Queen Elizabeth's Former Aide Reveals Why She Would’ve Seen Charles’ Reign as a ‘Disaster’
A former royal aide delivered a scathing verdict on King Charles' reign, arguing that Queen Elizabeth would have been severely disappointed.
The monarchy in recent years has been tarnished by one scandal after another, and while King Charles is holding his ground, a former aide who worked for the late Queen Elizabeth II opined that his mother would have been disappointed to see his reign. With everything said, it is important to note how each monarch has their own way of ruling, with critics arguing that Charles has adopted a more lenient and modern approach to faith, which clearly does not sit well with many. The recent criticism came from Dr. Gavin Ashenden, who served as an honorary chaplain to the late Queen between 2008 and 2017.
Appearing on Karl Stefanovic's podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, Ashenden did not hold back when discussing Charles' leadership and approach to faith. The latest episode of the podcast was uploaded on Tuesday and has already sparked debate. This time, the spotlight fell on Ashenden's blunt assessment of the King, as the former royal aide critiqued Charles' conduct as a King. Ashenden took issue with Charles' decision to move away from the traditional title "Defender of the Faith," which has been associated with British monarchs since the 16th century.
“Evidently, we have a woke King. Coincidentally, we have a King who can't think straight despite having had the best possible education,” Ashenden said. He went on to argue that Charles believes all religions and spiritual beliefs are of equal value and can be brought together for the good of society. “There's no evidence in history of this at all,” Ashenden added, as highlighted by the Daily Mail. The former chaplain also claimed that Charles is contributing to a wider decline in traditional values. He added, “He's like a blind and deaf lion tamer, who can't see things are quite dangerous."
Buckingham Palace recently updated the King's spiritual role, stating that he is the "Supreme Governor of the Church of England" and "protects the space for Faith within the multi-faith nation." According to Ashenden, the change reflects what he sees as a misguided approach to religion. The strongest remarks came when Stefanovic asked what Elizabeth would think of her son's reign if she were alive today.
“I think she would know it's a disaster. She was a very intelligent, alert woman, full of integrity,” Ashenden opined. He praised the late Queen's character and leadership, saying many people admired her because they believed she governed with honesty and a strong sense of duty. “I think one of the reasons we loved her is that we felt that we were dealing with a woman of integrity,” Ashenden said. “We loved her because she was a model of how this thing needs to be done.”
He then suggested that Charles had failed to meet the standards expected of a monarch. Ashenden emphasized, “Unfortunately, Charles... is just falling short of what's expected of a King."
