King Charles' reign has been 'beset by two problems' says royal expert

King Charles III became the UK's new monarch after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022.

Today (Wednesday, September 10) marks three years since he was proclaimed king by the Accession Council and his wife, Camilla, became queen consort. During this period, the 76-year-old king has reached a number of milestones, including his first State Visit and Christmas Day address.

However, he has also faced a number of challenges, including issues health with his health. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams spoke to the Express about the two main problems of King Charles III's reign so far.

He said: "There is no doubt his reign has, apart from ill health, been beset by two problems: that of Harry and Meghan, though less so recently, but the rift remains deep, and that of Andrew."

Fitzwilliams added that one of the issues with the Sussexes is that their brand is "enhanced by publicity" and often features in the news.

He continued: "This may enhance the value of their brand, but also means they overshadow so much royal news which could be positive." Prince Harry returned to the UK on Monday (September 8) for a four-day visit to attend a series of engagements. There is speculation the father and son could meet face-to-face for the first time since the Duke of Sussex came back home in February following the announcement of the king's cancer diagnosis.

The royal commentator shared his opinion that the King "has had the most extraordinary bad luck to be battling cancer so early." He also noted that Charles II, significantly, served as the longest serving Prince of Wales in the UK's history and after delivering a moving address to the nation after Queen Elizabeth II passed away, the theme of his reign has been continuity, according to Fitzwilliams.

Discussing how the British public received Charles as the new monarch, the royal expert commented: "I think people have received the King warmly and his position as Head of the Commonwealth, though not automatic, is a tribute to Queen Elizabeth's amazing work in building up this unique institution.

"It should also be noted that in his trips to France, Italy and Germany he did extremely well, and his knowledge of the languages was impressive too."

The King showed off his French skills while giving a speech at a royal banquet for French President Emmanuel Macron at Windsor Castle in July.

Royalists on Reddit have also shared their opinions on the King's reign so far. One said: "I like to think that Charles is doing his best to carry on the goodwill left by his mother, but at the same time, I can imagine that most are either indifferent to him or just compare him to his great-great grandfather Edward VII; an elderly king who does try to carry out his duty faithfully, but is ultimately destined with a short reign marred by personal scandal and political turbulence, leaving many to lay their hopes on the much more popular Prince of Wales and his family for when their time comes."

Another added: "He's doing a good job all things considered. The legacy of Diana haunts him and he'll never be able to remove himself from that.

"I think the public would poll more that they approve of him - or are ambivalent - more than they would say they actively dislike, but Diana casts a big shadow. He knows, conversely, William and Catherine are well-liked: essentially, I suspect he just wants to keep the monarchy stable until they succeed him, and he's done that well so far.

"His advocacy for environmentalism is admirable and the more he can do as monarch in that space, the better for his image and legacy I dare say."