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This is CBSI in the World, I'm John Batsworth, Gregory Kaplie, my guide to being a member of the Commonwealth, which I am not, but here in my seniority, I try to imagine another world where the unhappy conversations of the 18th century led not to a break, but with an accommodation, and that the U.S. would today be part of the Commonwealth with the King.

The King is ending his first year in office. He celebrates his sister, Princess Anne's birthday, her 73rd birthday, the King will be 75, come the fall, and at the same time we learn, this is the telegraph that has a wonderful column about the royals, which I read regularly, because, why does John read the royals?

Because this is a way of thinking about what it was to have a King once upon a time. Since the Romans, much of what we understand to be European civilization has depended upon, the King, his heir, or not, that is determined the fate of states, the fate of armies, the fate of people who look to take care of their children and yet.

So who the King is, and how the King's doing, it becomes a critical metric for your own life, much of the last 2000 years. It might be true now, because Britain's in a bad patch, just like China coming out of the COVID, and it's separation from the European Union.

Gregory, before I emphasize William and Kate, what is your measure of the King's first year?

Well, it's been a very successful first year, he's shown dynamism, he's shown that he's reinvigorated the monarchy as an institution, he's shown that it has continued to evolve and has been flexible in dealing with the new realities of life for their post-COVID world, particularly.

He has identified more with the people at a grassroots level, and the Queen was able to do. The Queen empathized very much and was very much loved at all levels, and particularly at the grassroots level in the Commonwealth.

But Charles has been out there, if you like, mixing it up with the people. I commented that he needed to really show his face in the Commonwealth countries again.

It's been difficult because Canada has been undergoing a degree of internal political pull, meltdown itself, and Australia is getting ready to have a couple of referendums.

One of these referendums is one on what's called the indigenous voice to parliament, which it's proposed that a new body be created of indigenous Australians, which would have their own parliament, and which would then advise the normal parliament as well in Canberra.

The referendum on that is critical to Prime Minister Albanese, because if that voice to parliament referendum passes, then he will go ahead and have a referendum on whether Australia should abandon the monarchy and become a republic.

If he does not win that referendum on the voice, then he's unlikely to hold the referendum on the republic, and it now looks as though that referendum on the voice to parliament for the indigenous population will not pass, and therefore it would be risky for the government to try another referendum, and referendum are difficult to get passed in the Australian voting system.

And there are good reasons why the referendum on the voice to parliament will not succeed, because it's seen as not actually doing anything for the indigenous population, other than a PR stunt for almost 100% white government of Prime Minister Albanese.

So the reality is that King Charles can't yet get out to the Commonwealth as much as he would like. He's done a great job in this first year consolidating his and his his popularity among the British public in the United Kingdom.

And that's important because it's not just about about whether he is seen to be a good monarch and that he's kept the monarchy adapting to the situation, but he has to show that there is a continuity of governance coming down the generations and initially with, of course, the Prince of Wales, Prince William, and his ears.

And so that's now been established and a lot of the noise about the succession has been put to rest. So this is a great achievement in the first year.

And it's it's perfect that it's coinciding, of course, with the 73rd birthday of his younger sister, Princess Anne, who has proven to be the most competent and hard working of the family.

And I remember when the first time I saw her, she was just a little girl and Prince Charles, the older brother, was keeping her in line in public outings when she was getting a little petulant.

But now she has grown into the most incredibly single-minded and intelligent person and she's, of course, one of the key counselors of state for King Charles at the moment.

A note about William the heir and Kate, his wife, according to the telegraph reporting, Prince William named his America's most popular public figure ahead of Trump and Zelensky.

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