Since Queen Elizabeth’s passing in 2022, the royal family has experienced some turbulent times, and a royal expert says we are missing her “stability and a sense of unity.”
Even with her remarkable 96 years of wisdom and experience, it is unlikely that the late Queen Elizabeth II could have fully envisioned the monumental shifts that have defined the three years since she passed away on 8 September 2022.
From the shockwaves that followed the January 2023 publication of her grandson Prince Harry’s explosive autobiography, Spare , to the gravely concerning cancer diagnoses of her son, King Charles III, and her granddaughter-in-law, Princess Catherine, in 2024, the royal family has faced some profound challenges.
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The House of Windsor has been under more pressure than ever in the past year, with a more fragile and severely underdeveloped family taking on the burden of performing royal duties.
“It was always known that the King wanted a slimmed down monarchy, but now it is a bit too slim,” warns royal author Phil Dampier. “Harry and Meghan have departed, you’ve got Andrew in disgrace and Princess Anne is in her seventies.
“A lot of the older royals, like the Duke of Kent [who is 89] and Princess Alexandra [88], are at the end of their working lives. So all of a sudden you’ve got a hell of a lot on William and Kate – and then, of course, Kate got ill.”
While the public may have rejoiced at Princess Catherine’s recovery following her cancer treatment, in recent months life for the royal family has been far from plain sailing.
The King was forced to reschedule a number of engagements earlier this year in March after being readmitted to the hospital with “temporary side effects” from his ongoing cancer treatment. Although the setback was described by royal sources as the “most minor bump in a road,” it served as a stark reminder that Charles, 76, is still in the fray with regard to his recovery.
According to royal commentator Katie Nicholl, “It was a bit of a wake-up call and a reminder that he is not invincible.” And a reminder of how fragile the monarchy might be.
Despite bouts of ill health during her final years, the public never saw Queen Elizabeth battle serious illness. Her tireless dedication to duty – few could forget her greeting newly appointed Prime Minister Liz Truss at Balmoral, just two days before her death – was a constant source of reassurance to the British public.
“I think we’re missing a sense of stability and a sense of unity,” says Phil. “One thing that immediately springs to mind about her that is different from the King relates to the VE Day celebrations. When it comes to commemorating the Second World War, the fact that she and Prince Philip were alive at the time – Philip actually fought in the war, and the Queen was in the Auxiliary Territorial Service [ATS] – is something that you simply cannot replace.
She was there for the military commemorations, and that was why people admired her so much.
Queen Elizabeth was regarded highly on British soil, but she also received a lot of respect from all over the world. She had such high regard throughout the Commonwealth, and Phil points out that her life’s work was instrumental in bringing people together. Nobody else can possibly surpass the experience she had, she said.
She knew Justin Trudeau’s father from the time he was the country’s prime minister when she met him. No one can match that kind of knowledge, either.
Even though the Queen’s famous “soft power” may have been effective at bridging gaps between various countries, she was put to the test when establishing connections between members of her own family.
Shortly before she passed away, she had to accept her grandson Prince Harry’s shock decision to step down as a working member of the royal family and his subsequent relocation to the US. She also bore witness to the controversies surrounding her middle child, Prince Andrew, which have since led to him being all but ostracised by King Charles and Prince William.
In fact, Phil believes that one of the late Queen’s greatest advantages may have been her inability to navigate the indiscretions of her closest and dearest.
He claims that “her tolerance is her best quality, which Prince Philip once referred to in a speech made on his and Queen Elizabeth’s golden wedding anniversary.” However, I believe she may have been overly fond of Prince Andrew, who was frequently referred to as her favorite son.
She probably did as much as any mother would, but perhaps she had a blind spot about him. She was willing to ignore some of his flaws and see the positive in him.
She obviously went through a number of scandals that other family members got involved in. But she made an effort to see the positive and fix problems.
There is no disputing that the Queen’s presence, in addition to her frailty in her later years, gave her a sense of security that is now greatly missed. Who could forget her rallying speech, which sparked the Covid-19 pandemic and sparked millions of hopeful thoughts?
She brought people together when problems besetting the country, whether they be economic or something akin to Covid, Phil says in response to her late Majesty’s famous adage, “Better days will return: we will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again.”
He claims that “that was her main quality.” That because of her overall perspective, people of all ideologies, political parties, and different viewpoints looked up to her. She occasionally uses very brief sentences and brief speeches, but each word was carefully chosen.
Of course, King Charles – despite his health setbacks – has done a stellar job of continuing his mother’s legacy and guiding the royal family into a new era. Few could forget the reassurance of his first speech as monarch, in which he vowed to continue his mother’s tireless work. “That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today,” he pledged.
“While we miss the late Queen, and we certainly do, I think we feel very reassured in King Charles III, despite it being obvious that his health is a challenge,” says Katie. He is carrying on the duty that the late Queen had already established.
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