After the palace dropped two bombshells about the health of several royal family members last week, it became quite clear that King Charles III‘s “slimmed-down monarchy” plan might have a few flaws. With Kate Middleton out of commission until Easter while she recovers from abdominal surgery and Charles’ enlarged prostate procedure, the thinned-down ranks puts a lot of pressure on the remaining royals.
Prince William may seem like the obvious choice to step in and help with extra royal engagements, but he too is taking some time off to take over the lion’s share of family duties with their three kids, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. That leaves Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh to add even more weight to their overburdened calendars. Princess Anne was never a fan of her older brother’s plan from the get-go, and now she can tell him, “I told you so.”
Anne criticized Charles’ “slimmed-down monarchy” plan before her brother took the throne to CBC News: The National, noting that it “doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing.” She added, “I think that ‘slimmed down’ was said in a day when there were a few more people to make that seem like a justifiable comment. I’m not quite sure what else we can do.” Ingrid Seward, the editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine agrees with Princess Anne’s assessment.
Seward told The Telegraph that she doesn’t think it’s “a constitutional crisis,” but she believes that “it does leave the underbelly of the Royal family somewhat exposed.” The palace no longer has Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who could have brought the “youth and glamour” that William and Kate provide at royal engagements. Instead, the monarchy doesn’t have any star power without the Waleses and these health issues “expose the vulnerability of those in the top job.” The power of the royal family looks weak in a moment like this.
Royal reporter Phil Dampier also agrees that these health hiccups prove what a huge loss the palace suffered when Harry and Meghan exited the royal family. “They would have done a fantastic job, and it would have taken a lot of pressure off William and Kate, who wouldn’t have to do all the heavy lifting, and Charles and Camilla who are still having to take these long-haul flights at the ages of 75 and 76,” he noted. “Harry and Meghan could have taken up a lot of that slack, and now that’s gone.”
Instead, King Charles’ less-than-ideal plan “highlighted how thin on the ground” the senior royals are. It should also be a realization that the palace dropped the ball on the entire Harry and Meghan situation because they are gone for good.
Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s milestones since leaving the royal family.
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