“The king is dead; long live the king!”
I am sitting outside on my balcony in my flat in The Hague, replete with Americanos, watching the coronation of King Charles III, trying to make sense of what I am witnessing. The last coronation seen on TV in colour was in 1953, when the young Queen Elizabeth II took the mantle of monarch of England and head of the Commonwealth. Charles, however, is 70 years old. A man who would be king from the moment of his birth in 1948. Now, it’s his turn. But I am still trying to work out what all of this means for my thinking about the monarchy, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth and not concern myself with the question of where all of this came from. The riches amassed by England originated from slavery, but principally from the wealth extracted from India over centuries. Windsor is a made-up name, as is Mountbatten. In fact, the English royal family is essentially German-Greek by heritage.
But it is 2023, and Britain is a very different place from 1952. It has also evolved to become a multicultural, multifaith society consisting of every language and every ethnicity on the planet. In fact, London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. When it comes to Charles, he famously expressed his desire to be the ‘defender of faiths’ rather than the ‘defender of the faith’. He also made a wonderful, evocative speech on the intersections between England and Islam in 1993 at the University of Oxford, at a time when society was still reeling from the effects of the Rushdie Affair and just before the crises in the Balkans unfolded. In 2009, I met with the King at Clarence House to update him on our efforts in relation to his MOSIAC initiative, which concerns the empowerment of young Muslims in inner-city areas suffering from issues of exclusion and discrimination. As the co-chair of MOSAIC West Midlands, we have a lot to speak about in the city of Birmingham, where I was still based at the time. His intentions were sincere, and he has remained steadfast in his commitment to supporting vulnerable communities. For this, I applaud him greatly.
However, not everyone has had the chance to get up close to the king, and so few are able to appreciate his worth. There is also a great deal of discussion about the role and position of the monarchy and whether they are entirely relevant in today’s Britain. Minorities in particular, those who have made their own in the country in the post-war period, have by and large faced many challenges, but they remain, by and large, committed to the cause of integration and inclusion. But as the world watches this coronation and the British monarchy faces another momentous shift, for ethnic minorities in England, the new monarch raises issues about the royal family’s position in modern society as well as the Crown’s connection with the numerous populations who call the United Kingdom home.
The topic of representation is a recurring theme in discussions regarding the royal family. While the monarchy is frequently regarded as a symbol of British identity and unity, some post-war ‘new commonwealth’ minorities in England may feel excluded from this narrative. The monarchy, as a primarily white institution, may not adequately reflect the diversity of modern British society. For others, this may call into question the institution’s relevance and validity in the twenty-first century. At the same time, it is vital to remember that not all minority groups in England share the same views on the monarchy. Some may regard it as a source of pride and tradition, but others may be apathetic or even critical of the institution. Minorities in England, like any other group, are likely to be diverse and multidimensional in their opinions on the monarchy.
Another essential factor to consider when it comes to minorities’ perspectives in England is the royal family’s involvement in creating public discourse and national identity. The monarchy, being one of the most visible and influential institutions in the country, has a considerable influence on how Britons view themselves and their role in the world. This may play a significant role in minorities’ sense of belonging and acceptability in British society. Opinions on the monarchy are expected to be equally divided across the rest of the United Kingdom. While the monarchy is often viewed as a unifying force, some Scots, Welsh, and Northern Irish may see it as a symbol of English dominance and imperialism. Similarly, many citizens in the United Kingdom may be concerned about the monarchy’s cost or question its usefulness in a democratic society.
Looking outside the bounds of the United Kingdom, the position of the new monarch in the Commonwealth is equally crucial. As Commonwealth Head, King Charles III will have a significant impact on the organisation’s objectives and relationships with member nations. This may be particularly important to British ethnic minorities from Commonwealth nations since they may have strong ties to their countries of origin and be involved in their progress and well-being. While it is not always true to suggest that the English monarchy is intrinsically harmful to ethnic minorities, the institution may be perceived as exclusive or unrepresentative of the UK’s diverse communities in some ways. The monarchy, essentially a white institution, may not adequately reflect the diversity of modern British society. Some ethnic minorities might view this lack of representation as a barrier to feeling fully respected and included in British society. Furthermore, the monarchy’s emphasis on tradition and hierarchy may be interpreted as reinforcing existing power structures that disadvantage ethnic minorities.
Another difficulty is the monarchy’s historical heritage concerning colonialism and imperialism. While the monarchy is not solely to blame for these legacies, the institution has been inextricably linked to Britain’s history of colonial expansion and exploitation. This history may be a source of pain and trauma for some ethnic minorities, and the monarchy’s continued prominence may be seen as a reminder of this history. It is also worth mentioning that certain members of the royal family have been accused of racist behaviours or making racially inappropriate remarks, which can erode the institution’s perceived inclusivity and attractiveness to ethnic minorities.
According to a recent YouGov poll released on 3 May, while most respondents from ethnic minority backgrounds are not especially interested in the monarchy, the majority do not hold a negative opinion of it. However, there were significant differences in attitudes based on age, with younger respondents less likely to be positive about the monarchy. Ethnic minority populations worry about the monarchy’s lack of diversity and representation, and several respondents cited the monarchy’s historical links to colonialism and racism as a cause for their ambivalence. The survey also revealed some intriguing demographic differences in monarchist attitudes. Those who identified as black, for example, were more likely than those who identified as Asian to have a negative view of the monarchy (31% vs. 21%). Similarly, those who identified as working-class were more likely to be negative than those who identified as middle-class (30% vs. 22%). The poll reveals that ethnic minority Britons have neither significant negative nor positive views towards the monarchy, but there is an opportunity for the institution to be more inclusive and representative of the country’s varied population.
Based on a study conducted for the think tank British Future by Focaldata Research, support for the monarchy is lower among young people aged 18–24 and racial minorities. According to the poll, around six in ten Britons (57%) favour the UK having a monarch in King Charles III. One-fifth (19%) oppose the monarchy, 10% ‘strongly’, and a fifth (21%) neither support nor oppose it. The poll of 1,104 individuals in the UK and a boosted sample of 1,026 from ethnic minorities also indicated that 47% of minorities support the King, 17% oppose the monarchy, and 31% are undecided. Support for the monarchy is lower among younger people from ethnic minority backgrounds, at 37%, compared to 50% among those over sixty-five. King Charles has already established himself as a multiculturalist king, and this coronation will work to reconcile tradition with a changing Britain, according to Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, an impartial, non-partisan think tank. He wants the monarchy to serve as a link between Britons of all ethnic and religious origins. According to the study, the lower support for the monarchy among ethnic minority Britons is due to ambivalence and generational transition rather than republicanism.
These surveys suggest that attitudes towards the monarchy are complex and nuanced among ethnic minority Britons. While some respondents see the institution as an important part of British culture and history, others are concerned about its colonial history and lack of diversity. Minority perspectives on the monarchy and the new king in England and the rest of the UK will likely be complicated and diverse. Some may regard the institution as a source of pride and tradition, while others may dispute its relevance and legitimacy in modern society. At the same time, the monarchy’s importance in influencing public discourse and national identity should not be underestimated. We all watch to see how King Charles III navigates these problems and possibilities as he ascends to the throne.
