Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy at the University of Westminster, was interviewed by CBS News, a major US streaming network, on how the King's reign can be compared to his late mother’s. The live interview took place in front of Buckingham Palace as The Queen’s coffin was arriving to London.
Professor Catterall was asked about how the Commonwealth works in terms of the monarchy and talked about how The Queen came to power. In 1952 there were still realms to rule under The Crown, which has become a republic since then, such as Pakistan. Even though, many of these territories have become independent, The Queen was still the monarch of Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom of Greater Britain and Northern Ireland, just to name but a few. “In a sense the central mystery of this country is the Monarchy, the Crown that holds it together,” said Professor Catterall.
She talked about the Royal Family being built up through dynastic marriages, mixed relationships and sudden deaths throughout their rich history, pointing out that in the case of The King, there has been a long preparation period for his succession. Professor Catterall covered the challenges The King could face now, including the matter of his popularity compared to the late Queen, saying: “To some extent people are responding because it is part of their lives. Most of us have never met The Queen, certainly not on a personal level, but she has been part of the furniture of what makes this country. Charles has never had that symbolic role yet.”
Watch the full coverage on the CBS News website.
