King Charles Could Be Closing In on One of Queen Elizabeth's Records ― But Not in a Good Way
Usually breaking records is considered a good thing, but this time it won't be, especially if the future of UK is involved.
For the past several years, Downing Street has sadly been a revolving door of Prime Ministers. No sooner has one unpacked their suitcase than they are packing them all up again. In the UK, a Prime Minister holds office for a maximum of five years per parliamentary term, but since 2016, the country has had five of them, with not a single one completing their term. The latest casualty in the decade-long political upheaval is Sir Keir Starmer, who resigned from his post on Monday. Andy Burnham will likely replace him, becoming the fourth Prime Minister under King Charles, a record that threatens his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth's, and not in a good way.
Although Charles was officially anointed in 2023, he had taken on his duties as monarch after his mother's demise in 2022. Liz Truss was the Prime Minister at the time. She resigned the same year, making way for Rishi Sunak, who held on to the role till 2024. Next came Starmer, and now, Burnham. In a short four years, Charles will have four Prime Ministers, prompting royal expert Phil Dampier to joke that the King might soon be coming for his mother’s record. “At this rate King Charles III will have as many Prime Ministers as his mother!” he wrote on X. Daily Mail journalist Richard Eden seemed to agree as he reshared Dampier’s post, saying, “Interesting point. King Charles will have had four prime ministers in less than four years”.
In 71 years of her reign, a record-breaking 15 UK Prime Ministers served under the Queen, with Truss being the last one. The late monarch’s closest competitor in this matter was King George III, who was served by 14 Prime Ministers, followed by Queen Victoria, who was served by 10. Charles, who has been on the throne for far less time than the top three, might already be making his way into the list of such record-breakers, and not for a positive reason.
Although Starmer became the Prime Minister in 2024, he has shared a close bond with the royal family for years. He was knighted in 2014 for his services to criminal justice. The former PM has been present at significant royal events, including the late Queen’s funeral, Charles’ coronation, and had even joined the family in the royal box during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. Earlier this year, Charles and Queen Camilla had travelled to the US for a state visit on the advice of Starmer’s government to help mend the country’s ties with the UK. The Sovereign will certainly miss his Wednesday meetings with him.
Starmer’s replacement as Labour leader and Prime Minister, Burnham, said in a X post, “Keir has given huge service to our country and I want to thank him for his leadership and dedication during such a challenging period. His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process.”
The King reportedly spoke to Starmer on the phone while at Highgrove. Nominations for Starmer’s position will open on July 9 and will close on 16 July before the summer parliamentary recess to “ensure a new leader is in place before Parliament returns in September”.
