Queen Elizabeth II, the world's longest-reigning queen, died on September 8th at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Queen Elizabeth II reigned over the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth for nearly 70 years. Her reign began on February 6, 1952, after her father, King George VI, died. During her 70-year reign, she witnessed the decline of the British Empire, the Cold War, the Post-Cold War, the development of China, and the early phases of the American Chinese competition.

Unlike many European monarchs, Elizabeth II did not abdicate for her son Charles. One reason is that she had seen how the abdication of former King Edward VIII caused controversy and aggravated public opinion on the royal family. Another more “realistic” reason is due to her son Charles’s seriously low popularity. Charles being unpopular in Britain is one thing, but what’s more serious is his popularity in foreign nations. The Commonwealth realm, which recognizes the British monarch as the head of its nation, is of utmost importance to both the British monarch and the British government. Countries in the Commonwealth are free to become a republic, and historically over a dozen countries transformed into a republic. 

Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are perhaps the most powerful of the world's 15 Commonwealth kingdoms. Nonetheless, support for the new king remains disconcertingly low in all three nations. In Australia, for example, a republic vote was held in 1999, which the Constitutional monarch won. However, younger generations' support for the queen has dwindled over the decades, and analysts in Britain believe that all three nations can shift to republics.

King Charles wishes to focus on enhancing the bond between the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth states, as well as increasing the royal family's popularity. It is uncertain how other countries would react, but King Charles III's reign will undoubtedly differ from that of his late mother.

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