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Immediately after Trooping the Colour last Saturday, two divergent storylines appeared. One was “the Princess of Wales is a saint for doing her first public event since Christmas.” The second storyline was “even with Kate’s miraculous reappearance, the monarchy is in pretty sad shape.” Not even Saint Keen could fill the gaping holes in that balcony. QEII seemed to enjoy bringing out the entire extended family for Trooping the Colour, with lots of cousins, grandkids and dodgy uncles all included. They stopped doing that specifically because they wanted to ban Prince Harry’s Black wife from ever stepping onto their all-white balcony again. So now we have all of these made-up rules about “working royals” and “who is allowed on the fakakta balcony.” Meanwhile, the British media can’t hide their disdain for how threadbare everything looks and feels. Speaking of, the Mail’s Richard Eden wrote a piece about how Prince William is committed to keeping the monarchy as threadbare as possible.
The Princess of Wales on the balcony at Buckingham Palace was a sight to lift the spirits of every royalist. There was, however, something about that balcony scene after Trooping the Colour last Saturday that left me feeling uneasy. And my sense of disquiet was deepened by a conversation I had later with a friend of Catherine’s husband, Prince William.
At the weekend, though, the junior royals were asked not to join the more senior members of ‘The Firm’ on the balcony. Instead, there was the sad sight of Lord Frederick Windsor, son of Queen Elizabeth’s beloved first cousin Prince Michael of Kent, glimpsed behind the curtain in the Centre Room at the palace. Like his recently bereaved sister, Lady Gabriella Windsor, Lord Freddie was asked to stay out of sight, like some embarrassing relative. This is because King Charles chose to stick with the post-pandemic policy of his late mother and allow only ‘working royals’ on the balcony.
Queen Elizabeth abandoned her tradition of decades because of the ‘Harry and Meghan problem’ as well as the ‘Duke of York dilemma’. She felt that she could not exclude those who had stepped down from royal duties if she allowed other ‘non-working royals’ to join her on the balcony. So we were left with the wide empty spaces there last weekend that would previously have been filled with the smiling faces of younger royals.
When I later spoke to the friend of Prince William, I had hoped that he would bring news of a change to this uninspiring policy. However, what he told me left me worried about the future of the monarchy. The friend said William was in ‘full agreement’ with his father about the need for a ‘slimmed-down monarchy’. He told me: ‘When the older members of the family retire, His Royal Highness won’t be inviting anyone else to become working royals. It remains to be seen if he will even want his two younger children to be working royals.’
At 59, the Duchess of Edinburgh is the only other member of ‘The Firm’ under the age of 60. This means that by the time William ascends the throne, he and Catherine may be the only full-time royals. ‘That is what William wants,’ the source claims. ‘He sees the small European monarchies as the model for the future.’
In my opinion, it would be a mistake for William to continue with his plans for a radically slimmed-down monarchy when Harry and Meghan are no longer there to support him. Instead, he should ask his cousins, such as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and the Earl of Wessex, to share the burden with him when the time comes. Queen Elizabeth, who asked her own cousins to help her carry out engagements, showed that the monarchy is stronger when it’s a team effort. I put what I was told to Kensington Palace and it was a ‘no comment’
For years, there’s been the undercurrent of “William is incapable” in some reporting. But we all saw it with our own eyes this year, when he was showing everyone just how unsteady, unprepared and incapable he really is when the chips are down. But like most temperamental narcissists, William likely believes that he’s crushing it, and that everyone is buying what he’s selling. William probably believes that he’ll really have a slimmed-down monarchy too, that he doesn’t need anyone’s help, that he’ll show everyone that he’s much keener than Harry! The result will be pretty funny.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Prince George, Prince Louis, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte on the palace balcony following Trooping the Colour on Saturday 15 June 2024 at Buckingham Palace, London. Trooping the Colour is a traditional parade held to mark the British Sovereign’s official birthday. This year the colours were trooped by The Irish Guards. .,Image: 881850912, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards / Avalon
London, UK. 15th June, 2024. In a mix of torrential rain, thunder & lightning, and finally sunshine, Trooping the Colour for the King’s Official Birthday Parade takes place with Catherine, Princess of Wales, attending. As the procession made its way along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace after the Review the weather became extreme for a while with thunder, lightning and very heavy rain.,Image: 881886277, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: MALCOLM PARK / Avalon
Prince William, Catherine Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis photographed on the palace balcony following Trooping of the Colour on Saturday 15 June 2024 at Buckingham Palace, London. Trooping the Colour is a traditional parade held to mark the British Sovereign’s official birthday. This year the colours were trooped by The Irish Guards. .,Image: 881899091, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards / Avalon
Prince William, Catherine Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis photographed on the palace balcony following Trooping of the Colour on Saturday 15 June 2024 at Buckingham Palace, London. Trooping the Colour is a traditional parade held to mark the British Sovereign’s official birthday. This year the colours were trooped by The Irish Guards. .,Image: 881899137, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards / Avalon
London, UK. 15th June, 2024. After Trooping the Colour 2024 members of The Royal Family, including Catherine, Princess of Wales, appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to wave to the large crowd of wellwishers and spectators who gather outside the Palace. Image (l to r): The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prince George; Prince William, the Prince of Wales; Prince Louis; Catherine, Princess of Wales; Princess Charlotte; King Charles III, Queen Camilla; Duchess of Edinburgh; Duke of Edinburgh; Lady Louise Windsor; Anne, Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, The Duke of Kent,Image: 882041261, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: MALCOLM PARK / Avalon
London, UK, 15 June 2024. King Charles and Queen Camilla with Prince William, Princess Catherine, Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte along with other members of the Royal Family on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace following the King’s Birthday Parade, Trooping The Colour Buckingham Palace, London, UK.,Image: 882065514, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: LFP / Avalon
London, UK, 15 June 2024. King Charles and Queen Camilla with Prince William, Princess Catherine, Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte along with other members of the Royal Family on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace following the King’s Birthday Parade, Trooping The Colour Buckingham Palace, London, UK.,Image: 882065534, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: LFP / Avalon
Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince Louis at theTrooping of the Colour on Saturday 15 June 2024 at Buckingham Palace, London,Image: 882443824, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: celebrityphotos uk / Avalon
