Expert Reveals The Biggest Threat to Royal Family's Image That It Needs to Confront
The Royal family's recently released portrait throws the monarchy’s ageing image into sharp focus.
The British Royal Family has been hit by a lot of setbacks and controversy over the past few years, and is facing criticism over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's links to Jeffrey Epstein. In addition to that, critics argue that some of the monarchy’s long-standing traditions and practices feel increasingly outdated, raising doubts about whether it can evolve with changing times. Several reports have even highlighted a generational divide, with younger people showing less interest in the monarchy. Recently, royal expert Jennie Bond shared similar views, claiming that the monarchy is still grappling with an 'image problem' that could pose a significant threat.
Jennie referred to the Royal family's recent portrait, which was released on the late Queen Elizabeth II's 100th birthday, and said that it throws the monarchy’s ageing image into sharp focus, with the lineup largely featuring older members. Prince William and Kate Middleton were the youngest royals in the photograph, with the majority of others aged over 70, as reported by The Mirror. King Charles and Queen Camilla are 77 and 78, respectively, while Princess Anne is 75. Additionally, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra are the oldest working royals, as the Duke marked his 90th birthday last October, and Alexandra turned 89 on Christmas Day.
Jennie believes that this may be a key reason behind the growing disconnect between the Royal Family and younger people in Britain. She said, “There’s no getting away from the fact that the image of the working royals today is of a largely elderly group of people - and that does add to a disconnect between the monarchy and the younger generation.” The Royal expert added, “When William and Harry were the pin-up lads, and then Catherine and Meghan came on the scene, young people were naturally more engaged and enthused. And I have always thought that apathy, particularly amongst young people, is the biggest danger to the popularity of the monarchy.”
She then highlighted what she believes could be one of the monarchy’s biggest challenges, stating, “The Palace does need to find a way to keep [the younger generation] interested. And it’s not easy when there is also intense pressure to make the monarchy accountable and keep down the costs of the working Royals." Guessing about the future, Jennie said, “And that’s why I think it’s unlikely that people like Lady Louise or James, The Earl of Wessex, will take up official royal duties – even if they want to, which is pretty unlikely anyway.”
Furthermore, she suggested that the Firm should consider including some popular non-working members in select royal events, while also gradually bringing the next generation of royals into the spotlight. “In fact, it would have been better to have had all the youngsters, including George, Charlotte, and Louis, in the picture," she said. Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales previously opened up about his long-term plans, claiming to build a ‘slimmed-down’ monarchy under his leadership.
