That was a dark period in British history, which saw the nation descend into a bloody civil war, Charles I eventually put on trial, with a verdict of death by beheading. His execution heralded in years of Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth and the crushing of the latest Irish rebellion.
It would be several years before the Monarchy would return under Charles II, a period known as the Restoration in the 1660s.
I’m not suggesting such would have been the backlash against the former Prince Andrew and his links to the late convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, that King Charles III would have been sent to the Tower of London, or even forced to abdicate.
But what was very clear that had King Charles III not acted against his younger brother, the now ordinary Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (AMW), even the most loyal of Royalists could have been calling for a radical reform of the Monarchy.
While Charles’ reign may have rattled along, the problem was what type of legacy and throne would he have handed over to his successor, his eldest son Prince William?
Had the King not acted firmly to strip AMW of his titles and privileges, Prince William may have inherited a vastly reduced Crown which bore no resemblance to the high-profile reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Indeed, it may have been a Monarchy more akin to some of the low-profile monarchs across Europe, or even the virtually non-existent Russian Royal Family.
King Charles III has had a number of challenges in his life, let alone his reign, such as his divorce to the late Princess Diana, who was seen by many as the People’s Princess; his relationship and marriage to the former Mrs Camilla Parker-Bowles, his health challenges, and the fact that he was a pensioner by the time his mother died and he ascended to the throne.
And these challenges don’t include all the problems and allegations surrounding his youngest son, Prince Harry, and AMW.
Perhaps over the Royal Family’s Christmas dinner this year, the conversation should be about who will be the best working Royals in 2026. Perhaps the groundwork should now be made for Prince William to ascend to the throne rather than waiting for his dad to die.
Our late Queen Elizabeth II, her husband Prince Philip, and the Queen Mother were all blessed with longevity in life. Charles III is in his seventies. If the past Queen had stepped aside and let him on the throne in his forties or fifties, would his reign have been even more popular?
What we Royalists don’t want to see is a republican movement developing in the United Kingdom akin to that which has developed in Australia. Albeit one person, but King Charles III has already had to face the humiliation of being heckled in public whilst on an official duty because of AMW.
What is also in no doubt is the popularity of Prince William and his wife, Princess Catherine. If ever there was a ‘dream team’ set of Royals, it is them.
Having had the privilege of meeting Prince William as part of a crowd during one of his walkabouts in Belfast some years ago, he is a very down to earth person who takes his Royal duties very seriously, but at the same time can converse politely with the common people. He will make a tremendous King Billy if he decides to take that name!
Prince William is now in his early 40s age-wise and has been prepared for his future role as King for quite some years. Unlike his uncle, AMW, he has taken to his Royal duties like a duck to water. Put bluntly, the sooner he is allowed to become King, the better.
A future King William could also be the much-needed catalyst for healing the rift with his younger brother Prince Harry. At one time, it seemed as if we had the ultimate ‘dream team’ in The Firm, as the Royal Family is affectionately known - a King William and Queen Catherine, with firm support from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Sadly thus far, this fairy tale has become a family nightmare.
The perfect plan would be to give King Charles III and the former Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles a couple more years in the spotlight as Monarchs, then graciously step aside to allow Prince William and Princess Catherine to ascend to the throne.
It would not be treated as an abdication crisis as befell the Monarchy in 1936 when King Edward VIII relinquished the throne to enable him to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
Charles III abdicating would be merely a smooth transition of the Crown from one generation to the next, hopefully allowing the future King William the chance for a long reign like his grandmother, Elizabeth II.
Likewise, the Royal Family needs to draw up a shortlist of working Royals who have the least scandal - if any - associated with them, and get them to work across the UK and the Commonwealth, especially as trade ambassadors to bring much-needed employment to the nation.
As for AMW, the tactic would be to hide him from public view for the remainder of his natural life in the same way as the unfortunate Prince John of the United Kingdom, who died as a teenager in January 1919.
He was the fifth son of King George V and Queen Mary, but suffered from epilepsy and was kept out of public view during his lifetime. For the sake of the future of the Monarchy, AMW must suffer the same fate in terms of his public non-existence.
Elizabeth II once described 1992 during her reign as her ‘annus horribillis’, her horrible year. 2025 could be branded as King Charles III’s ‘annus horribillis’.
With human beings, you will always have scandals. But if King Charles III and Prince William can work together as father and son to rebrand the Monarchy and prepare William to be the People’s King, just as Diana was the People’s Princess, then the future for the British Monarchy does indeed look rosy. However, 2026 will be a crucial year in this rebranding.
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| Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter John is a Director for Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. |
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor should be the subject of an extradition order from the US to answer the allegations made against him by the late Virginia Giuffre. If found guilty, Great Uncle Sweaty Nonce should spend the rest of his gilded days in a Federal supermax.
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