The death of Queen Elizabeth II last September 8 shocked the United Kingdom and the world in general, a topic of conversation that continues to be current due to the historical weight of the death. Following the death of the Queen, her firstborn, the now 73-year-old King Charles III, ascended the throne and assumed the Crown’s responsibilities, amidst positive and negative comments that mainly go back to his history with the iconic and late Princess Diana.
The first question that rose after his immediate ascension was which name he would pick as King. Among his four names (Charles Philip Arthur George), the former Prince of Wales, chose to be called: King Charles III, even taking into account the weight that this entails. All his other names would’ve had historical connections, Philip, for his father, George for his grandfather, and Arthur as the legendary character.
Still, having known all his life as Charles, and following his mother’s steps, Charles decided to go with his first name. However, as many have noted, the previous two King Charles had a tragic end in history. According to Patrick Cracroft-Brennan in The Times: “Monarchs named Charles have not been very lucky.” And perhaps, that is why there have only been three in British history.
What is the curse behind the monarchs named “Charles”?
King Charles I
King Charles, I of England and Scotland was born on November 19, 1600, bearing the title Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay. He was the firstborn son of King James I and Anne of Denmark, a controversial marriage in which nine children were born. After the death of his father, King Charles I ascended the throne on March 27, 1625, and his reign was considered tumultuous because of the power struggle he had with Parliament from the very beginning.
Considered pedantic, distrustful, and a liar, King Charles I was very proper in speaking and had a great taste for music and painting. However, his hidden attempts to return to Catholicism reverberated among the people.
During his reign, the English Civil War broke out, in which King Charles I confronted Parliament and the Puritans. In 1649, the House of Commons called a parliamentary act that created a court for the trial of the monarch; he was sentenced on charges of high treason and “other high crimes.” Charles, I was beheaded on January 30, 1649; he was the first European monarch tu suffer that fate.
King Charles II
King Charles II was born on May 29, 1630; he was the son of King Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France. He ascended the throne in 1660, two years after the death of the political leader Oliver Cromwell, who ruled when the monarchy was abolished in England and became a republic after his father was overthrown.
Charles II was more intelligent and skillful than his father because he maintained a good relationship with the Parliament. During his reign, he favored the arts and sciences, to the point of ordering the reopening of the theaters.
He was known as the “Merry Monarch” because he had numerous relationships from which several illegitimate children were born, of which he only recognized 14. With his only legitimate wife, Catherine of Braganza, he never procreated.
His problem arose when he embraced Catholicism on his deathbed, becoming the first Catholic to reign in England since the death of Mary I in 1558, and in Scotland since the deposition of his great-grandmother Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1567.
King Charles III
Now, King Charles III is in the public eye, as he is haunted by the 70-year reign of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Besides the political challenges that he will face as many countries of the Commonwealth are in talks to abandon the monarchy and become republics, Charles has to face public opinion as one of the least popular royals. His controversial love affair history dating back to his first marriage to Princess Diana and his relationship with Camilla Parker, which was formalized at the altar in 2005, is something that the British people won’t forget anytime soon.
Story originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva
