King Charles III

About the show

Charles and his family gather following the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Charles, as the new king, then holds his first weekly audience with the prime minister. They discuss a new bill for statutory regulation of the press, which has passed the House of Commons and the House of Lords and awaits only Charles' royal assent to become law. Charles is concerned that the law restricts freedom of the press too much, and would allow governments to censor the news and prevent legitimate uncovering of abuse of power by the government. He asks the prime minister for alterations to the bill, but the prime minister refuses. The two men spar, as the leader of the Opposition arrives for a weekly meeting with Charles, an innovation the new king has introduced. The leader of the Opposition expresses his own doubts on the bill, but he sees little alternative but for Charles to sign. In parallel, Prince Harry has begun a relationship with Jess Edwards, a republican. Both Charles and Prince William have seen the ghost of Diana, Princess of Wales, promising each man that he will become "the greatest king of all". One of his first actions is to refuse to give royal assent to the press regulation bill. The prime minister holds a crisis meeting with the leader of the Opposition and then goes alone to try to convince Charles to sign, but Charles continues to refuse. The prime minister then threatens to pass a new law bypassing the royal assent and then pass the press law, but Charles then dissolves Parliament before the prime minister can bring either of these plans into effect. Protests begin across the country and especially in London. Charles increases the army guard at Buckingham Palace, offers his protection to Jess (whom the press have made the centre of a sex scandal), and agrees to Harry's wish to become a commoner. The duchess of Cambridge (Prince William's wife Catherine) proposes a solution: William will serve as a mediator between Parliament and his father. William announces this plan at a press conference without his father's knowledge or consent. Seeing this as a betrayal, Charles reacts angrily. Ultimately, Charles is forced to abdicate in favour of William, who plans to sign the press bill and restore the status quo between king and Parliament. The play concludes with Harry's rejection of Jess, and William and Catherine's coronation as king and queen consort.