King Charles III has been criticized by his mother's former chaplain, Dr. Gavin Ashenden, who described the monarch as a "woke King" and suggested his reign would be a "disaster." The remarks were made on "The Karl Stefanovic Show," a podcast hosted by the Australian television personality.
Ashenden specifically took issue with Buckingham Palace's updated description of the King's spiritual role. The 500-year-old title "Defender of the Faith" has been set aside in favor of wording stating the King "protects the space for Faith within the multi-faith nation." Ashenden argued that Charles appears to believe "all religions and all spiritual realities are of equal value" and that mixing them is beneficial for society, a notion he claims lacks historical precedent.
"Evidently we have a woke King. Coincidentally, we have a King who can't think straight despite having had the best possible education," Ashenden told Stefanovic. He added, "He's like a blind and deaf lion tamer, who can't see things are quite dangerous."
When asked about the late Queen Elizabeth II's potential reaction to her son's reign, Ashenden stated, "I think she would know it's a disaster." He characterized the late Queen as an "intelligent, alert woman, full of integrity" and a model for how royal duties should be performed, suggesting Charles is "falling short of what's expected of a King."
Ashenden served as an honorary Chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II from 2008 to 2017. He resigned his position to speak freely on theological matters without implicating the Queen.
Stefanovic, the podcast host, recently faced backlash and a hastened exit from his role at Channel Nine following an interview with far-right activist Tommy Robinson on the same podcast. Ashenden expressed support for Stefanovic's willingness to discuss challenging topics, stating, "We need you to be free to speak the truth, and it's very difficult if you're employed nowadays."