King Charles Is 'Delighted' by Princess Eugenie's Baby News — but Critics See a Big Problem
Royal expert Amanda Platell argued that the arrival of Princess Eugenie's third child highlights a rigid absurdity in today's times.
After a tumultuous start to the year, good news came knocking on the Palace door when Princess Eugenie announced on May 4 that she is expecting her third child. Undoubtedly, King Charles is said to be 'delighted' to become a great-uncle once again, with the news shared on the royal family's social media. While many await the arrival of 'baby Brooksbank,' royal expert Amanda Platell argues that the birth highlights a glaring flaw in the line of succession, often placing non-working royals ahead of those carrying out official duties.
In a sharp-tongued article for the Daily Mail, Platell noted how Eugenie's newborn child would push Princess Anne and Prince Edward below in the line of succession. She scoffed, "In what kind of modern world do we think it decent or reasonable for the newborn child of a non-working royal—Eugenie works part-time in an art gallery—to be elevated above two of the hardest-working royals." Criticizing the rigid absurdity of the succession rules, she spoke about how Eugenie's sons, August and Ernest, rank higher than Anne and Edward, despite never having worked or being expected to work a day in their lives, even after they reach adulthood.
To argue her case, Platell revealed how Eugenie's child unnecessarily benefited from the toil of other senior royals, just like their mother, who has always been a non-working royal but ranked higher than the working ones. She reasoned, "Far from being 'delighted' at the impending arrival of another royal hanger-on, who will enjoy all the perks associated with the royal family without putting in any of the hard yards, many of us see it as an event that shines an unwelcome spotlight on the iniquities of the centuries-old rules of succession and the way they perpetuate an egregious system of class privilege."
And especially at a time when the monarchy's popularity dwindled to just 30% among Gen Z, it's safe to say that she does have a fair point. To make matters worse, and her point stronger, the royal expert pointed out how Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, despite his shameful scandals, still remains 8th in line to the throne. Additionally, she highlighted Prince Harry's 'shameful record,' saying, "Prince Harry remains fifth in line to the throne despite abandoning his duty of service in favour of making millions from a tawdry memoir and TV enterprises that have included a scurrilous interview with Oprah Winfrey and a Netflix series which, in parts, disparaged the late monarch herself."
Ultimately, Platell believed that this absurd state of affairs was the King's own 'weakness,' who refused to remove his disgraced brother from the line of succession, claiming it would require an Act of Parliament. She stressed, "Since Charles became King, his heir, the Prince of Wales, has made much of his passionate desire to slim down the monarchy, with a view to making it fit for purpose in the modern world. " Only time will tell if King William will indeed put his mind where his will is and alienate his non-working cousins and their children from the Firm.
