Long Live The King? Hamber Students and Teachers Look Ahead

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The 2017 future history film King Charles III imagines a recently crowned, somewhat headstrong Charles using his kingly powers to block a proposed bill in Parliament. Political and familial chaos ensues and the new monarch falls from the throne in tumult and drama. So far, the real king’s reign has been much more conventional.

It is unclear what sort of monarch the longtime heir apparent will be. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, ascended to the throne at 25, while Charles has had a lifetime to formulate and communicate his views on the environment, healthcare, and education. This has many wondering whether His Majesty will adopt Elizabeth’s strategy of political ambiguity and silence, or leverage his position to further the causes he supports. Even as a member of the royal family, Charles has had more than his fair share of drama, with his life being widely publicised from the beginning.

Hamber students seem to be mostly indifferent to the shift in the monarchy; when asked for an interview, many declined to comment, saying they had no opinion on the matter.

Nevertheless, some expressed stronger views. Ethan Soo (11) was pessimistic about the future of the monarchy. “Lizzie was the real one, man,” he lamented. “ [She] was, like, iconic.”

Luke Vargas (8) had a more favourable view, expressing hope that a change in leadership would bring fresh perspectives.

“Old ways can change and new ideas can come out,” Vargas reflected; although he maintained that Elizabeth II “was already a pretty good ruler, so maybe [Charles III] could be a bit worse.”

Ms. B. Panesar is an English teacher at Hamber. “I feel super optimistic, I love the monarchy, I think they are great,” she said when asked about her views on the monarchy going forward.

“I see [Charles III]’s reign starting off on a really positive note, because Rishi Sunak has been sworn in now as the first Asian person with roots in India as prime minister of the UK. That’s just amazing.”

As for the Elizabeth/Charles transition, Panesar doesn’t think it’s a fair comparison.

“Our wonderful Queen Elizabeth II was there for 70 long years, I grew up with her, she’s like one of the family.” she said. “I think Charles will be okay, I think Charles will be just fine, I think he knows what he has to do.” Charles has been the heir apparent for over 70 years, and Ms. Panesar believes that the long wait has prepared him well.

With the change in leadership, many former colonies of Britain are re-evaluating their relationship with the throne. In 2021, Barbados became a republic, and in September the island nation of Antigua and Barbuda announced plans to hold a referendum on the matter. Many of the students we interviewed, however, felt satisfied with the current situation.

“No, I don’t think so,” said Vargas when asked about separating from the monarchy. “It’s fine how it is.”

“I feel like most of Canada doesn’t really care about [the] monarchy,” said Jessica Bui (9). Isabella Pak (9) agreed, saying that “it doesn’t make much of a difference to us.” Jason Huang (11) expressed support for a change, since the Governor General’s office representing the Crown is directly funded by Canadians.

According to an Ipsos poll, 58 per cent of Canadians want a referendum on our ties to the Crown.

As a British citizen, Panesar maintained that it was up to Canadians to decide. She hopes voters would choose to remain connected with the monarchy, however.

“I think the monarchy gives stability. I think it gives continuity.” she said, acknowledging that “right now there’s a lot of conversation around colonialism, and decolonization,” and “if Canada thinks it needs to move away, then that’s up to Canadians.” How would she vote in a referendum on whether to separate? “I would vote no.”

Overall, the students had positive impressions of King Charles. Vargas said that he seemed like a “pretty good person”, while Bui added that he came across as “an okay person”. Soo joked that his first impression of the new king was an “old dude” with “fat fingers”.

Panesar recalled the drama that surrounded then-Prince Charles’ relations with current Queen Consort Camilla during his marriage with his first wife Princess Diana in the 80s and 90s.

“We just liked Diana so much more, and she had to go through so much, it was not fair on her.” Since then, however, her impression of Charles has grown more favourable.

“Charles has sort of redeemed himself in my mind, because he did speak up against global warming, and his environmental stance...I think it takes guts to do that [...], and it’s coming from an honest place”, she said.

Views differed on whether the monarchy is still relevant to us today. To Vargas, the monarchy is an important part of the history taught in Social Studies classes.

To Huang, the royal family’s greatest day-to-day relevance is in their faces on our coins. Soo remarked, “I don’t think the monarchy is doing that much... [but] it’s kind of what makes Canada, Canada.”

Pointing out a framed picture of Queen Elizabeth II on the wall of her classroom, Ms. Panesar reflected on her relationship with the monarchy. “Makes me feel very proud”, she said.

Charles III is the oldest person ever to be crowned king of the Commonwealth at the age of 73. Only 56 per cent are confident in his governing abilities, compared to 82 per cent who approved of the work of Queen Elizabeth II in the aforementioned Ipsos poll. He has had especially low support amongst young people and in Quebec, according to the poll.