With the formal appointment of Andy Burnham to form a government, Carlos III now adds his fourth prime minister during his reign, in less than four years. Liz Truss, the 45-day premier, was appointed by Isabel II two days before her death. And the new king barely had time to discuss state matters with her, although a lack of harmony was perceived through gestures such as Truss daring to prevent the monarch from attending the Climate Summit. With Rishi Sunak, Carlos III solidified his reign. Their relationship was lukewarm, they helped each other out and not much more. In contrast, the king and Keir Starmer would form a certainly beneficial tandem.
Will things flow between Buckingham and Downing Street in the Burnham era?
For now, the arrival of the new Labour leader at the Palace yesterday was surrounded by the intrigue sparked by the criticisms the politician made earlier this year, when he was still the Mayor of Greater Manchester and had no inkling that he would soon deliver the final blow to Starmer like Brutus. Burnham became a scourge against the Monarchy regarding the Duchy of Lancaster, the network of companies and vast land holdings - a whopping 18,433 hectares in northwest England - valued at around 730 million euros with exaggerated tax privileges, which provides the British sovereign with its main private income - a tradition dating back to the 14th century when the Duchy was created by John of Gaunt to ensure the monarch's financial solvency and independence, just as the Heir benefits from the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall. Burnham resorted to easy populism and stirred up medievalism and archaic Crown traditions when the news reported, as it does every year, that Carlos III began 2026 by pocketing assets from the "vacant estates," the assets and properties of deceased individuals in the mentioned Duchy during the previous 12 months without leaving a will, following a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. The Mayor of Greater Manchester took the opportunity to demand that these funds be transferred to the Treasury and allocated to social purposes.
And, shortly before, the mayor had also campaigned harshly against the Duchy for not taking financial and cleaning responsibility for contaminated land it owned near Wigan. "We cannot have a country where people here are treated as second-class citizens", he shouted, embracing the same populism used by parties like Farage's Reform UK to bolster their vote bank, but in the case of the new Prime Minister, with leftist flags.
Although it is unlikely that the king and his new prime minister addressed the issue during the formal investiture audience in the famous 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace. They both have composure. Moreover, they are old acquaintances with many other topics to discuss during the courtesy meeting.
Their relationship, beyond occasional encounters with the royal family, began in May 2006 when Burnham was promoted by Blair to Secretary of State - Minister - of Health, a position he held again in 2009 under Gordon Brown. Carlos was then the eternal Heir, known among the political elite as a meddlesome prince. True to his style, the eldest son of Isabel II immediately wrote him a letter to congratulate him on his new position and suggest the benefits he believed including complementary medicine programs in the national health system could have, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, etc. "I would love to meet with you at Clarence House when it is convenient for you to discuss this and other topics. I have the honor to remain, sir, your most humble and obedient servant of His Royal Highness," Burnham reportedly responded.
The death of Isabel II on September 8, 2022, found the politician leading the Mayorship of Greater Manchester. "In a constantly changing and highly volatile world, she provided constancy and coherence to the British people (...), defined the national character," he highlighted in tribute to the sovereign. He also had words of encouragement to celebrate the arrival of her successor to the throne, emphasizing "the strong bonds of friendship forged with him over the years," expressing pride in having worked closely with the Prince of Wales through the Prince's Trust, the organization created by Carlos to help especially young people through projects in different areas of the country, particularly in that industrial northwest of England so affected by the restructurings, from which the new premier hails.
So, although Burnham arrives at Downing Street with the aura of being an exponent of the left wing of the current Labour Party, a soft leftism at most, even though suddenly his interpreters cannot agree on whether he has made the journey to centrist pragmatism in record time, he is not an anti-monarchist nor does he align with the current represented by Corbyn. The only certainty is that the leader is an absolute enigma.
In the institution's surroundings, there is confidence that a relationship similar to the one between Isabel II and the two-time Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson will be repeated between Burnham and Carlos III, who also rose to power riding the wave of leftism that gradually had to be toned down. That pragmatic ruler who almost treated the sovereign as an equal forged a surprisingly close relationship with her, evidenced by the lengthy weekly audiences. It is said that for Isabel II, Wilson was almost a mentor in labor issues and in opening her eyes to the social revolution transforming the country.
Burnham and Carlos III share interests, such as the concern they have both shown to date for the development of England beyond Greater London. Surely the monarch will be an important support for the premier in matters where he is not well-versed, such as foreign policy, but significant sectors of the Labour Party also trust that the new government will compel Buckingham to continue deepening reforms and modernization of the Crown. Who knows if the regulation of the Duchy of Lancaster will be brought up in a future audience. For now, Carlos III has made a significant move ahead of the new premier's arrival, becoming the first British monarch to disclose what he has paid as king in income and capital gains taxes - 35 million euros to date. A new era is unfolding; we will see how far it goes.