By Charlie Keeble
The coronation of King Charles III will be an occasion of jubilation for the people of Great Britain and the Commonwealth. The last time we had a coronation was for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, which happened in the middle of a very optimistic time. It was a brilliant year for Britain. We had just come off wartime rationing. Winston Churchill was prime minister yet again presiding over a changing nation. The DNA helix was recognised as the building blocks of living matter. Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest for the first time in human history.
Our late Queen was anointed in the midst of optimism that launched a bold and brave new Britain, so can we expect a grand and glorious uplifting from our time of crisis and chaos with a new king? King Charles III has got a lot of potential to be a modern king and I am hoping that it will show through his patronage of classic designs and the natural environment. This I anticipate in reflection of his coronation emblem (see below) designed by Sir Jonathan “Jony” Ive, who famously designed Apple’s unique computer products. It shows a crown made of the flowers of Britain’s four nations.
When Charles became Prince of Wales in 1969, he declared in his investiture speech at Caernarfon Castle:
“The demands on a Prince of Wales have altered, but I am determined to serve and to try as best I can to live up to those demands, whatever they might be in the rather uncertain future. One thing I am clear about and it is that Wales needs to look forward without forsaking the traditions and essential aspects of her past. The past can be just as much a stimulus to the future as anything else.”
Now let’s paraphrase some of these words in the context of what he can be as king. Charles is determined to serve the people and live up to those demands. These demands are for the survival and hopeful aspirations that the British people need. I myself need a King that can be a voice of hope that can give me inspiration for prosperity in these dark times of uncertainty in the anglosphere.
There are moments of the past that Britain can be proud that King Charles can show us by example. Our former Queen showed resilience in the face of adversity and I followed that as a way of thinking about the strength I needed to endure a difficult time. What she went through during the war and the turbulent times of the monarchy tested her ability to deal with such matters. Charles intends to carry on the duty that his mother did and I hope that with his direction, we will be able to see through these difficult times as well.
King Charles has always been a staunch advocate of youth development and he has used his Prince’s Trust to push for young people to make something of themselves. He has heaped praise on them for showing resilience and ambition in the face of adversity during the Covid pandemic. I can see that his support for empowering young people shows that we have a king that will make a shining light out of Britain onto the world’s stage.
There is another aspect of Charles’s interests that I find remarkable that suits British culture. He detests modernist architecture and is a keen supporter of environmental issues. I agree with him on these things. There are certain aspects of the past that are favourable to guiding us to the future. Looking after the environment and conserving the character of the British state in its architecture and natural wonders would be the way forward for the country.
In 1989, the Prince of Wales published a book called A Vision for Britain. In it, he criticised the way London was built without proper town planning and the way the postwar architects produced “ugly, concrete jungles that were completely without soul.” This is exemplified by the appearance of the concrete skyscrapers that I grew up around in Central London. They look like monuments to Marxist unimaginative brutality. Buildings should have integrity just like people. Like people they should also blend in with their natural surroundings and stand out when they have extraordinary gifts.
King Charles demonstrated his ability to build a better town in Dorset with Poundbury, which is built in mind for minimal car usage and for people and businesses to be integrated into its design. King Charles, prefers in his words, “buildings that have grown out of our architectural tradition and that are in harmony with nature.” The town’s construction began in 1993, and it’s scheduled for completion next year. What Poundbury has shown is that we must also grow our country economically alongside the environment and continue to support innovation and creativity.
I have been a long standing supporter of the monarchy and I love the Royal Family. They have provided a rock for the British people to hold onto their character and make Britannia a unique sceptred isle. I believe the monarchy makes me a merry member of an island nation that has produced so much in freedom of enterprise and invention. King Charles will be undertaking an enormous amount of responsibility and ambition to direct Britain into the future. He can count on me as a noble servant to do my duty for his kingdom, as I do through my advocacy work for the Commonwealth Games and for the UK Parliament.
When King Charles III is crowned this will be the first coronation of my lifetime. There will be celebrations in my town of Romford, and I will be enjoying the festivities with my friends. My MP Andrew Rosindell is a staunch royalist and likes to host Royal themed parties at his work office that is called Margaret Thatcher House. We will enjoy having celebratory parties for the coronation with plenty of drinks and food all around. We British do take pride in the pomp and circumstances of royalty. Rule Britannia and God Save the King.
This piece and reflections on the coronation appeared Happy & Glorious: A Royal Celebration.