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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – I’m glad that King Charles has visited the United States to observe the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. At age 77 I find him charming, a thoughtful speaker, and funny. He is also alert and energetic for a man who is undergoing cancer treatment.
Britain is not the dynasty it once was. There truly was a time when the sun never set on the British empire. Today there are 56 nations that make up the British commonwealth; many are former colonies, others have joined voluntarily because of shared values. Even when former colonies gained their independence, the British left behind an established legal system, courts, police, and a framework for governance. Compare that to French, Portuguese, Dutch, and Spanish colonies, which were lands that were used for plunder and exploitation.
Even after declaring our independence, many Americans would have proudly identified as English. That’s where their ancestors came from. It’s where our cultural norms were defined. Religion, Language, our basic set of right and wrong. As hostilities ceased in the early 1800s, it was natural for the U.S. and Britain to become trading partners. In the world wars, nations who had similar views of world order were natural allies.
Some will say that King Charles has no real power; his throne is ceremonial. I’m not so sure. While parliament runs the government, the royal family has incredible moral power. Charles is the patron of more than 600 charitable organizations, supporting education, the poor, military veterans, the environment, and the adoption of orphans. His first wife changed the way we think about children with AIDS and was an advocate for land mine removal once wars are over. Such moral authority is not to be squandered. That’s why I have little patience and less admiration for the likes of Prince Phillip and Harry. Their lives revolve around their personal wealth and pleasures. Other royals have used their names and titles for the betterment of others.
We Americans are an independent and self-governing people. We can chose to ignore the Royal Family if we wish. And yet there is much about King Charles that I find admirable. I wish him and his realm well.
Chris Conley
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