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Is it time to rethink Charles' slimmed-down monarchy?
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Is it time to rethink Charles' slimmed-down monarchy?

Commonwealth Day Service exposed the King's attenuated inner circle

Ainhoa Barcelona's avatar
Ainhoa Barcelona
Mar 13, 2024
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Is it time to rethink Charles' slimmed-down monarchy?
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king charles at his 2023 coronation
Is it time for King Charles to rethink his slimmed-down monarchy?

Hello Royal Clubbers,

Emily is off this week but will hopefully be back with her regular newsletter next Wednesday. In the meantime, for today's post, I wanted to reflect on King Charles' desire to maintain his slimmed-down monarchy.

The Commonwealth Day service on Monday was a stark reminder of just how few senior working royals there are at his disposal.

Charles himself is out of action, continuing with his treatment for cancer, but we know that the 75-year-old monarch is quietly and diligently working behind the scenes, reviewing his daily red boxes as well as carrying out private audiences and making phone and video calls. He's a workaholic at heart, but does that mean other older members of his family should necessarily follow suit?

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At the Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration, the royal party looked markedly different from previous years. The Princess of Wales usually brings a touch of star power to the line-up, and back when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were working royals, they always made an effort to support the Commonwealth service. Fresh-faced Meghan brought a vibrancy to the colourful event, while next to Harry, they were a couple who commanded attention and whose presence was felt in every room, be it a small space or a cavernous Abbey.   

kate middleton and meghan markle at commonwealth day service
In previous years, younger royals have been out in force at the Commonwealth Day service

But this year, with Kate also in recovery mode, the spaces left to fill fell to members of the royal family who we don't tend to see at the annual service – most notably the Duke of Kent, who at 88 suffers from mobility issues and uses a walking stick, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, who are 79 and 77 respectively.

They were also noticeable attendees at King Constantine II's memorial at Windsor Castle last month, when they were joined by other lesser visible royals including 87-year-old Princess Alexandra, cousin to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

duke and duchess of gloucester attend commonwealth day service 2024
This year, the Duchess and Duke of Gloucester made a rare appearance at the event
duke and duchess of gloucester attend King Constantine's memorial last month with Timothy Laurence, Princess Anne, and Queen Camilla
The Gloucesters (far left) also attended King Constantine's memorial last month with Timothy Laurence, Princess Anne, and Queen Camilla

To clarify, I don't mean to say that the more years you have equals less energy. Just look at Charles himself and his late parents, the Queen and Prince Philip, who worked tirelessly until their final months and who regularly made public appearances. The Queen kept up horse-riding well into her nineties.

But Charles' slimmed-down monarchy means he is having to call on older royals to cover ground at engagements, royals who are past retirement age and may not have the same stamina as the King himself.

And even when Charles and Kate are back to good health to fill in the top positions, the structure of the working monarchy begs the question: is it time for the King to rethink his slimmed-down structure?

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