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King Charles III is playing an unexpected role in a conflict between Ron DeSantis and Disney World over sex education and LGBTQ+ rights after the monarch 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 and contains the world-famous Orlando theme park.
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. It has been 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. 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.
Taryn Fenske, DeSantis' communications director, told Newsweek in a statement: "The Executive Office of the Governor is aware of Disney's last-ditch efforts to execute contracts just before ratifying the new law that transfers rights and authorities from the former Reedy Creek Improvement District to Disney.
"An initial review suggests these agreements may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void as a matter of law.
"We are pleased the new Governor-appointed board retained multiple financial and legal firms to conduct audits and investigate Disney's past behavior."
Walt Disney World told Newsweek in a statement: "All agreements signed between Disney and the District were appropriate, and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida's Government in the Sunshine law."
Disney said in March 2022 that DeSantis' Florida bill HB 1557 on sex education "should never have passed and should never have been signed into law."
The company said: "Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that."
In response, DeSantis took control over appointments to the new oversight board in February and said: "The corporate kingdom finally comes to an end. There's a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day."
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 royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Update 03/30/23, 11:54 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a statement from Taryn Fenske, Ron DeSantis' communications director.
Update 3/30/23, 9:27 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Walt Disney World.
About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more