Britain is engulfed in a worldwide outpouring of love and admiration for Queen Elizabeth II but the challenges new King Charles faces have been bubbling under the surface for years.
At the center is Britain’s colonial past, and the legacy of empire and slavery.
The vast majority of the 56 countries of the Commonwealth were former territories of the British Empire. Membership actually grew during the Queen’s reign, as the modern organization seeks to help promote equality, reduce poverty and fund education.
They include the 14 other countries where the monarch is also head of state.
The vast majority of the 56 countries of the Commonwealth were former territories of the British Empire. They include 14 other countries where the monarch is also head of state.
But what role can a foreign king have in the 21st century?
“So, I think we could be looking, certainly throughout the reign of King Charles, at a significant change in the number of countries in which he is head of state,” said ABC News royal contributor, Victoria Murphy.
It’s a question Barbados answered last year, by choosing to remove the Queen as head of state and become an independent republic.
RELATED: King Charles III officially announced as Britain’s monarch at royal ceremony
Charles was there to mark that occasion.
“He arrived as the top man and he left as just simply a visiting dignitary,” Murphy said.
Jamaica, which was host to a rather awkward royal tour by Will and Kate last year, may well follow suit.
“We are moving on as an independent, developed, prosperous country,” said Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
RELATED: After a lifetime of preparation, King Charles III takes the throne
While Commonwealth nations, like Canada, have proclaimed Charles their new king, some other nations throughout the realm aren’t so keen on continued rule.
“This is the time to actually shed the cloak of colonialism and try to see how to forge and form our own Belizean identity,” said one man.
“That wealth is something never shared in. So for us in Jamaica, the monarchy is a harsh reminder of our unfortunate past,” added another.
Copyright © 2022 ABC News Internet Ventures.
