Dear Windsors, it was nice with you. Now you can go.

First of all, a confession: while I am by no means a monarchist, crowned heads have always fascinated me. This is all the more true for the British, not least for historical reasons. No continental royalty has put on such an entertaining show throughout the ages, beginning with the legendary King Arthur.

And now this: for the first time in 70 years, a coronation took place in London on Saturday. The supposed new beginning after the seemingly endless reign of Elizabeth II turned into a dull and anachronistic ceremony, in which a tired old man was confronted with all kinds of frills and was given a crown with some effort.

Even as King Charles III. and Queen Camilla finally seemed less stiff in the obligatory balcony scene (and probably relieved that embarrassment could be avoided), the question arose: should this have been the beginning of the “Carolingian” era? The start of a new era for the glorious British monarchy?

King loses his head

A historical note in parentheses is in order here: the reign of the first Karl or Charles ended in 1649 with him literally losing his head. Earlier he had lost in a bloody power struggle with parliament. The execution of a ruler by the grace of God shocked all of Europe at the time.

The third Karl need not fear such a fate. But in Europe, one wonders if the British are sticking to a medieval ritual. A change at the head of a continental monarchy is today accomplished in a purely symbolic act. No one has ever seen Carl Gustaf or Willem Alexander with a crown on their head.

Of course, the British cannot or will not do otherwise. A suspicion creeps into the coils of the brain: they cling to the Middle Ages because they have lost the future.

Deepening of the social divide

The Republican supporters who demonstrated in Trafalgar Square on Saturday and were angrily beaten by police may still be a minority. But among the younger generation, support for the monarchy is rapidly waning. This may also be due to their uncertain outlook, not only in economic terms.

The coronation of Charles III. took place at a time when the social divide was widening. Millions of Britons are at risk of falling into poverty due to high inflation, rising housing costs, stagnant wages and cuts in social benefits. In the UK there are now almost twice as many non-profit food banks as McDonald’s.

On the way to the emerging country

An analyst from Denmark’s Saxo Bank wrote last year that the UK economy was “becoming more like an emerging market”. The only difference is the pound as a stable currency. Shortly after that, too, came to an end when the voodoo economic policies of hapless Prime Minister Liz Truss sent the British pound into the abyss.

Truss’s remarkably short tenure is a long history, but her Conservative Party is still paying for it. In last Thursday’s local elections in England, the Tories lost about 1,000 of the 8,000 electoral seats. In 2019 they had already lost 1,300 seats in the municipal councils. The PvdA, on the other hand, made substantial gains.

Ambulance is late

There is a change of power at the national level in the air. He would do little to change the structural problems. The National Health Service NHS has been on the offensive for years. According to insiders, the tipping point has now been passed. In some areas, people die because the ambulance does not arrive on time.

In many inner cities it seems in the emerging countries mentioned, or worse. The ORF reported last week from Blackpool, the once proud seaside resort on the Irish Sea, cradle of mass tourism. Today, Blackpool is so derelict that it ranks last in a poverty index of 317 UK local authorities.

Surprisingly accessible

In this environment, not only the pompous coronation, but the Windsor monarchy as a whole seems anachronistic. Not to mention the religious fuss. Elizabeth II was able to hide such contradictions with her personality. Or Charles III. the same can be doubted. Son Harry has already drawn the consequences.

You cannot deny Charles the will to innovate. When dealing with his subjects, the once shy and bumbling royal king seems surprisingly approachable (thanks Camilla!). In such cases, his mother always made sure to keep her distance. Only occasionally does Charles show hints of impatience and an angry disposition.

Can William solve it?

It is also foreseeable that Charles, unlike the late queen, will, insofar as the unwritten constitution of the kingdom allows, place political accents. When he granted an audience to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after the signing of the Windsor Agreement, Brexit hardliners were outraged.

But the 74-year-old king is not expected to make a real fresh start. It is not surprising that there is speculation about an abdication in the near future. Can heir to the throne William fix it? He may be popular, but his fresh look has faded as quickly as the hair on his head. Continuity seems to be his priority.

The British royal family has always had a high entertainment value. Perhaps they will succeed in renewing themselves and getting fit for the future. But maybe the time has come to say, Dear Windsors, it was nice to see you. Now you can resign.