I'm John Batchel with my colleague Gregory Copley, who's also my guide on

if we in the United States had remained part of the British Empire.

We'd now be part of the Commonwealth, and Charles would be our king.

He is not.

However, observing the king from the outside and reading the history of kingship, which Charles is very well educated about, he is a king.

I come to the 17th century, a transition point for our country, eventually, you will recall 1607, 1619, two consistent dates for the settling of North America by

British nationals, English nationals. James I, James I, who becomes king of England in 1603,

having been James VI of Scotland for many decades, and his son Charles I, the First. This is a transition between the

divine right of King, something that was important to James I first, and the argument with

Parliament that led to the beheading of Charles I first. All very neat history. However,

it comes to me that the King has a role in the English understanding, the United Kingdom understanding

of authority. And right now there is a quandary in London. I say it briefly. Kirstarmer, the

prime minister, the head of government, not the head of state. The head of government is in trouble with his own party, which, despite the fact having an overwhelming majority, pretty much disregards him as a leader. And there is talk routinely of replacing him. That may or may not happen probably won't. But it leaves Parliament adrift so that every time a policy comes forward, the backbenchers in labor

undermine it and make Starrmer look weak. Gregory has raised over these last weeks the possibility

of the King intervening. I don't know that it's been done in 400 years. Certainly James I first

had success intervening at some point,

although he wasn't keen on Parliament talking back. He wanted money, so he traded a little bit for

them. Charles I was not tolerant of Parliament, and that's why the long pause between 1629,

and when he called it back into session of 1640, and that was an

unfortunate decision because it led to Parliament eventually becoming the Puritans and cutting his

head off. Gregory, more and more, Britain is stuck and you've speculated in past weeks that the

king can move this by dismissing parliament

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