understand.

Harry, though, seemed a little lighter, a little quicker to smile than the others. I think that’s because he’s got out. He has more freedom now than his relatives and less of that ridiculous air. He may not have a lot of privacy, but that’s mostly of his own doing, having made a Netflix show and written a tell-all book.

As they placed the crown on Charles’s head, the King looked somber. I hope he was thinking about the influence he has and how to use it for good. Humankind has huge challenges ahead and if royalty wants to remain relevant it should focus its energies on pressing problems like the rights of Indigenous people, climate change and inequality.

The Crown is a heavyweight and one Charles now has to carry until the day he dies, when his son William will take over. William, too, looked somber, as he pledged his loyalty to his father and kissed him on the cheek. The next time this ceremony takes place, Charles will have died, and William will be King. It’s not as though he’s had any freedom or privacy thus far, but as time goes on, that will only get worse.  

As glittering as that crown is, I wouldn’t want to wear it.

Tracy Sherlock is a freelance journalist who writes about education and social issues. Read her blog or email her tracy.sherlock@gmail.com