The Orb and Scepter

Reign of Charles Rex III and how India can look at it

After 70 years and 214 days, a page has turned in the book of the Monarchy in United Kingdom with Charles III anointed and coronated as King. The longest serving ‘Heir Apparent’ finally got the “orb and sceptre” after his mother Queen Elizabeth II passed away last September.  At the age of 74, he is the oldest person to ascend to the throne of the United Kingdom. As the reign of Charles Rex III begins, the monarchy and the United Kingdom are not enjoying the same position which was prevailing when his mother or his grandfather got the “orb and sceptre.” His grandfather, late King George VI’s ascension to thrown in 1936 was on the premises of a constitutional crisis caused by the abduction of his elder brother late King Edward VIII (later known as Duke of Windsor). That time, their nation, which was already gasping after World War I, wanted to move on from the abduction scandal and wanted to focus on controlling the rising power of Adolf Hitler in Germany. When his mother, the late Queen, ascended to the throne in 1952, she was merely 25 years old. At that time, United Kingdom had just come out of the World War II and people were yearning for a fresh start in a post-colonialised world. Therefore, the Monarchy enjoyed wide support from the people. Unlike then, today the United Kingdom is sitting on the backdrop of Brexit, the pandemic, troubled economy, political instability, and are embroiled in the Ukraine War which has nothing in it for them. The Monarchy itself has faced several shocks including the recent Prince Andrew scandal. Also, King Charles III is not a new face like his predecessors were and the advent of social media has opened doors for those willing to take unilateral pot-shots. But still, the Crown must move on.

I would have delved in detail about the values and symbolism that institution holds for their country, but it would be of no interest to most Indian readers. I am writing this piece to raise a thought as to how we should look towards the Monarchy. In India, we have predominantly two set of perspectives of looking at the Monarchy – one being influenced by the left-wing US media and their elite activists and the other by our own history of struggle under the British rule. For the former part, it is pertinent to note that this left establishment of the United States has always been hell bent to destroy any and every institution in the world that do not openly tow-tow to their activism and agenda. This includes their own institutions and those in other parts of the world including India. Hence, the Monarchy can be no exception.

For the latter part, we have to understand that diplomacy and strategic affairs have to be forward looking. We cannot blame and disengage with the present Monarchy for what had happened when their ancestors were ruling over us. I saw a tweet yesterday from a famous journalist – Palki Sharma Upadhyaya who went on narrate about the many wars and conflicts happened in the last thousand years of British Monarchy. History cannot be an impediment in future relationships of nations. If we go purely by history, then India’s engagement with United States should stop in toto given how in every Indo-Pak war since 1947, they have aided and funded Pakistan. Without US support, Pakistan would never have been a nuclear power. On the contrary, we faced economic sanctions from the US when we performed our nuclear tests in 1998.   

But diplomacy is about engaging with the world for mutual interest. Past cannot be an anchor to future expeditions. France fought a 100-years long war with Britain, yet today has deep diplomatic ties with the United Kingdom and their President personally attended the Coronation ceremony. If we aspire to rise in the world, we have to engage more and more with the world. We are neither a brute power like China, nor as cash rich as USA once was when it rose to power.

King Charles III shall now be the head of the Commonwealth of Nations which include 52 other member states from Africa, Asia, Europe, Pacific and Caribbean Islands. The Commonwealth has to be seen from a strategic perspective as a platform to engage with nations with whom we have a shared history and language (English) to expand trade and economic ties, display our unique culture and heritage, showcase our diplomatic capabilities, and get our voice heard. India has always looked upon Commonwealth the way teenagers look upon attending family functions. We have deliberately avoided their events & summits and failed to use the platform to our strategic interest. Alongside, we have also ignored the quantum of soft power and influence the Monarchy wields in the Commonwealth and rest of the world.

We have also failed to notice that the British Royal Family runs charities worth millions of pounds in diverse fields. They are patrons of many institutions including various renowned Universities. These days the charitable organisations are used to peddle various narratives and funnel money for causes in a selective manner which sometimes even destabilise democratic nations. The advantage of Monarchy is that it is bound by clear constitutional limits and well-defined traditions which go back over a thousand years. Thus, unlike other organisations and institutions, they are more predictable. Maintaining close relations with the Monarchy can help us influence those powerful charity organisations and raise Indic perspective on various causes.

Other arguments against the Monarchy are that they are spending public money or that they are nepotistic or that they have no relevance. All of these arguments are naïve, emotional, and ignorant. The amount of money they spend is nothing compared to size of their economy. It is also nothing when compared to how much the politicians have siphoned away and how much Governments have wasted on useless public schemes. Also, the fact that the Monarchy is nepotistic is the very bedrock of its survival. They train the ‘Heir Apparent’ from childhood to perform various royal and national duties. By comparison, they are the only nepotistic people who perform national duties and tasks, as defined, without any expectation of credit or imposing any personal opinion – 24 by 7, 365 days!

The Monarchy has a purpose of preserving traditions and values of the British Civilisation. We come from a rich and deep-rooted civilisation ourselves and thus, we cannot judge or belittle their traditions because we find it superfluous or even at times frivolous. We need not necessarily agree or endorse it, but all we must do is engage with it in whatever capacity we can as a respectable independent nation and use it to further our interests.

One last argument I have come across, mostly by the right wing in India, is that the symbolism of Monarchy is centred around Christian beliefs. Well, what else should we expect it to be centred around? We never ridicule nations like Saudi, Jordan, Oman, or UAE on the ground that their symbolism is categorically based on Islamic beliefs. Also, there is a strategic silver lining here too. King Charles III is also now the head of the Church of England which represents the Protestant thought and broke away from the Roman Church centuries ago. The Papal authority in Vatican have never been kind to India. Our ties with the British Monarchy can also be of use to get our voice heard across the Christian world, bypassing the Vatican.

I conclude by expressing the dire need in the present-day world to protect and preserve every institution which upholds traditions, values, and culture in any form across the world and which is not strictly political. In this context, I find Monarchy to be valuable to India. Especially at the time when the world is becoming increasingly polarised and the Monarchy itself is in need of support. Once, late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh – the reigning consort of Queen Elizabeth II had rightly said, “Monarchy will continue till it proves it’s usefulness by serving the people.”

God Save the UK’s King and bring happiness and prosperity to his subjects.