Prince Charles and Prince William hold royal summit to decide future of monarchy
After the death of Prince Philip and the departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the two heirs to the throne, Prince Charles and Prince William, will discuss the future of the monarchy for the next two generations. The active role of members of the royal family will be discussed.
Following the death of Prince Philip, who died at the age of 99 on April 9, the British royal family decided to hold a royal summit to discuss the future of the monarchy, reports The Telegraph. The heirs to the throne and future king, Prince Charles and Prince William, will be in charge of running it.
Within months, the royal family lost four of its official members
The future discussions led by the two heirs to the British crown will be a big first. They stem from several events that have shaken the Windsors in recent months.
First, the withdrawal from public life of Prince Andrew in November 2019. The third child of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip is accused of sexual assault in the context of the Jeffrey Epstein case.
In early 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to give up their role in the royal family and moved to California.
Finally, the death of Prince Philip, which occurred on April 9, leaves a great void in the royal family. Even though the Duke of Edinburgh retired from public life in 2017, all of his patronages must be redistributed.
In a few months, the royal family therefore lost four of its official members. According to The Telegraph, The Duke of York and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had a total of 558 engagements per year.
Increase support for Queen Elizabeth II
Several royal sources have told the Telegraph that the two heirs to the throne and Queen Elizabeth will also have to decide how the monarchy evolves for the next two generations.
Should the monarchy remain traditional with constant commitments from its members? Or should it modernize by reducing patronages and royal obligations to certain family members only?
As the Queen turns 95 on April 21, it is quite possible that she will reduce her appearances.
The 72-year-old Prince of Wales could have a starring role. According to The Telegraph, the heir to the throne has had more than 500 engagements each year. The Duke of Cambridge, who should assist him, has around 220 for the year 2019. In total, the fifteen active members of the Firm participate in 3,000 events each year.
Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, could replace the engagements of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. According to the newspaper, the changes are expected to happen gradually. Decisions will be made in the coming weeks or months.
