Coming up to the fourth anniversary of his accession on September 8, King Charles III is about to get his fourth Prime Minister:
That means that the monarch is averaging one new PM a year.
In contrast, Elizabeth II had 15 over a 70-year reign (or a new PM every five-ish years).
I never thought the King would come anywhere near his mother’s record for prime ministers, but now I’m rethinking the premise of my assumption.
There was big (wonky) royal news on Sunday: The King and Prince William will reveal how much they personally pay in taxes this week. That’s the first time a sovereign has done that. Charles used to reveal that amount in detailed annual reports when he was Prince of Wales but William stopped that practice when he got the role in 2022.
In 1992, the late Queen Elizabeth II announced that she’d pay taxes on her personal income in the aftermath of a public furor over who would pay to rebuild Windsor Castle after its devastating fire. The public didn’t see why taxpayers should pay the massive costs, given the huge wealth of the monarch. In the end, her staff ended the growing PR mess by not only pushing forward the announcement that she’d pay taxes but also by deciding to open Buckingham Palace to tourists for the first time, with those funds being directed toward the reconstruction. Now, that annual summer opening is a highlight of the tourist season.
The news that Charles and William will reveal those amounts is a recognition that the royal family has to be seen to be even more transparent in the aftermath of the Andrew scandal. Those new tax details are expected on Thursday, when the palace publishes the annual Sovereign Grant report.
The news comes after an Ipsos poll shows support for the monarchy at a 30-year low, with just 55 percent supporting the institution. In particular, only a third of young people support it.
The King’s sons may not be talking to each other, but both of their families marked Father’s Day with new images. From Montecito, Meghan posted an image dedicated to “our one and only” showing Harry with their kids, including Archie wearing an England soccer shirt.
Meanwhile, in Britain, Prince William turned 44 on Father’s Day. His family released a personal message (signed, using their initials) to the “best Papa in the world” along with a snap of him and Charlotte that was taken two weeks ago when they were dressed for Trooping the Colour.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have confirmed that Prince George, who turns 13 next month, will go to Eton College in Windsor in the fall. They’ve been checking out the best schools in Britain, including Kate’s co-ed alma mater of Marlborough College, and decided on William’s old school, which is one of the best in the world as well as one of the most exclusive.
That’s where William and Harry went to school — they met some of their closest friends at the prestigious school, which is an experience that William undoubtedly wants for his eldest child (Charles went to his father’s old school of Gordonstoun in Scotland, but hated its spartan ethos).
It’s a boys-only full boarding school with annual fees of around $120,000 a year.
George will wear the traditional white tie and tails worn by all Eton students.
20 British prime ministers went to Eton, including David Cameron and Boris Johnson, plus a lot of actors, including Eddie Redmayne, who was at school at the same time as William, as well as Tom Hiddleston, and Damian Lewis.
The King and Queen attended all five days of Royal Ascot, which concluded on Saturday. Several of their horses were racing, with one of them placing second in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes.
Royal Ascot is a great opportunity to see family members interacting in a completely relaxed way that is rarely seen at other formal occasions. So, after the requisite curtsies and bows, there are lots of hugs and laughs, including when Kate was there on Wednesday for the first time since 2023.
Anne’s daughter, Zara, even blew Uncle Charles a big kiss one day. And her brother, Peter Phillips, attended two days with his new wife, Harriet.
As expected, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie weren’t at Royal Ascot this year. It counts as formal engagements for the King and Queen, rather than a private family event, such as Peter and Harriet Phillips’ wedding.
The pomp and ceremony even extends to the empty carriages and their outriders returning to Windsor Castle after processing down the track at Ascot.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source writeroyalty.substack.com ’
