Abstract
Following the coronation of British king Charles III, this article returns to a book that he produced in 1989 while Prince of Wales. Titled A Vision of Britain, Charles's text promoted classical and traditional architecture. First, this article examines the reception of A Vision of Britain, arguing that the prince acted as a “policy entrepreneur” and reviewing key consequences of his activism. While Charles's interventions are now typically interpreted along party political lines in Britain, the article finds that they were understood as more complex at the time. Second, it revisits the book in the context of an executive order signed in 2020 by US president Donald Trump that mandated traditional architectural styles for new federal buildings. This parallel serves to highlight dimensions of populism at work in Charles's former activism. It illustrates how Charles deployed his unusual power and influence in architecture, while denying the operations of his power to claim popular appeal.
