The Duke of Cambridge hosted a garden party in the rain at Buckingham Palace last month, where a number of younger, ‘sidelined’ royal members were in attendance
Prince William perhaps hinted on the future direction of the Royal Family after he hosted a Sovereign Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, according to one royal historian.
Many of younger royals, including the Duke of Cambridge’s cousins Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara Tindall, with her husband Mike, and Peter Philips, were in attendance on May 21 despite the rain. The Duchess of Cambridge, however, was not present.
“When Prince William hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace he included Princess Beatrice and Zara and Mike Tindall. They are members of the Royal Family who know the ropes and what is expected of them but have been on the sideline in recent years,” Kelly Swaby noted.
She went on: “I feel that it is a very subtle way of the Palace recognising that it needs more people involved. If you look at the history of the Royal Family it has always come through significant challenges and I feel that Prince William is trying to make the monarchy more relevant.”
Swaby, of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, University of Manchester, commented on how William was supporting causes that younger generations can get behind and support; for example, the environment, mental health, and homelessness. “They are being targeted in the work they are doing, but without the Queen [Elizabeth], the monarchy is in a transition phase,” she told Metro.
The royal expert also highlighted the challenges she believes King Charles III will face as she spoke to mark the 71st anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey in 1953. She said: “The Queen’s Coronation was indicative of a time when deference to the monarchy was high; people doffed their caps and curtsied and bowed to royalty.
“The arguments around paying for the monarchy, and over whether it should even exist, were certainly much less prevalent in 1953 than they are today. Last year’s Coronation faced a lot more questions and resistance than the Queen’s did, which is a sign of how much the UK has changed. King Charles has wanted for many years to slim down the monarchy, but in effect he has been left with no choice because it has happened naturally.”
Swaby also feared that a slimmed-down monarchy could ultimately backfire over the years as the older royal members become less prominent in the public eye. She said: “Many of the senior royals, such as Princess Anne and the Duke of Kent, are getting older and are not able to do as much.
“The late Queen understood that she couldn’t do everything herself and while she was the main attraction she remained incredibly humble and had lots of other members of the royal family deputising for her. I fear that the slimmed-down monarchy will backfire quite significantly in years to come as the older members step back from public life.”
