Rupert Goold
King Charles III

This film can probably be classified as science fiction or is at least projected into a purely hypothetical future, even though its contents are in some way realistic - or rather: plausible - and could indeed at least partially materialize in the near future.

'King Charles III' is a television adaptation of a play by Mike Bartlett, conceived by the same author and directed by director Rupert Goold. The film first aired on BBC Two on May 10, 2017, notably a month after the death of the film's lead actor, Tim Pigott-Smith (who passed away on April 7), marking his last performance. As the title suggests, the film depicts a hypothetical future in which, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who passes away after a record reign of over sixty-five years, her son Charles is called to inherit the throne of the Kingdom, naturally becoming the longest-serving and eldest heir to the throne in the history of the British Isles.

Called to succeed his mother with the title of Charles III and waiting for the official coronation rituals, the new king, despite his historically indecisive character and the weight of many years of waiting on his shoulders before his destiny was fulfilled, immediately strives to leave his mark on the history of the Kingdom and to fulfill his role in the best possible manner. He does not shy away from providing the citizens, his subjects, with the presence of a strong and unifying figure on the throne, just as his mother had done. As a result, he organizes meetings with Prime Minister Tristan Evans and the leader of the opposition, Mrs. Stevens, to be adequately informed on every matter and to make a tangible contribution to the political and social life of the kingdom, assuming a role beyond mere formal representation.

His intentions immediately clash with reality when he is presented with a law already passed by the houses that restrictively and undemocratically limits press freedom. His refusal, in the face of the Prime Minister's resistance to having the law reconsidered, will be the beginning of an unprecedented institutional crisis in the modern history of the Kingdom, culminating in a direct intervention in parliament by Charles himself. When faced with the decision to proceed with the law's approval without his endorsement, he imposes, as is his regal right, the dissolution of the houses.

The events, as inevitably happens, create a deep rift instead of unifying the kingdom, sparking widespread riots and, rather than improving Charles's and the royal family's public image, end up completely overshadowing it. At this point, Charles is practically abandoned by all his family members, except for his wife Camilla, and remains alone in his battle, haunted by the ghosts of his past, particularly his mother and Lady Diana Spencer, his ex-wife and one of last century's icons who died under never fully clarified circumstances. In a vision, which will later recur identically to his firstborn son William (direct heir to the throne after his father Charles), Diana informs him that he will be a great king and the greatest king in the history of the Kingdom.

The split within the royal family grows even wider when Prince Harry, Charles's second son, falls into crisis following his grandmother's death and all succession-related matters. He realizes he is tired of a life where he will always inevitably play an ungrateful role similar to that destined for his father throughout his existence, and he falls in love with a girl named Jessica, a working-class activist. These developments lead him to ask his father to be allowed, at least unofficially, to renounce all royal duties and live a life free of any accompanying obligations. Charles seems inclined to grant his son's request (he is portrayed in the film as being very fond of his two sons and keen to keep the family united), but the crisis worsens. Eventually, William, persuaded by Kate's insistent urging, effectively forces his father to abdicate, thereby imposing that he and his wife be crowned king and queen of England. Dramatically alone and forsaken by all, Charles sadly realizes that he has been sidelined by his own family and that he can do nothing to heal the rift that has relegated him to a marginal role, both from his family and from history with a capital H.

William and Kate become king and queen of England, while Harry, under pressure from his brother, ultimately leaves Jessica and returns to assume the 'prince' role previously held by his father. The royal family thus maintains its status quo, regains popular favor, and restores order in the country, continuing to serve as a mere representative function as called upon by political force representatives: a truly iconic role in which the country is supposed to see unity, serving as the glue holding the entire kingdom together. But, the film does not state this explicitly, the events of Charles and the royal family are, all in all, a kind of metaphor for England and the current-day Kingdom. The inhabitants have passively grown accustomed to the presence of such a strong and authoritative figure as the queen, who, as I mentioned at the beginning, has sat on the throne for sixty-five years, a completely different historical time from today. Can her successors realistically have the same strength and charisma? Will they be similarly influential on political matters as she was? Most likely, times have definitively changed, and anyone succeeding her will have a significantly less influential role in terms of the country's affairs. The facade image remains, but how much this truly counts is yet to be seen. It is undeniable that a young couple like William and Kate is more favored than the somber image of Prince Charles, partly because they are more invested in maintaining the status quo and the crown. From this perspective, Charles is a solitary man, the symbol of a fracture within the royal family and a system laden with hypocrisies, and a man with nothing to lose in trying to prove his worth to himself and others. Maybe he is too unstable, maybe too dangerous. God save the King.