In the first week of Charles III’s reign, there have been subtle signs of traditions changing in an institution that traces its origins back more than a thousand years to the fractious kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England and early-medieval Scotland.
Straying outside the gates of Buckingham Palace for the first time since his accession last Friday, King Charles shook hands and conversed with members of the public. During her 70-year reign his late mother Queen Elizabeth II, who died last week at the age of 96, never shook hands on walkabouts.
As well as establishing his own style, King Charles has for a long time made it known that he intends to “slim down” the monarchy in response to public demand for a more modern institution with lower costs and less ostentation.