We have a new king. On the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022 and his accession to the throne, HRH Prince Charles became King Charles III. In Scotland, he is King of Scots, the title inherited from James VI of Scots when he also became James I of England in 1603.
That nomenclature itself is instructive. Charles may be king of the nation of England and Wales, but in Scotland, he is monarch to the people, not the place. As King, Charles could have chosen any regnal name. His grandfather, known to history as George VI, was named Albert at birth after his great-grandfather Albert, Prince Consort, and was known as Bertie to his family and close friends, but chose George after his father.
George VI’s elder brother, who reigned briefly in 1936 as Edward VIII, was always known to his family and close friends by his last given name, David – he had been baptised Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David after (in order): the Duke of Clarence; Prince Albert, the consort of Victoria; his great grandfather, Christian IX of Denmark; and the four patron saints of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.
Charles III could have chosen any of his four names – Charles Philip Arthur George – and for a while, the bookies’ favourite was George VII. Frankly, he could have chosen anything – Algernon IX, for example, even though there have been no previous King Algernons. But sense prevailed.
In choosing his name, His Majesty follows two previous kings called Charles
