PHOTOS10 of King Charles' Best Statements About Ascending or Giving Up the Throne
Will King Charles III Ever Give Up the Throne?
Before King Charles III officially became the monarch, he shared his thoughts about having someone else on the throne amid the public's worries about his reign.
"If you chuck away too many things, you end up discovering there was value in them," he told TIME Magazine.
King Charles Wants to 'Heal' Everything
In his 2013 TIME profile, King Charles opened up about what he wanted to do once he became the reigning monarch.
"I've had this extraordinary feeling, for years and years, ever since I can remember really, of wanting to heal and make things better," he said.
King Charles added, "I feel more than anything else it's my duty to worry about everybody and their lives in this country, to try to find a way of improving things if I possibly can."
King Charles III Makes a Promise Before Becoming King
As part of the BBC's 2018 documentary to mark his birthday, King Charles set the record straight and answered whether he would still interfere in controversial matters once he became king.
"You know I've tried to make sure whatever I've done has been nonparty political, but I think it's vital to remember there's only room for one sovereign at a time, not two. So, you can't be the same as the sovereign if you're the Prince of Wales or the heir," he explained.
He Shared the Difference Between a Prince and a King
Elsewhere in the documentary, he also differentiated between a prince and a king while explaining why he would not meddle in certain things.
"So, clearly … I won't be able to do the same things I've done you know as heir, so of course you operate within the … the constitutional parameters. But it's a different function," he said.
King Charles III Sparks Rumors
Most royal fans wanted to see King Charles' eldest son, Prince William, become the new monarch after Queen Elizabeth II instead of him. In response to the suggestion, he jokingly told the 2021 Prince's Trust Awards Trophy Ceremony attendees how he had always dealt with those types of comments for decades.
"I remember there were an enormous number of people who were trying to get in, as they were waiting for me to get out. Story of my life," the King quipped.
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King Charles III Accepts His Duty as King
On September 11, 2022, the newly declared king gave a speech to the people and talked about his new role and responsibilities.
"In carrying out the heavy task that has been laid upon me, to which I dedicate what remains to me of my life, I pray for the guidance and help of almighty God," King Charles stated.
King Charles III Speaks About His New Responsibilities
In the same first public address as the new reigning monarch, King Charles wholeheartedly stepped up as the Sovereign.
"My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities," he said. "It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others."
King Charles III Follows in Queen Elizabeth II's Footsteps
As the new head of the royal family and the country, King Charles spoke about his key priorities in his first speech.
"As the Queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation," he continued.
King Charles III Addresses Religious Leaders
On September 16, 2022, King Charles delivered heartfelt remarks to faith leaders at Buckingham Palace and expressed his determination to "preserve and promote" principles as king with all his heart.
"It is the duty to protect the diversity of our country, including by protecting the space for Faith itself and its practise through the religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs to which our hearts and minds direct us as individuals," King Charles said.
He added, "As a member of the Church of England, my Christian beliefs have love at their very heart. By my most profound convictions, therefore – as well as by my position as Sovereign – I hold myself bound to respect those who follow other spiritual paths, as well as those who seek to live their lives in accordance with secular ideals."
King Charles III Delivers His Coronation Oath
A few months after Queen Elizabeth II's death, King Charles formally held his coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in May 2023 and recited his royal coronation oath before the public.
"I, Charles, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law," he pledged.
