The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, after her remarkable 70-year reign, inevitably causes great uncertainty for the future. How might Britain change under her successor?
She has been a focus for stability and national identity in a fast-changing world, and a voice for the centrality of Christian faith in the public square. None of us knows the full extent of her influence behind the scenes, but many Christians assume that she has been a bulwark against ever-advancing secularism and progressivism. They fear that her death will allow these forces greater sway, and that the very integrity of the United Kingdom may be more difficult to sustain without her.
As Christians we are thankful to God for the blessings we enjoyed under her reign, but I think we can be more sanguine about the prospects for future. Britain is a constitutional monarchy, and real power and authority lies with Parliament. The transition from Boris Johnson to Liz Truss is ultimately more significant than the passing of the symbolic Crown from mother to son. The institutions of the State are designed to ensure stability and continuity, and it is likely that King Charles III will prove to be a very conventional monarch, because the system requires him to conform to a largely ceremonial role.
Does anyone notice? Does anyone care? Is it worth it?
At the start of September, just as parents were preparing for their children to return to school, more than a …