1. Weddings
2. Funerals
3. Coronations
The wedding of HRH The Duke of Cambridge to HRH The Duchess of Cambridge could be considered a dress rehearsal for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of Prince Charles as king. Of course no one expects those event to happen any time soon. The Queen is 85 years old and maintains a full schedule that has never been hampered by her age. However resilient the Queen seems, she is indeed mortal. A monarchy does not have the luxury of grieving after the monarch dies. It, like the nation, marches on with the next in line ascending to power.
HRH Prince Charles is next in line to the British throne. Earlier last month, Prince Charles set a British record as the oldest living heir apparent. Charles has lived his entire life in the shadow of his mother and has been educated and trained to succeed her. It's a burden that Queen Elizabeth II knows all too well. King Edward VIII's abdication forced Queen Elizabeth's father King George VI onto the throne in a move that many say led to his early death. The role of monarch is one that is inherited, but one that is taken very seriously.
One thing that Prince Charles has to consider is his official title. Many people have already titled him King Charles III. Many Britons aren't as eager to pronounce him as such. Charles I was a victim of regicide which led to the formation of the Cromwell regime. Once the interregnum came to an end, Charles II became king. His policies caused a lot of problems in the realm, so much so that he dissolved parliament and ruled the realm by himself. He spit in the face of his nation and church by converting to Catholicism on his death bed. Prince Charles is in a bit of a pickle...
Luckily, Charles isn't his only name. His full name is Charles Phillip Arthur George. King Charles carries a lot of historical bad luck. King Phillip sounds too foreign (Spain). King Arthur makes him seem more comical than he already is- someone might compare Camilla to Merlin. The only name left is that of George. If he takes the name of his grandfather he will become King George VII. George is a strong name in British history. Americans know the name of King George III who was the last King of America. Charles would most likely not be a King George III. King George V and King George VI were both great war time leaders who were revered by Britons and other citizens of the empire.
Charles would not be the first monarch to switch his name. His grandfather (and possible future namesake) had the birth name of Albert Frederick Arthur George. He chose the name George VI to patch up the wounds left over from the abdication crisis. Ultimately the choice is Prince Charles. George VI did not grow up in the new media era. Charles would be sacrificing a lot of name recognition with his name change. To be honest though, if you're the King of Britain, do you really need to worry about people not knowing who you are?
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