Prince William has made a bold move regarding Queen Camilla and his brother's involvement, stirring up quite a bit of interest. Recently, King Charles allowed his wife, Queen Camilla, to deliver a national public address, a decision that has sparked considerable controversy among the British public. Armed Forces Day is currently being celebrated in the UK, and for the first time in a long while, the nation heard from the Queen Consort rather than the King himself. This development raises an intriguing question: Did Charles delegate his role to Camilla for this address, or was the decision made by someone else?
Given that King Charles is the head of the British Armed Forces, why was Camilla chosen for this significant role? There is growing speculation about the push to promote Camilla. Is this initiative coming from the royal family, or is there another motive behind it? Some online comments express frustration, viewing this as an attempt by Charles to elevate Camilla's status. Critics argue that her gratitude toward the Armed Forces feels insincere and that a simple message from her would have sufficed. Others feel that, apart from her father's military background, Camilla has no direct connection to the Armed Forces.
In a recent revelation, Princess Catherine is set to resume her royal duties in early August after successfully recovering from cancer, which included undergoing six months of chemotherapy. However, I still believe that a slimmed-down royal family is the right model for the future. This approach aligns with other European monarchies and addresses the common complaint about taxpayer costs. I think the King and William are entirely right to be determined to keep the core of the working royals a small, tight unit accountable to the public purse. Adding new working royals to the payroll would only exacerbate that criticism.
I also think the model William has experimented with is the answer. Drafting in his cousins here and there to spice things up when older members of the family retire seems effective. His Royal Highness likely won't invite anyone else to become working royals, and it remains to be seen whether he will even want his two younger children to take on royal duties. The Prince of Wales and his wife reportedly plan on encouraging their children, George and Louis, to look outside the royal family for jobs when they grow up, while their eldest son, George, is expected to follow the working royal path. By the time William ascends to the throne and Catherine becomes Queen, they may be the only full-time royals—a scenario William seems to favor.
In recent years, the lineup of working royals has changed significantly. In 2020, the Sussexes left royal life, followed by the deaths of Prince Philip in 2021 and Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. Additionally, Prince Andrew was stripped of his titles and working royal status. This means the royal family has lost five working royals in as many years. Today, there are 11 working royals, including King Charles and his siblings, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as Queen Camilla. The heir to the throne, William, is the youngest working royal at 42, alongside the Princess of Wales, who is currently on a break from duties as her cancer treatment continues. Kensington Palace has yet to announce an official return date for her, but when the 42-year-old returns to royal duties, the focus will shift away from the health battles and fragile monarchy narrative.
It's hard to blame palace officials for not having a plan in place to cope with the simultaneous cancer diagnoses of King Charles and Princess Catherine, much less the sidelining of such a vulnerable supporting player. For over 70 years, the Windsors seemed to have longevity on their side—almost to a ridiculous extent. Queen Elizabeth II lived to be 96, her husband Prince Philip to 99, and the Queen Mother to 101. With such seemingly immortal senior royals and three generations of future monarchs waiting in the wings, there seemed to be no need for redundancy.
Now, with King Charles's slimmed-down monarchy in place, the royal family may find itself running out of options.
