King Charles is ready to make this one epic change

With the accession of King Charles III. The British monarchy has undergone a tremendous change. And more changes are on the way, news outlets are reporting, from a streamlined list of “working royals” to perhaps the biggest philosophical shift for the British Empire. Read on to find out what it could be.

Ben Judah, author of This is Londonwrites in the Washington Post that King Charles’ longstanding interest in Islam and Arabic culture represents a significant change from his predecessors. “The new king has spent decades trying to free himself from what he calls ‘Western materialism’ by immersing himself in the world’s second-largest faith,” writes Judah. “As Prince of Wales he immersed himself in the study of Islamic textiles, gardens and architecture. But he didn’t stop there. The king also studied Arabic to understand the Koran.”

Charles has criticized populism, including a thinly veiled rebuke of President Trump in 2016 and his “Muslim ban”. Charles condemned the rise of “many populist groups around the world that are increasingly aggressive towards those belonging to minority faiths. All of this has deeply disturbing echoes of the dark days of the 1930s.”

“Britain’s new king is a man whose mission is to put multiculturalism – not nationalism – first,” concludes Judah. Charles said Islam is “part of our past and our present, in every sphere of human endeavor. He helped create modern Europe. It’s part of our own heritage, not a part of it.”ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

“It’s the new king’s fascination with Islam that has the most obvious political implications,” says Judah. “As Prince of Wales, he spoke out audibly against Western neo-colonialism.” Charles told then-Prime Minister Tony Blair that he was opposed to Britain joining the war in Iraq and was also a known supporter of the Palestinians.

But what does that mean for politics? It’s unclear. Charles has acknowledged that as head of state he must keep his political opinions closer to the record, following the lead of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, who largely operated in a space beyond politics. And some question how willing the new king – known to have a penchant for outlandish things and the trappings of wealth – really is to break away from “Western materialism”. And embracing multiculturalism and speaking out against Islamophobia could win him new friends internationally.