Royal Family Should Follow Prince Harry’s Approach if They Want to Rebuild Public Trust: Expert
The grip of the British monarchy on younger generations appears to be slackening. Previous polls from YouGov show that barely 37 percent of 18–24-year-olds support continuing the monarchy, while a growing number favor an elected head of state instead. At the same time, most in that age group find the royals poor value for money, even as older generations remain staunch supporters. And in this context, the senior royals have been handed a piece of advice– loosen up, feel more human, and take notes from Prince Harry.
That call for reinvention comes from someone who once worked behind palace walls. Former royal butler Grant Harrold, who served King Charles for seven years, believes the monarchy’s challenge with Generation Z has little to do with relevance and everything to do with relatability. In his view, Prince Harry—despite stepping away from royal duties and lacking an active social media presence—has managed to master what the rest of the family still struggles with. Harold’s point of view is that in today’s world, which is shaped by influencer culture, polished and orchestrated appearances don't carry the same weight they used to. “People love celebrities nowadays. We look up to these people for how they dress, how they act, their lifestyles, where they live, what they eat and drink,” he told GB News.
Public figures, he says, are no longer admired from a distance; they are followed for how closely their lives resemble those of ordinary people.
“They basically have to become a modern celebrity,” he said, making it clear that this does not mean abandoning duty, but rethinking how duty is presented. And per Harold, Harry sits well in that mold, “That is what Harry was. The monarchy needs that kind of connection.”
This shift did not begin with Harry alone. When Meghan Markle joined the royal family in 2018, she brought with her a far more hands-on, people-first approach that immediately stood apart from traditional royal charity work. A Channel 5 documentary, The Meghan Effect: How She Shook Up the Royal Family, suggested that her entry into royal life raised the bar. According to the film, Meghan’s presence “forced everybody to up their game,” particularly when it came to meaningful engagement with communities.
For instance, one of her earliest appearances with the late Queen Elizabeth, a joint trip aboard the Royal Train to the North West of England, left a lasting impression. During their visit to Chester, they marked the first anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire with a minute’s silence, acknowledging a tragedy that had exposed deep-rooted social inequality. Within the palace, Markle was soon seen as being “best placed” to connect with communities affected by crisis.
That instinct became even clearer during her first solo engagement, when she chose to visit women from the Grenfell community who had come together to run a kitchen for survivors. Instead of a brief stop, Meghan spent time listening and working alongside them. That visit later grew into one of her most recognized projects, Together: Our Community Cookbook, which celebrated the women’s stories through food.