King Charles III is playing an unusual role in a conflict between Ron DeSantis and Disney World over sex education and LGBTQ+ rights after he was mentioned in a legal document.
DeSantis wants a five-person board to oversee Reedy Creek Improvement District, which for 50 years has been run by Disney.
The move comes after Disney criticized Parental Rights in Education legislation brought in by the Florida governor banning discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in schools, and nicknamed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” by critics.
The struggle for control of the district has taken a new twist, however, after the new board, picked by DeSantis, accused Disney of bypassing it using a contract that cites the king.
The legal framework, they believe, hands Disney total power over development in the area, the BBC reported, and it states: “This declaration shall continue in effect until 21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, king of England living as of the date of this declaration.”
The British monarch—currently on a state visit to Germany—is unlikely to play any active role in the dispute and royal impartiality rules mean Charles will want nothing to do with an argument unfolding within the political world of another country.
His inclusion in the contract is simply a means of tracking time in relation to when it expires.
Quoted by Deadline, Brian Aungst Jr., a member of the DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board of Supervisors, said: “We’re going to have to deal with it and correct it. It’s a subversion of the will of the voters and the Legislature and the governor. It completely circumvents the authority of this board to govern.”
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
The post King Charles Brought Into Disney World’s Battle With Ron DeSantis appeared first on Newsweek.
