Good morning. After the extraordinary sight of the cortege carrying the Queen’s coffin leaving Balmoral yesterday and then being met by thousands lining the streets of Edinburgh, Elizabeth II will lie in rest at St Giles’ cathedral today before being flown to London tomorrow. Meanwhile, King Charles III will attend parliament to receive addresses of condolence from both houses before travelling to Scotland to meet the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
But while the machinery of the accession will continue to operate in the UK, in other parts of the world, questions over the monarchy’s future now appear much more urgent. Over the weekend, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, said that he would seek a referendum on becoming a republic within three years. And the Caribbean nation is not alone in viewing the Queen’s death as a moment to consider its constitutional future.
Today’s newsletter is about those threats to the monarchy around the world – and what differentiates the countries where Charles is being accepted as king from those with an appetite for change. Here are the headlines.
Five big stories
Ukraine | Russia targeted infrastructure facilities in central and eastern Ukraine on Sunday evening in a response to a dramatic Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kharkiv province that has reshaped the war and left Moscow reeling.
Health | One in 10 adults in the UK have turned to private healthcare in the past year amid record NHS waiting lists, new research reveals.
Cancer research | Doctors have told health services to prepare for a new era of cancer screening after a study found a simple blood test could spot multiple cancer types in patients before they develop clear symptoms.
Chris Kaba | Sky News has apologised after one of its reporters incorrectly told viewers that a protest march after the killing of Chris Kaba, who was shot by a Metropolitan police officer on Monday, was instead a gathering of people marking the death of the Queen.
Energy crisis | Paris city hall is expected to propose this week that the Eiffel Tower, which is among the most visited monuments in the world, should go dark more than an hour earlier than usual because of the energy crisis.
In depth: Who will King Charles III rule over?
The Queen was head of state for as many as 32 countries in her 70-year reign; by the time of her death, just 14 other than the UK remained. And while Barbados’ decision to become a republic last year was the first such exit in almost 30 years, the accession of Charles III provides a natural moment for many of his subjects across the Commonwealth to ask if the time is right to install a less remote head of state.
On Saturday, Patrick Wintour and Oliver Holmes wrote that in the Caribbean, “a legacy of empire and slavery that was entwined with British royalty for centuries has raised tough questions about the place of a foreign king”. Earlier this year, controversial Caribbean tours by the Earl and Countess of Wessex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – now the Prince and Princess of Wales – led to renewed calls for reparations to reflect the lasting legacy of slavery in the region. All of this has crystallised in the weekend’s moves towards a referendum in Antigua and Barbuda.
The Caribbean is the focus of the most energised republican movements. Grace Carrington, a research fellow at the UCL Institute of the Americas, said that “whereas older generations in the Caribbean express some fondness for the Queen, that isn’t the case with Charles, and so the dynamics are very different now”.
“People who I speak to who are pro-monarchy, it’s always in the context of her as an individual, as a motherly or grandmotherly figure,” said Carrington, who is currently in Saint Vincent. “Whereas on WhatsApp chats since her death, there was a real frustration here that the conversation has not been an opportunity to talk about the legacy of colonialism.”
Here’s a guide to how that debate is playing out across the Commonwealth.
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Change under way
Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Gaston Browne said on Saturday that his plan for a referendum in Antigua and Barbuda was “not an act of hostility … but it is the final step to complete that circle of independence, to ensure that we are truly a sovereign nation”. It’s been in the post for a while: when the Wessexes visited in April, Browne set out his hope to become a republic and asked the couple to use their influence to achieve “reparatory justice”. (Prince Edward did not respond to the point, saying he had not been “keeping notes”.)
But while Browne’s pledge is a milestone, it is by no means a done deal: any change would require a two-thirds majority in a referendum, and a 2018 vote to replace the privy council with the Caribbean court of justice as the final court of appeal fell well short of that threshold, not even reaching a simple majority.
The removal of the monarchy appears more straightforward in Jamaica, where a simple majority would be enough – a threshold which polls have indicated would probably be met. A referendum could be framed as a choice between becoming a republic and endorsing Charles as king to more strongly motivate “yes” voters. While the prime minister, Andrew Holness, in his statement of condolence on Thursday made no reference to any plans, he said last year: “There is no question that Jamaica has to become a republic.” And in March he told William and Kate that “we are moving on” and that Jamaica intended to be “an independent, developed, prosperous country”.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, where protesters called for slave trade reparations during the Wesssexes’ visit, the prime minister, Ralph Gonsalves, proposed a referendum in July but said it could only go ahead with bipartisan support.
“People are looking to Saint Vincent as one of the places that could do it,” said Carrington. “Interestingly, it is the countries on these royal tours that have seen conversations – whereas previously there might have been apathy, the fact of discussions about whether they were invited, who’s paying for it, and how anachronistic it can look, has made it relevant.” But, again, the requirement for a two-thirds majority in any referendum is a significant barrier.
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Change possible
The Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia
Other Caribbean countries have active republican movements and the support of senior politicians but have not seen movement recently. Again, the threshold for change is a crucial question: the Bahamas, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia all require a simple majority, while Grenada requires a two-thirds vote. Belize is the only country in the Caribbean where Charles could be removed by a parliamentary vote alone, which makes it “one of the most interesting ones to watch”, Carrington said.
Local political dynamics are also a factor. In the Bahamas, the prime minister, Phillip “Brave” Davis, has cited next year’s 50th anniversary of independence as a natural moment to consider replacing the monarchy. Meanwhile in Grenada, Arley Gill, chairman of the National Reparations Committee, told i in June that ordinary people “have no reservations” about becoming a republic. But he added: “Sometimes with a referendum like this … if the opposition sees an opportunity to throw a cheap blow then you may very well find the government will be hesitant to go forward.”
Carrington agreed. “The need for a referendum is a real impediment. Almost always in the region, they get centred around the political personalities rather than the issue – and the leader who called the referendum loses the next election. So it’s not always a smart political decision.”
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No change for now
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu
Countries where the legacy of the slave trade is less salient in contemporary politics have shown significantly less appetite for change. Leaders in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu have all reiterated their support for the monarchy in recent days. Republicanism is popular in Australia, Canada and New Zealand in principle, but well down the political agenda – at least for now.
In Australia, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, a staunch republican, created the role of assistant minister for the republic earlier this year – but now says that “now is not the time” to consider a referendum. (Cait Kelly’s piece here explores divided feelings among young Australians.) In New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern has said she expects the country to become a republic in her lifetime but that it is not “something New Zealanders feel particularly strongly about”. And she said that she expected the country’s relationship to the royal family to “deepen” during Charles’s reign.
In Canada, majorities tend to favour an appointed head of state. But the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, suggested last year that the question is not a priority, and there are significant constitutional impediments: any change would require a unanimous decision by every provincial legislature as well as the national parliamentary bodies. Trudeau’s remarks after the news of the Queen’s death did not suggest that would change soon. “In a complicated world, her steady grace and resolve brought comfort and strength to us all,” he said. “Canada is in mourning.”
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Read more on the death of the Queen
Libby Brooks, Mark Brown and Severin Carrell report on the mood among the crowds that lined the route of the Queen’s cortege from Balmoral to Edinburgh. ““It would have been her wish to die here,” says Isa McLeod, in the village of Ballater. “This was where she had her freedom; she could breathe up here.”
Amid the reverent crowds, some disagreed - and were arrested. Haroon Siddique reports on two protesters taken into custody for voicing their opposition to the monarchy on Sunday.
The author Jeanette Winterson writes that the Queen was “an icon, and it doesn’t matter how much of that was projection … Her private self was irrelevant to an understanding of her symbolism.”
Nesrine Malik sees her as “softening the blows of loss of empire, of lowered flags, evacuated colonial administrators and defeated troops” - a “representation of a fictional time when things were simpler”. Now she is gone, “with her should go our imagined nation.”
The screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who was involved in both the Paddington and James Bond stunts that became so beloved, argues that they enabled a version of patriotism that isn’t always available: “Maybe you felt something like patriotism – some love for the best of this place, but didn’t know how to articulate it without condoning the worst.”
What else we’ve been reading
On the surface, it looks like Fiji has come a long way when it comes to ensuring LGBTQ+ rights. But it has become clear to many queer people on the island that there is still more to do. Rajan Sami spoke to the Fijian Drag queens and queer performers who are using TikTok to push for change in their home country. Nimo Omer
In the Observer, Jack Watling’s illuminating analysis of Ukraine’s stunning counteroffensive in the north-east explains how new western rocket systems have facilitated the assault – and what Ukraine must do to build on its success. Archie
Really loved this look at dating all over the world. Six Brits – in France, Lebanon, Ivory Coast, the US, Germany and Portugal – regale us with their stories of sex and bad dates in countries that can have vastly different customs around romance and love. Nimo
In the New Yorker, Lauren Collins writes about “the plight of the French Kevins”, saddled with a name which “like to-go coffee or athleisure, strikes certain French people as a gauche Anglo-Saxon import” – but also embodies the middle and working classes “looking out, rather than up, for inspiration”. Archie
In his column Tim Dowling writes hilariously about the curse of having a successful tomato harvest: “When I am standing in the rosy evening light surrounded by deep red tomatoes, I think about how brief this glorious moment will end up being.” Nimo
Sport
Tennis | Carlos Alcaraz beat Casper Ruud in the US Open final to win his first grand slam title at the age of 19. Alcaraz, who prevailed 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3, will become the youngest world No 1 in the game’s history.
Cricket | Zak Crawley and Alex Lees shared an unbroken opening stand of 97 to take England to the brink of a series win over South Africa. Earlier the tourists had been bowled out for 169.
Golf | Shane Lowry won the PGA Championship at Wentworth with a closing round of 65. Lowry, who has not joined the Saudi-backed LIV tour, said he felt like the victory was “one for the good guys”.
The front pages
Each and every front page covered here shows the Queen’s coffin, draped in the royal standard and being borne into the Palace of Holyroodhouse after a procession from Balmoral. The Guardian’s text is “The Queen begins her final journey”. The lead story, though, is about Russian “revenge” attacks in Ukraine. The Financial Times banners its picture with “Queen’s coffin begins journey south as King Charles prepares for whistle-stop tour across Britain” – it also makes a Ukraine report its lead. “Queen’s final journey begins,” says the i, and most others have some version of that wording. The Mirror calls it the “Final journey home”. The Telegraph and the Sun echo King Charles III, calling it her “last great journey”; it’s the “saddest journey” in the Express. “Her final journey begins” says the Times on the front of its wraparound; the inside front says “Five-mile queue for Queen” as mammoth crowds for her lying in state are anticipated. The Metro finds its own words: “Our gracious queen”. The Daily Mail says “The saddest journey … now the long goodbye” and it can’t resist plugging a gossipy take about the Sussexes and the now-Waleses: “Bombshell text that sparked an unexpected show of family unity”.
Today in Focus
What does the Queen’s death mean for the United Kingdom?
The Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland looks at why the death of Queen Elizabeth II will have a seismic impact on the country, and what the era of King Charles III might bring.
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The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
The cost of living crisis is only going to get worse in the coming months as the winter cold hits across the UK – with food banks already warning of record demand. But a social enterprise in Kings Cross has come up with an alternative to help those most in need. The Pantry – run by Cook for Good – is stocked with surplus food, and customers pay £3.50 weekly for a selection of products to make up a week’s shop. “You can pick what you want and just take what you need,” says one shopper, Sheenika Webb-Rainsby. “There shouldn’t be any stigma about going to a food bank, but I think some people do feel a sense of shame. Here, it’s more like you are doing a shop and giving back to the community at the same time.”
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Bored at work?
And finally, the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
