A trip abroad marks the return of the British monarchy’s international angle after Charles mother stopped travelling.
King Charles’s three-day state visit to France, a year into his reign, has marked the return of the British monarchy’s international dimension. The trip, along with is his first state visit earlier in the year to Germany, are the first among what is hoped will be many trips.
The state visit to France also signals a shift towards a sharper monarchy. It was organised on government advice, probably to send a clear message that although the UK has left the EU, it still sees itself as part of Europe – a point that has become all the more important since Russia invaded Ukraine. These are precisely the sort of broad messages which command widespread support in the UK and that the monarchy is well placed to project.
The difficulty is that, given his past as Prince of Wales, Charles perhaps has to work harder than his mother did to prove his impartiality. His year on the throne has seen him hone his skills in this respect. The new sharpness of the new monarchy has been displayed on the domestic front but always with caution.
It also appears that other members of the royal family have been given a freer rein. For example, Prince William joined his staff for dinner at an LGBTQ+-friendly restaurant in Warsaw during an official visit to Poland. This was seen to be in response to anti-LBGTQ+ politics in the country. He has endorsed a study of the monarchy’s relationship with slavery, and told the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting last year: “I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many, as I continue to deepen my own understanding of slavery’s enduring impact.”