From Bloodline to Lifeline: The Need for More Royals
What will the future hold for dwindling monarchies?
Some monarchies are seeing their ranks grow thin. Something must be done before the current crop of royals are run ragged – or before the dynasties end. In part one, we examine the United Kingdom.
Once upon a time, Prince Charles planned to reduce the number of working royals once he became king. The cost-effective measure was widely praised by the public, but some people weren’t pleased – like the Yorks.
The Duke of York and his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, were upset by the plan. He felt they were entitled to their place as working royals. After all, they had the HRH and were blood princesses, how dare they be shunted aside? All complaints fell flat, and Charles stood firm in his decision – Beatrice and Eugenie were out.
On the surface, it may have seemed cold of Charles to do this, but the plan was two-fold — it kept the number of working royals low while keeping the problematic Prince Andrew (and Sarah Ferguson) at arm’s length. Charles was no fool; he knew the York parents would seek some way to benefit from any added prominence given to their daughters.
Aside from that, the engine of monarchy continued to chug along nicely. Prince William and Catherine were happily married, and the princess grew in her role as a much-beloved royal figure. Their children were adorable and well-behaved. Charles and Camilla continued to go from strength to strength, and Prince Harry was happily involved with projects along with his brother and sister-in-law. Then Harry got engaged in 2018 and the world was thrilled to see the “Fab Four” of William, Catherine, Harry, and his wife.
Unfortunately, the run of luck began to sour. Harry and his wife left the royal family in fit of anger and jealousy. Prince Philip, who died that April at the age of 99, was deeply missed at the celebrations of the Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee that summer. The final blow was the Queen’s death that September, mere months after her historic milestone.
Now that he’s king, Charles faces a different problem: a need for more official family members. There are eight core royals, as well as the king’s Kent and Gloucester cousins. It may seem like a good amount, but of this group, several range from the age of late 70s to late 80s. If the Dukes of Kent or Gloucester chose to retire or if they pass away, their children have no official role. There isn’t a baton to pass.
The biggest wakeup call yet was the diagnosis of cancer for both Charles and Catherine, the Princess of Wales. This led to Prince William scaling back his own work to take time to be with his wife. Charles kept working behind the scenes, but Catherine paused all duties for the foreseeable future. What will the British monarchy do as their major players age or develop illnesses?
The next generation
Now that the king is in better health and spirits, he must continue with the important task of adding new members. Happily, Charles added Princess Beatrice as a Counselor of State, which is an encouraging sign. The Counselors act in the monarch’s stead if he is out of the country or incapacitated. With Beatrice included, that may signal a larger role for her in the near future. She’s a great choice, and since Prince Andrew is out of the way, there’s little danger of him standing to benefit from her increased prominence.
Along with Princess Beatrice, there’s the added bonus of her husband Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi. The couple have shown themselves to be reliable, family-oriented, and drama-free. Both Beatrice and Edo have become firm favorites of the public after their beautiful wedding, charming everyone with their kindness and Beatrice’s obvious love for her young stepson (Bea’s glamorous appearance at the royal wedding in Jordan didn’t hurt her, either).
In the comments below, make sure you add to the list!
Royal Candidates
I think we’d all love to see Lady Louise, if she’s willing. Her style and grace have already captured the public’s imagination, but the Duchess of Edinburgh said that “it’s highly unlikely” that Louise or her brother will be working royals anytime soon. Though James is the Earl of Wessex, he is still quite young and has to complete his education. Twenty-year-old Louise is in no rush to claim the HRH/princess title which she was entitled to do at age 18. She is known simply as “Lady Louise”. However, if Uncle Charles needs her, would she step up?
Another ideal choice on my list was Lady Gabriella “Ella” Kingston, daughter of Prince Michael of Kent. Ella is a private person but has been a presence at royal events for years. Prince William asked Ella to represent him at the funeral of their godfather, the former King Constantine of Greece, in January 2023. I wondered if it was a foreshadowing of more royal duties for her. Tragically, Ella’s husband Thomas committed suicide in February of 2024; asking her to be a public person wouldn’t be appropriate considering the circumstances. She likely wants to retain her privacy now more than ever. Ella would have made a great addition to the working royal roster, but she needs to heal after such a terrible loss.
The Earl of Snowdon and his sister, Lady Sarah Chatto, are the children of the late Princess Margaret and therefore first cousins to the king. The Earl (a.k.a. David Armstrong-Jones) has had a fruitful design career making luxury furniture. Sarah is a successful artist. Neither one has had a royal role in any capacity.
“My children are not royal,” Princess Margaret once said in a rare down-to-earth moment. “They just happen to have the Queen as their aunt”. With that in mind, becoming a working royal may not be an inviting prospect for either David or Sarah. If cousin Charles needed them, perhaps they’d accept a public role as long as it was temporary.
My hope is that the royal family will flourish for many years to come. May those who are able step forward to assist king and country!
Next: Japan’s Imperial Family
I would be happy to see the York princesses and the children of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh become working members of the royal family. By all pre-21st century precedent, they should be anyway.