Slimmed Down Monarchy? Not Anymore, Thanks to This Surprising Move from King Charles
It was a recent royal sighting that caught me off-guard: King Charles and Queen Camilla were spotted in attendance at a mid-May gala in Kew Gardens to help raise money for The Elephant Family, a charity set up by Mark Shand, Camilla's brother, before his death in 2014. The occasion was poignant; it was meaningful—but it also included a surprising (and typically less prominent royal): Princess Beatrice.Sure, the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson attends her fair share of royal occasions, but usually they're limited to ones where the entire royal clan steps out. Royal Ascot, Easter, even the Christmas walk at Sandringham are all examples. But the Elephant Family event felt different and provided a moment for Charles's niece—who has long supported Elephant Family—to take center stage in a position typically reserved for more senior royals like Kate Middleton or Duchess Sophie. My take? It's about time.As monarch, Charles has long been an advocate of a slimmed-down monarchy—or, at the very least, the idea of keeping a core group of working royals in sight vs. past visuals of a Queen Elizabeth II-era Buckingham Palace balcony overflowing with extended family such as aunts and uncles and random royal relations that have less of an impact on the royal brand. While the king has never officially brought his framework into public view, that working model took a major hit when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walked away from the monarchy in January 2020. Questions—and constructive criticisms, like the comments made by Charles's sister Princess Anne—began to swirl about the lack of main characters left to represent the throne.Bring Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie off the bench was a refrain I began to hear over and over again during my years co-hosting the Royally Obsessed podcast. That also brings me to my next point: Not only did Beatrice step out for the Elephant Family gala, we've been seeing a lot more of another lesser-known royal lately: Her sister, Princess Eugenie. Eugenie was recently announced as a mentor for the King's Foundation's 35 Under 35 initiative and the sisters, together, have been more vocal—and frankly, formal—about promoting royal patronages (like their joint role as honorary patrons of Teenage Cancer Trust). Heck, they've even been making more regular appearances at what I think of as signature events in the royal diary (everything from the Chelsea Flower Show to Buckingham Palace garden parties).
Bottom line: Someone seems to have given King Charles a note that looping in Beatrice and Eugenie, who are 9th and 12th in line to the throne, more is good for royal business—and I'm thrilled to see it. After all, anything that has the potential to humanize the royal family makes sense. Beatrice opening up about the premature birth of her daughter Athena; Eugenie helping others and bringing attention to anyone navigating a scoliolis diagnosis—it's authentic and vulnerable, but most importantly, it brings people in.
It was a major loss when Harry and Meghan left for Canada first, then Montecito. And, regardless of your feelings about the monarchy they left behind, their royal shoes can't be filled by William and Kate alone—there's simply too much royal work to go around.
The move to include more of Beatrice and Eugenie not only lightens that load, it extends the glamour of the monarchy and lifts the spirits of royal supporters, too. While I thought this would be a decision relegated to when Prince William—who is close with his cousins and likely sees their potential—becomes king, it seems like Charles caught wind of it sooner.
Next stop, the royal balcony? Time will tell.
King Charles Wanted a Slimmed Down Monarchy—But Without Kate & Will, Is It Actually Time to Panic?
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