The following discussion is an archived record of a request for comment. Please do not modify it. No further edits should be made to this discussion. A summary of the conclusions reached follows.

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Input is requested regarding how to end the opening sentence of this article, following the words "Charles III (Charles Philip Athur George; born 14 November 1948)..." Prior discussion on the matter has taken place here and here.

Presently, there are six options:

1. is king of 14 independent countries, in addition to the United Kingdom.
2. is king of 14 independent countries, in addition to the United Kingdom, collectively known as the Commonwealth realms.
3. is king of 15 independent countries, including the United Kingdom.
4. is king of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.
5. is king of the United Kingdom and 14 other independent countries, all known as the Commonwealth realms.
6. is king of the United Kingdom, [country], [country], [country], and the [X] other Commonwealth realms. [Which countries are named depending on a to-be-determined criteria]
7. is King of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand,the Solomon Islands, the Bahamas, Belize, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Kitts & Nevis and Tuvalu. (no note)

Issues of concern appear to be, so far:

• Brevity (without sacrificing accuracy of information, both explicit and implied)
• Giving prominence to the United Kingdom/Charles' role as king of the United Kingdom
• Not relegating countries that belong to the G7, G20, TPP, NATO, and/or are otherwise relatively significant on the global stage into a diminished group of "other"
• Expressing the reality of the equality of status between the Commonwealth realms and Charles' offices as king of each
• The difference between role and title
• Reader unfamiliarity with the term "Commonwealth realm"

Please state your preference or preferences in order of preference. The aim is to form a consensus within the next week, ahead of Charles' coronation on 6 May; though, it is acknowledged that this may not happen. 04:30, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

Note: Option 1 is lifted from the Commonwealth page on the British monarchy website, under "The King and the Commonwealth".

Survey

• Option 3 followed by option 6 (if criteria could be worked out) and option 2. Option 3 seems to hit the most marks and, therefore, is the best compromise: it

• says first that Charles is king of many countries (which, on the whole, is what makes Charles unique among presently reigning monarchs)
• makes clear there is one group, thereby implying equality (rather than misrepresenting the arrangement as the UK and "other", which option 1 implies and 4 outright states)
• makes clear the UK is part of the group (option 1 does not)
• does so while giving the UK prominence
• is brief
• avoids the possibly/likely unfamiliar-to-most-readers term "Commonwealth realm"

I'd take option 6, however, if there were consensus on what criteria to use to determine where to cut the list off; i.e. population, GDP, G7 or G20 members, etc. --₪ MIESIANIACAL 04:31, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

Addendum: Hardly anyone reads footnotes. --₪ MIESIANIACAL 21:56, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

• I'd go for 5. He's basically the king of the UK and the others only for historical/colonial reasons. After all he's not the third king of Australia called Charles, he's the first, so Charles III doesn't make sense for Australia. Nigej (talk) 05:42, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

  I agree with option 5 as probably the best. The monarchy is based in the UK and the monarch lives full-time in the UK. The monarch is head of state of other countries by virtue of the history of the British Empire. As far as I know, the monarch's functions in Commonwealth states that retain the monarchy are performed on his behalf by the Governor General rather than the monarch personally, so his direct role is somewhat diluted.

  Please note that in 2, 4, 5 and 6, reference to "the" Commonwealth realms seems to imply that all Commonwealth members have him as head of state. However, this is not the case as some members e.g. Rwanda, India are republics, so I suggest tweaking this.

  There seems to be a typo as far as Charles' middle name Arthur is concerned. IsiahBerlin235 (talk) 13:05, 2 May 2023 (UTC)

  Not just some, in fact most of the 56, less the Realms and a handful of separate monarchies. Isiah, that's exactly the motivation for the "independent states" wording, because while "Commonwealth realm" has a different meaning than "Commonwealth country", many readers -- and I suspect some editors! -- will see this and be either actively confused (the better alternative, as then they're likely look at the footnote or the link), or passively confused (thinking this means "the Commonwealth", "various dependencies", etc) and not even realizing their mistake. @Nigej, he's not even the actual "III'rd" of the UK (and still less was Liz the "II'nd"). The regnal numbers have been determined to be entirely discretionary. We could arguably stand to get into the weeds of that too, but it's likely WP:UNDUE for this entire article (given its size and the number of things it has to cover), but hopefully it's covered properly in one of the many subsidiary articles. 19:03, 2 May 2023 (UTC) 109.etc (talk) 19:03, 2 May 2023 (UTC)

• Option 4, followed by 5, followed by 2. The UK should be mentioned first, because it's obviously the most important realm. "King of the UK and the 14 other Commonwealth realms" makes perfectly clear that these are a group, while giving due prominence to the UK.

Commonwealth realm is an important term, used by many reliable sources, and shouldn't be translated away. I propose a slight addition to the note at the end of the lead sentence: "Commonwealth realms are independent countries that have Charles III as their monarch and head of state. In addition to the United Kingdom, the fourteen other realms are ..." (my proposed addition in italics). This should help explain the term without using the awkward wording of Option 5. 𝕱𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖎𝖆 (talk) 06:09, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

• Option 4: status quo, consistent with other articles, brief and to the point. Second choice option 5: slightly less concise but avoids any confusion over what is a Commonwealth realm. Celia Homeford (talk) 08:03, 28 April 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4: status quo, brief & to the point, consistent with other articles, recognises that Charles is mostly known as the British monarch. Also, he lives in the UK (which is why the UK has no governor general), his coronation will be held in the UK, he was born in the UK & most likely (after his death) will be buried in the UK. PS - DrKay's footnote already has the other Commonwealth realms mentioned, for our readers. GoodDay (talk) 09:11, 28 April 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4, status quo. 95.149.88.240 (talk) 15:24, 28 April 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4 - if not, I would suggest: "is the king of the United Kingdom and 14 other independent countries". If I had to pick an already-proposed alternative, I think that would be Option 5. Tim O'Doherty (talk) 16:17, 28 April 2023 (UTC)
• 4 or 5. All the other titles and roles are sideshows that flow from being British monarch. The most important thing about him should be the first thing said about him. DrKay (talk) 17:08, 28 April 2023 (UTC) Second clause of option 5 is unnecessary if 'independent countries' is being used to avoid the more unusual term or confusion. Option 5 is also briefer, simpler and more on topic without the second clause. DrKay (talk) 10:32, 29 April 2023 (UTC)

• Option 4 – he's best known as the monarch of the UK, so that should be mentioned; not Option 5, because there's no point in trying to squeeze complicated Commonwealth constitutional principles into an opening line; use 4, wiklink "Commonwealth realms", and it's good. Mr Serjeant Buzfuz (talk) 18:06, 28 April 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4 - Per @GoodDay. DDMS123 (talk) 18:43, 28 April 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4 linking Commonwealth realm - consistent with Elizabeth II--LJ Holden 20:03, 28 April 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4 Considering that he's British and resides primarily in the United Kingdom, his role as "King of the United Kingdom" should be acknowledged. Others fall under the umbrella of the Commonwealth realms, and it's better to refer to them collectively, rather than choosing specific countries. Keivan.f^Talk 20:17, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

  That's more of an argument against #6 rather than in favour of #4. Do none of the others have any merit? 109.etc (talk) 20:44, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

  "Others fall under the umbrella of the Commonwealth realms, and it's better to refer to them collectively, rather than choosing specific countries." Agreed. The Commonwealth realms are all of equal status, so refer to them as a group. Mr Serjeant Buzfuz (talk) 20:57, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

  No, all fifteen fall under that umbrella. From the PoV of each it's "Saint Lucia and the fourteen other Commonwealth realms" (for example). 109.etc (talk) 21:05, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

  I never said that UK is not part of the Commonwealth realms, or that it's somehow superior to the other ones. Had Charles been a permanent resident in Canada and carrying out most of his duties there, I would have advocated for "King of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms", but that's not the case. Keivan.f^Talk 07:11, 29 April 2023 (UTC)

  That’s ridiculous, Santa Lucians are not stupid. We know which countries are more important to mention. 82.36.70.45 (talk) 16:17, 23 May 2023 (UTC)

• Option 5 or some minor textual variation on it. Only stylistically acceptable alternative, IMO. #1-3 aren't viable, because they put the cart before the horse in a WP:UNDUE way. #4 is terrible as it uses a fairly obscure term outside of any context, exacerbated by us failing to clarify it later, and it being all-too-easy to misunderstand. (Several editors here seem to have confused it with "the Commonwealth"; others will likely just take it to mean minor dependencies of some kind, obviously not yoooj countries like Australia and Jamaica. #6 is simply unworkable in the context of the lede. Worst possible place for arbitrary laundry lists. 109.etc (talk) 21:05, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

  Yes, I can see misconceptions are guiding certain arguments favouring the continued perpetuation of those misconceptions; "the realms are just fancy colonies", "Charles is king of those other places by accident/laziness/forgetfulness", and whatnot. I sense, so far, little allowance for compromise; though, perhaps option 5 has potential. --₪ MIESIANIACAL 21:22, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

  Agreed. XAM2175 ^(T) 11:37, 3 May 2023 (UTC)

• 4 followed by 5 per above as the best solution. J947 † ^edits 23:28, 28 April 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4 and then 5. Both are good options but 4 is simpler. There is the matter of Commonwealth Realms being a potentially confusing term (which 5 clarifies slightly), however readers can get a quick and easy explanation via the wikilink. 03:33, 29 April 2023 (UTC)

  (Above comment by @User:MangoMan11.) 109.etc (talk) 04:44, 29 April 2023 (UTC)

• Option 4 without a doubt. If this were the Simple English Wikipedia we might want to paraphrase the Commonwealth Realms, but here people can just click on the link if they need an explanation. And the UK should definitely have prominence, for historical reasons and because it is what he is best known as being king of. Rosbif73 (talk) 07:09, 29 April 2023 (UTC)
• Option 3 to avoid placing the United Kingdom as separate from and above the other countries, which are equal. Also 'King of the United Kingdom' is a formal title so king is OK for Option 3 but needs capitalising for the other options. Link out to Commonwealth realms. Ex nihil ^(talk) 10:07, 29 April 2023 (UTC)
• Option 3 implies equality between the independent countries, still links to Commonwealth realms so readers can become familiar with the term, and specially calls out the United Kingdom, giving it more due weight, which is appropriate for reasons stated by editors above. Penguino35 (talk) 16:39, 1 May 2023 (UTC)

  Given the groundswell of "!"voters expressing some variation on "UK has to go first" as a rationale, would you (and @Ex nihil, and anyone of a similar view, be at all supportive of some text like #3, except flipped around? Like king of the United Kingdom and 14 other independent countries? 109.etc (talk) 21:56, 1 May 2023 (UTC)

  Butting in, but I'd support that if the status quo has to change. Tim O'Doherty (talk) 22:00, 1 May 2023 (UTC)

  Looks like it more likely doesn't have to change, due to our famous, designed commitment to majoritarianism, but that does seem to address the rationales of both the #4 and the #3 supporters. (And I've no problem with your third-opinioning, but if this turns into another megastring, by all means refactor it into #Discussion, anyone who feels inclined.) 109.etc (talk) 22:16, 1 May 2023 (UTC)

• Option 4, then Option 6. Option 4 keeps it simple as required for being in the lead. There is an argument that not mentioning that he is the Head of State of some major countries eg a G7 country like Canada is somewhat strange - hence 6. Option 4 has the slight avantage of avoiding the inevitable debate of who gets mentioned and who doesn't. DeCausa (talk) 07:29, 2 May 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4 Simple and clear. Thriley (talk) 19:23, 2 May 2023 (UTC)
• Option 5, but preferably (and entirely for stylistic reasons) worded is king of the United Kingdom and 14 other independent countries, all known collectively as the Commonwealth realms. I feel that this is the clearest way of showing the UK within the group without awkwardly trying to step around its de facto primacy therein, while not unfairly diminishing the other realms, and also that it's a more-natural way of introducing the term "Commonwealth realm". XAM2175 ^(T) 11:32, 3 May 2023 (UTC)
• Option 6 where the countries included are the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. These are ordered by population. It is best to include more than just the UK, but including all of the realms is too lengthy, if we are going to cut the list down further it should be done by population (though an argument might be made that New Zealand is a more influential country, with deeper ties to the monarchy, and a greater GDP). If not Option 6, we should go with Option 3 where it continues "is king of 15 independent countries, including the United Kingdom, collectively known as the Commonwealth realms.--Darryl Kerrigan (talk) 00:28, 4 May 2023 (UTC)

  It's been argued -- and I've come to rather agree -- that the "natural break" in population size is after Jamaica. Which would only be one more than your suggested list. 109.etc (talk) 00:51, 4 May 2023 (UTC)

• Option 6 is the best option. As I see it, the problem is the realms consider themselves legally co-equal, but there should be some weight given to the UK as the oldest realm that originated the others through colonization and the country most associated with the King. The solution then should be one that emphasizes the equal status of the realms but gives weight to the UK. Not listing out geopolitically significant countries like Canada and Australia in the first sentence would be WP:UNDUE as Charles has the ability to directly influence politics in these countries that are leaders on the international stage. While ideally all countries would be listed, that would tend towards excessive for the lead. In terms of sorting for option 6, I would suggest population and cutting it at the top 5 (including the UK). If Option 6 were not available, I guess I'd go with option 4. Most version proposed are extremely awkward. I'd suggest simply linking out the "X other countries" to the Commonwealth realms page. If we still want to mention the Commonwealth we could include "Head of the Commonwealth of Nations" at the end. So something like: "is king of the United Kingdom and 14 other independent countries as well as head of the Commonwealth of Nations." Ha2772a (talk) 04:15, 6 May 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4 simple, correctly emphasises the UK.Newystats (talk) 11:57, 6 May 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4 agree with everything said above by those supporting this option. --Bduke (talk) 03:13, 7 May 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4 - agree that it is status quo, consistent with other articles, brief and to the point, and that it all flows from the UK coronation. I'm actually not sure that all 14 have gone thru their accession processing as yet -- I did see that Saturday Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed an order in council and a proclamation of accession, but have not looked for others. Cheers Markbassett (talk) 20:44, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

  It doesn't all [flow] from the UK coronation, though. Charles' accession occurred immediately upon the death of Elizabeth II, and took effect simultaneously throughout the realms with no need even for acknowledgement, let alone any form of "processing". The coronation is certainly an important formal investiture, especially from a religious perspective, but it conveys no additional legal effect. XAM2175 ^(T) 21:33, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

  Not nowadays, anyway. Empress Matilda might disagree. Tim O'Doherty (talk) 21:38, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

  That would be relevant if we were discussing the 12th century, perhaps. XAM2175 ^(T) 21:44, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

  Just a joke. No need to take it so seriously. Tim O'Doherty (talk) 21:46, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

  Very slight legal effect. The oath is legally required, but he could have popped down a registry office to do that, rather than all the metaphysical guff and medieval cosplay. 109.etc (talk) 21:48, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

  Slimmed down coronation indeed. Tim O'Doherty (talk) 21:51, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

• Option 4 per everyone else. 6 is a non-starter unless its proponents can even agree on which countries to list/what criteria to use; 1, 2 and 3 excessively de-emphasise the fact that he is king of the UK, which is surely what he is best known for; 5 strikes me as less concise than 4 for little obvious benefit, though I would prefer it to any of the other options. Caeciliusinhorto-public (talk) 09:16, 9 May 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4 or 5 per everyone else. I like the idea of 6, but I don't think that there would be room for a consensus to determine which realms are listed.--estar8806 (talk) ★ 15:22, 13 May 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4 but with a modification - instead of “is king of the United Kingdom”, using “is the king of the United Kingdom” with a “the” before the king would be helpful to readers and makes the text flow more smoothly. Interstellarity (talk) 20:10, 13 May 2023 (UTC)
• Option 4 or 5 - Slight preference for 5 as being more explanatory for those who don't know what a commonwealth realm is, but 4 is nice and concise so I certainly don't object to it. The fact that his coronation oath did not mention any of the commonwealth realms individually really cinches it for me that the lead should not expand them either. Fieari (talk) 06:04, 26 May 2023 (UTC)
• Option 7 - why it obvious to nobody but me (?) that all the countries are equally important and must all be mentioned, preferably (as suggested) in order of the total population of each?! Imagine being a citizen of the Bahamas and being told by WP that you are insignificant! Please! --SergeWoodzing (talk) 23:05, 31 May 2023 (UTC)

It's obvious to many, @SergeWoodzing:, including the majority of editors who were actively working on improving this article before Charles' coronation. --₪ MIESIANIACAL 06:52, 1 June 2023 (UTC)

Discussion

• Not this again. I am absolutely certain that the equivalent topic was discussed at Talk:Elizabeth II within the last 2-3 years. Stick with that consensus, and drop the matter. --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 07:13, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

  Whether or not to conduct this RfC was discussed. --₪ MIESIANIACAL 18:34, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

  That's hardly a speedy revisit. As opposed to the biweekly RfCs on images, for example... 109.etc (talk) 20:42, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

• On a minor note, all of the options are presented with lower-case 'king'. That's not the status quo, and for the near-status-quo option would likely suggest a different text scope for the link, and arguably a "the", too. So likely upper-case "King" is intended, at least for that option. The others are perhaps less clear, but that's likely moot in the rush to keep the (terrible) status quo. 109.etc (talk) 20:42, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

Hm. I took the lower-case "k" as a given, since it's an unavoidable fact there're no such titles as "King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms" or "King of the 14 other Commonweath realms". --₪ MIESIANIACAL 21:09, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

Another (minor, in the scheme of things compared to the others!) flaw in the status quo. He's "King of the UK, King of Canada, ..." etc, or he's "king of (UK, Canada, ...)". "(King of UK), Canada..." doesn't really work. 109.etc (talk) 21:15, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

No, it doesn't. No one else seems to have noticed the lower-case "k" in all the suggestions, though. Maybe it will get "approval by oversignt". --₪ MIESIANIACAL 21:28, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

Should 'King' be capitalised or not? I would've recommended, that be a separate discussion. GoodDay (talk) 21:12, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

So part of the text of lede sentence should be a separate discussion from the "what should the lede sentence be"? But the very existence of this RfC gives you carte blanche for summary "reverts to the status quo" of a footnnte that's not part of the sentence itself? Most curious. 109.etc (talk) 22:04, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

I agree with the change you made; it was undoubtedly an improvement. We must remember that editors, whilst involved in RfCs, can act in their own capacity to make changes not directly related to the RfC. But, we also must remember not to edit-war, not only because it's against policy, but because we need to make sure the article is stable for the review. Tim O'Doherty (talk) 22:11, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

Sure. And edit warring starts with exactly this sort of "I'm gonna revert, it's a free hit, and not trouble to discuss" behaviour. 109.etc (talk) 22:55, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

A footnote reading "members of the wider Commonwealth of Nations ... have Charles III as their head of state" is too easily misread and could lead to more confusion. DrKay (talk) 07:09, 29 April 2023 (UTC)

All sentences using the word "not" would be inherently "too easily misread and could lead to more confusion" if you assume that people are apt to read the start, zone out in the middle for the key part, and then read the end again. 109.etc (talk) 14:39, 29 April 2023 (UTC)

The footnote did not contain the word "not"[1]. DrKay (talk) 17:53, 29 April 2023 (UTC)

That's right. Was my point somehow nonetheless not clear? I can always have another go. An arbitrary subsequence of the words in a sentence meaning something entirely different is not an argument against the clarity or utility of that sentence. 109.etc (talk) 21:16, 29 April 2023 (UTC)

He is indeed formally 'King of the United Kingdom', King of New Zealand' etc, so should be capitalised. Ex nihil ^(talk) 09:59, 29 April 2023 (UTC)

But not formally "King of the Commonwealth realms". Tim O'Doherty (talk) 14:10, 29 April 2023 (UTC)

FWIW - Charles III's coronation oath, didn't read out the other 14 realms, after the United Kingdom. Rather (following the United Kingdom), he read out "...other Realms and Territories". GoodDay (talk) 00:46, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

that does not seem like the best demonstration of how to refer to non-UK realms Charles is head of. People watching the coronation are much more likely to know of the other realms. Wikipedia should be written for a general audience (WP:OBVIOUS), and that audience willnot necessariy know the fifteen realms charles rules Ha2772a (talk) 03:21, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

The other realms are in the footnote. GoodDay (talk) 19:36, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

Which is blatantly not giving WP:DUEWEIGHT to them -- especially to Canada, one might say -- in the context of the article prose proper. And indeed makes a nonsense of the later out-of-context mentions of (say) Canada without having properly set this out beforehand. To say nothing of those realms mentioned nowhere in the prose. 109.etc (talk) 21:25, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

I support a half-list of realms in "Reign" (UK, Can, Aus, PNG, NZ, Jam). Seems like a fair compromise if the first and fourth paragraphs remain unchanged. Tim O'Doherty (talk) 21:31, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

if we really must settle it by means of a "I don't have a good rationale for my strong preference, so count my vote!" exercise, it might have made more sense to do it one "where should we list (or third-list, or half-list, etc) one, rather than a whole series of them. Which is frankly absurd. 109.etc (talk) 21:53, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

This is not especially relevant, considering that that's his style for use in the UK. Consult the list at List of titles and honours of Charles III § Full style and you'll see that "...other Realms and Territories" is simply the standard formulation to avoid having to list all the other realms. XAM2175 ^(T) 21:38, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

Brevity, is indeed favoured. GoodDay (talk) 23:11, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

I think it’s also that the investiture in England is specifically the English investiture, for that crown and those traditions. The Canadian accession proclamation naming him King of Canada is a different event. Cheers Markbassett (talk) 20:15, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

I'd prefer "King of the Commonwealth Realms". Not as a title, but as a statement of fact. This gives no undue weight to any particular nation. El Dubs (talk) 00:01, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

Per the MOS, only titles should be capitalised, so that's incorrect and misleading. 109.etc (talk) 00:08, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

Quite right, thanks for the correction. Then it'd make sense to put it as "King of the Commonwealth realms". 'Commonwealth' being a proper noun should be capitalised, 'realms' should not because "Commonwealth Realms" isn't a title. El Dubs (talk) 00:16, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

Per WP:WEIGHT (just one example), the United Kingdom gets mentioned first. Also, the UK is where the monarch resides, was born, had coronation, doesn't require a UK governor-general & upon death, will likely be buried in the UK. GoodDay (talk) 00:21, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

Weight is a subjective matter and must be applied carefully. You've listed several things that apply to the UK that are all really just one reason: He resides there. The rest are all because of that fact. Where he lives at least in my opinion has very little weight when considering someone who is Monarch of 15 nations spanning the globe. It's a simple fact that he has to live somewhere. Him being the king of 15 Commonwealth realms is far more important and to me is of far larger weight to note than him being king of the realm that he lives in. But that's just how I see it, I don't imagine I'm in the majority for consensus here. El Dubs (talk) 01:22, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

Obviously, we disagree on this topic, concerning weight. But, it's alright for editors to disagree. GoodDay (talk) 01:37, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

Agreed! El Dubs (talk) 01:53, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

No, I mean the "K" (too). He's "King of Australia", "King of the Solomon Islands", etc (all actual titles), but "the king of the Commonwealth realms" (a job description (if you call that working)). 109.etc (talk) 00:55, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

Oh right, I'm not sure whether k/King should be capitalised, I see there's a discussion going on about the matter. But it's besides the point of the suggestion, whether King or king, I stand by my suggestion. El Dubs (talk) 01:23, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

There is indeed. To say "the king of the the Commonwealth realms" would be correct in fact and in style, but I think really "buries the lede" on his UKishness. Plus the opacity (and potential misleadingness) of the phrase argues against it too. 109.etc (talk) 02:01, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

Most articles on people I've seen specify that the person is British, or American or whatever. I agree that shouldn't be buried. Having looked at other biographical articles that follow the standard of "[Name] is a(n) [ethnicity] [area of interest] who is/was [title/role]", with some variation on punctuation.

With that in mind, we might consider: "Charles III is a British monarch who is king of the Commonwealth realms." Again, Chuck a full stop in the middle or adjust capitalisation or include "As of" dates, that I don't mind, but the general format and flow I think works. El Dubs (talk) 03:25, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

That's misleading, as the British monarch is not king of the Commonwealth realms. The realms are all completely independent of one another. As British monarch, Charles is king only of Britain. --₪ MIESIANIACAL 05:40, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

The British monarch is indeed king of the Commonwealth realms. He is a monarch, he is British, therefore he is a British monarch. The fact that he is king of New Zealand does not change that he is British. New Zealand is a Commonwealth realm, therefore the statement that "Charles III is a British monarch who is king of the Commonwealth realms" is true and correct. It does not suggest that the realms are dependent of one another, and Charles III has only one ethnicity. He is British. I think you're interpreting "British monarch" as "Monarch of Britain". It's merely stating he is a monarch who is British. El Dubs (talk) 06:11, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

Ascribing a nationality in these circumstances can be both misleading and also sensitive, because the splitting of the crown means that the monarch is effectively considered to be a national of the realm in which they're acting in right of. In 1982, for example, Prince Philip refused an appointment as an honorary Companion of the Order of Canada because, as consort of Elizabeth II, he considered himself Canadian and thus entitled to a substantive award. XAM2175 ^(T) 13:23, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

The only reason I included it is because another user suggested I was burying the lede his UKishness. Ascribing nationality is secondary to my suggestion and only there to show my suggestion works with or without it. Either way, I simply stand by the inclusion of "king of the Commonwealth realms." and stand firmly against "king of the United Kingdom". El Dubs (talk) 20:02, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

There's no such position called "king of the Commonwealth realms", though. There's a title called "Head of the Commonwealth". GoodDay (talk) 20:06, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

I've referenced this above. It's just a factual statement, not a position. Just as "king of 15 independent nations" is not a title, but a factual statement. He is indeed "king of the Commonwealth realms". There's no requirement that we must list the title in the lede, especially if we consider that maybe something else is more relevant than just one of his titles. El Dubs (talk) 20:13, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

I'm just pointing out, "King of the Commonwealth realms" would not get a consensus, concerning this BLP's lead. GoodDay (talk) 20:17, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

Probably, but it's even less likely to get consensus if I don't put my thoughts out there. It's the discussion section after all. El Dubs (talk) 20:19, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

I would happily accept "king of the Commonwealth realms", actually, but the possibility of it being mistaken for a description of nationality means I would almost certainly oppose including "British". XAM2175 ^(T) 21:14, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

I'm not tied to its inclusion, but some seem intent on recognising his nationality. Perhaps a middle ground would be "Charles III is a monarch of British nationality who is king of the Commonwealth realms." Only if including nationality is an absolute necessity. El Dubs (talk) 21:59, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

I'm afraid that's even worse. "A monarch" is an awkward and silly-sounding construction, and the "of British nationality" even moreso. It's not just a matter of nationality. It's his primary notability, it's his residence, it's where he doesn't farm out duties to a viceroy, it's where he served in the military, was educated, etc, etc. It'd be less awkward as "the British monarch and king of the Commonwealth realms", but that's replicating the same "unwary reader" trap as the status quo, perhaps in even worse form. 109.etc (talk) 23:07, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

A reasonable construction could be along the lines of "Charles III is king of the Commonwealth realms, which include the United Kingdom, [x], [y], ...", which improves upon option 6 by better introducing the concept of the realms but still gets the UK in first. XAM2175 ^(T) 23:45, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

I could live with something on those lines. The arguments that will inevitably be deployed against it are the "reader so casual they fall asleep after the first clause" point, so that the UK has to go first, and the various opposition to listing them either partially or fully. I think it's not ideal, but would be better than the status quo. 109.etc (talk) 01:54, 9 May 2023 (UTC)

I disagree. His primary notability is not his ethnicity. Lots of people are British, lots served there, lots were educated there etc., etc., that's not very interesting. What's interesting about him is he's a monarch, and what's particularly interesting about Charles III is he is the monarch of over 150 million people across the 15 Commonwealth realms. That I think is his primary notability. The reason so many countries tune in and pay attention to him, because he's relevant to 15 nations as their heads of state. Not because he's the king of the UK, but because he's their king.

For this reason, I think it's desirable to not give undue weight to his role as king of the UK above his role as king of the Commonwealth realms. It's also important not to link his Britishness to his role as the king of other countries, because the two things are not related. "The British monarch is king of Canada" I think is awkward and distasteful.

He also certainly is "a monarch", there are a fair few monarchs out there, he is one of them. Writing "The British monarch" should be avoided. It makes it read more like a role, rather than just a recognition that his nationality is British. He's not just the British monarch (The monarch of Britain), he's also the Australian monarch (The monarch of Australia). Therefore, saying "A monarch", even "A British monarch" makes the word British more about nationality than role.

There are a few ways to meet the need to not give the UK undue weight.

Options:

1. Charles III is a monarch of British nationality who is king of the Commonwealth realms.
2. Charles III is king of the Commonwealth realms. He is of British nationality.
3. Charles III is king of the Commonwealth realms.
4. Charles III is a British monarch. He is king of the Commonwealth realms.
5. Charles III is a British monarch. Since 8 September 2022, he has been king of the Commonwealth realms.

To re-iterate, it's my opinion that his status as the king of the UK is of lesser relevance than his status as king of all Commonwealth realms. Any of these options fulfils that. El Dubs (talk) 00:26, 9 May 2023 (UTC)

Of course it's not his ethnicity, and that's not at all what I said. He's primarily notable as the UK monarch. It's exactly WP:DUEWEIGHT to reflect that. The "a monarch" thing is factually correct, but stylistically infeasible, as I said. #3 is the least-worst of your suggestions, but a disapprovement even on the status quo. I suppose arguably it's better in the respect that some people will feel so confused by it that they'll be forced to click on the link or the footnote, but that's really not good presentation. I think this would be better addressed later in the article. (Specifically in the fourth paragraph of the lead section, or the #Reign section.) 109.etc (talk) 03:56, 9 May 2023 (UTC)

But that's not what you pointed out, nor what was proposed. 109.etc (talk) 23:00, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

Remember folks, don't Bludgeon

FWIW - I hope editors will respect WP:BLUDGEON, as this is a 'request for comment', rather then a 'request for debate'. GoodDay (talk) 21:31, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

Yep, it's nearing Talk:British Isles levels of contention. Tim O'Doherty (talk) 21:35, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

You better change your mind about that, or else...! --₪ MIESIANIACAL 21:48, 28 April 2023 (UTC)

Speaking of blunt instruments, my news feed has "Charles III Crowned King Of The UK & Other Headlines". Dicklyon (talk) 21:45, 7 May 2023 (UTC)

      Windsor (cognatic)