King Charles has only been on the throne for a little over a year and yet, he is constantly compared to his mother. Though this must be difficult for the monarch, it was bound to happen. King Charles follows the longest ever reigning monarch as well as the woman who was the figure of the UK for over 70 years.
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Throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth II represented stability and reassurance. She navigated huge historical shifts and crises. On a personal level, she herself embodied all of the above. A tough act to follow for King Charles who has not always been the most stable and reassuring royal figure.
Tessa Dunlop, a ‘royal historian and author’, spoke to Mirror and discussed the possibility that King Charles killed Queen Elizabeth’s ‘family monarchy’. Let’s unpack.
King Charles marks the death of the ‘family monarchy’
According to historian Tessa Dunlop, Queen Elizabeth managed to create a ‘family monarchy’ thanks to her long marriage to Prince Phillip. She explains:
When Princess Elizabeth walked down the aisle with her war-hero husband, Philip, the stunning pair were instant trend-setters - 200 million listened to the wedding of the decade in a record-breaking year for tying the knot.
Moreover, quite quickly the golden couple had children, a boy and a girl, encapsulating the idea of the nuclear family of the post WWII world. Throughout Elizabeth’s time, she managed to gather around her a full house of working royals from her own mother to her four children.
Dunlop adds:
Irrespective of what happened behind closed doors Elizabeth and Philip were the perfect couple in a fast-changing society. Theirs would prove a tough act to follow.
Princess Diana’s impact on the monarchy
Unfortunately for King Charles he cannot enjoy the same privilege and therefore cannot continue this ‘family monarchy’. His marriage to Princess Diana ended in a dramatic divorce and decades later new details are still being unveiled.
Moreover, even though King Charles has been married to the Queen Consort for eighteen years, she doesn't enjoy the same amount of popularity as the late Princess of Wales. The couple also doesn’t have children together.
As for children, King Charles cannot count on them either in order to continue what Queen Elizabeth built. Indeed, while she kept her children in line, King Charles has not managed to keep his youngest, Prince Harry in the same country. Not only that, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are no longer working royals.
His own brother, Prince Andrew is banned from royal engagements because of his ties to known paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Only Princess Anne and Prince Edward are left as well as his oldest son, Prince William and his wife. Unfortunately, that is a challenge for the King as he struggles to reach out to the younger generation, therefore putting the future of the monarchy at risk.
Tessa Dunlop highlights that King Charles will have to come up with a ‘potent’ new brand in order to lead the monarchy and ensure his survival.
Read more:
⋙ King Charles: The monarch receives a warning from this unexpected royal
⋙ 'History never disappears': Will King Charles grasp the importance of his visit to Kenya?
⋙ Will King Charles stop this extreme royal tradition that has a worrying impact on UK's history?
Sources:
Mirror: King Charles has killed Queen's 'family monarchy' and needs 'potent' new brand to lead - expert
