It has been a “dreadful” year for the British royal family with multiple members battling cancer and other health issues. Prince William shared his vision for the future earlier this month — with a focus on empathetic leadership and support for people. Royal insiders however warn that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might pose a ‘threat’ to this plan of action.
“I can only describe what I'm trying to do, and that's I'm trying to do it differently and I'm trying to do it for my generation. And to give you more an understanding around it, I'm doing it with maybe a smaller R in the royal, if you like, that's maybe a better way of saying it,” William told the BBC last week.
The Royals have been largely estranged from Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle after the duo stepped down as senior royals in 2020. Royal historian Dr. Tessa Dunlop however told The Mirror that the royals needed “to be careful” and ensure they retained “a large dollop of fairytale glamor”.
“The Royal Family might think they are above such glitzy gimmicks. That would be a mistake. After all, waiting in the wings are ex-royals the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” she warned.
Dunllop described the US-based duo as “instinctively glamorous with bundles of razzmatazz” and suggested that Prince William should “beware”. As she put it in conversation with The Mirror, it would “never do for the Royal brand to be upstaged”.
King Charles III was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February, forcing the monarch to step away from public appearances for two months as he focused on his treatment and recovery. Kate, the princess of Wales, announced her own cancer diagnosis a few weeks later and is slowly returning to public duties after completing a course of chemotherapy.
Buckingham Palace announced on Friday that Kate and the king would both take part in the national commemoration of Remembrance Day, in central London, on Sunday to honor those who died during the world wars and all the conflicts that have followed.
(With inputs from agencies)
