King’s soft power can be a diplomatic boon
Unlike his activism as the Prince of Wales, King Charles cannot engage in politics now that he is sovereign.
But, as i reveals, there are hopes in government that he can play a key role in the soft power of diplomacy – including what a friend describes as “healing the wounds” between the UK and Europe created by Brexit.
The King is following in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, whose visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011 marked a significant milestone in the relationship between the two countries.
As with Ireland, there is similarly a lot of goodwill on both sides when it comes to the UK’s relationship with Europe.
The King and Queen’s recent visit to Germany, when the monarch told the Bundestag he wished to “renew the pledge of friendship between our nations”, was seen as a huge success both in London and Berlin.
Visits to Ireland and to France – February’s trip to France was postponed due to rioting in Paris – are expected soon.
And at Saturday’s coronation, French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, will be among the guests in Westminster Abbey.
There is, of course, no plan by the UK Government to undo Brexit. But Rishi Sunak wants to have a pragmatic and constructive post-Brexit relationship with EU countries – something made easier by the Windsor Framework.
For the King, who takes the advice of Cabinet ministers on political issues, Whitehall insiders believe he can play the role of “diplomat monarch”.
