Why is King Charles keeping his name a big deal? Cursed royal name explained

While many are mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, others are looking to the future, specifically to the incoming King, King Charles III. And while it may seem strange, some people are worried about Prince Charles deciding to choose King Charles III as his royal title. This is because many people believe the King Charles title is cursed.

But how can a title be cursed? Here is everything you need to know.

How do British royal titles work?

Every British monarch has a regnal name. This is the name they want to be known as when they ascend to the throne. However, it is very uncommon for a British monarch to have a regnal name different from their christened name. 

In fact, only three British monarchs have opted to do this, the first being Queen Victoria, who was christened Alexandrina Victoria. Her son and successor, Albert Edward, continued the trend, opting to be called King Edward VII. And the final monarch to do this was Albert Frederick Arthur George, who opted to take the name King George VI when he took the throne in 1936. 

Why is King Charles considered a cursed name? 

King Charles is considered a cursed title because the previous two monarchs who used the title had historic but highly unusual reigns. 

For instance, the first King Charles, King Charles I, took the throne on the March 27, 1625. Charles’ reign was defined by political tension, with many in the country arguing how the kingdom should be ruled, and, specifically, how much power the monarchy should have over its people and if the monarch could override parliament. This split would eventually boil over and lead to the English Civil War, with King Charles’ Cavaliers fighting with the Parliamentarian’s troops, called the Roundheads.

This war ended with the Parliamentarians, led by Oliver Cromwell, coming out on top. Cromwell had King Charles I imprisoned and later ordered that he be beheaded on January 30, 1649. 

King Charles II spent most of his early life in exile due to the events of the English Civil War. However, he took to the throne on the May 29, 1660 as part of the Restoration, where the crown was revived after the events of the English Civil War. Charles II’s reign was full of massive events that shook Britain and changed its future. 

This included the Great Plague of 1665, where the Bubonic plague ripped through the population, killing over 68,000 people in London alone. The plague had a massive impact on the country when you realize that London’s population was only around 460,000 people at the time. However, the end of the plague was not the end of Charles II’s troubles. The following year, the Great Fire of London ripped through the capital. While only six people died in the fire, it left a lasting mark on the population’s psyche and it forced London to be nearly totally rebuilt from the ground up. While this led to the modern London we know today, it was a very harrowing event at the time.

Charles II’s reign was defined by his tensions with parliament, which, while not erupting into another civil war, left both sides uneasy, especially when Britain got involved in several wars around the world and religious differences began to splinter the country. 

Thus, the previous rulers with the name Charles have overseen periods of immense political tension and world-shaking events that featured large amounts of suffering and upheaval. So it is easy to see why people are wary of the name.