On Wednesday, a gang of Ron DeSantis cronies were in for a rude awakening. The quintet who were set to take over Disney’s Florida land held their first meeting, which is when they learned that an agreement found a way to strip them of any real power. It was a brilliant case of checkmate by Disney honcho Bob Iger and his legal team. But maybe the funniest aspect was buried deep in the document.
As per the BBC, lawyers for Disney and the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which had up till this week served as the governing district of Disney’s Florida property, had found a way to circumvent DeSantis, who was enraged that the company didn’t hate LGBTQIA+ people. They signed an agreement that greatly reduced their power, handing it over to Disney instead.
But that’s not all they did. Surely recognizing that DeSantis and team could seize power later down the line, they added a clause that would keep their mitts off the company for…well, for forever. The clause stated that the declaration will last until “twenty one (21) years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III.”
The clause about King Charles III is absolutely real. The agreement — from the 2/8/23 Reedy Creek board meeting — can be found on https://t.co/6ZQMDUaVME. It appears to have been posted days after @GovRonDeSantis signed the law he says was “ending the Corporate Kingdom”. 5/ pic.twitter.com/CT9hYyIr28
— Mike DeForest (@DeForestNews6) March 29, 2023
King Charles III is still spry in his mid-70s, but the agreement doesn’t last until his death. It lasts until the “last survivor of the descendants” of the soon-to-be-coronated king. Even the relatively young DeSantis won’t be around then.
The clause — an extra eff-you to the governor who retaliated against the company — produced a lot of gasps on social media.
I’m not sure I understand this correctly (because it should be the lede) but did Disney sneak in a clause giving them power for basically centuries?
It’s valid until “21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III.” https://t.co/8LJbrCayLr
— Helen Kennedy
(@HelenKennedy) March 29, 2023
Princess Lilibet of Sussex, Meghan and Harry’s beautiful bi-racial daughter, is currently the youngest descendant of King Charles, and is therefore is about to save Disney America from Ron De Santis. (via @orlandosentinel)
Lilibet is officially America’s princess now. pic.twitter.com/KtiyKnp39F
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) March 30, 2023
Disney tarred and feathered the Florida Fuhrer and that burn is NOT going to go away lol
Disney’s King Charles clause is the most epic thing ever done to completely flay a politician in broad daylight.
Dear Disney: We are not worthy. pic.twitter.com/9QHswzSEcV
— Rebekah Jones (@GeoRebekah) March 29, 2023
An incredible, and real, clause in the Disney contract with Reedy Creek—“shall continue in effect until twenty one years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III”
The Disney attorney that drafted this clause deserves one hell of a bonus. https://t.co/3C3T0FrdZ6
— alex howard-fuentes (@ajhoward121) March 29, 2023
Princess Lilibet of Sussex, Meghan and Harry’s daughter, being the youngest descendant of King Charles, is about to save Disney America from De Santis and his Bigotry for years to come. All hail Princess Lilibet of Sussex, a true Disney Princess. pic.twitter.com/7hkbjiAJxA
— Carmen’s Granddaughter (@CarmenGranddau1) March 30, 2023
There was also some confusion about the clause’s language. Did it mean Charles III’s immediate descendants?
Thank you to the legal folks for clarification:
It is King Charles living descendants, as of Feb, when it was enacted. So, as the Royals tend to be long-lived in modern times, it is (most likely) the lifetime of one of Harry or Will’s kids + 21 yrs. Ron D will be long gone.
— WriterIowa
(@writeriowa) March 30, 2023
Or did it mean all of his descendants. If so, that would be a while.
Disney instituted this before DeSantis’ b.s.: That declaration is valid until “21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, king of England.
I am a descendant of Mary, Queen of Scots. She died in 1587. Florida will never own Disney.
https://t.co/WU6jMEltTI pic.twitter.com/zMNdVnIFKd
— WriterIowa
As a law geek tormented by the Rule Against Perpetuities in law school, I am just tickled that it was used by Disney to circumvent Ron Desantis by choosing the lives in being as the living descendants of King Charles III – a notoriously long-lived family. https://t.co/wcxtV7F2Q7
— Juris Doctor Who
(@sojourner_blanc) March 30, 2023
Anyway, when Iger and team made a fool of Ron DeSantis, it was huge Florida news. Few imagined it would be eclipsed by the state’s most famous resident getting indicted.
(Via BBC)