Sources close to Charles have said he has no plans to decrease the number of working royals from the current 11, more than any of the other European monarchies. His decision is one of several that demonstrates a desire to be much more conservative than many anticipated and also follow his late mother’s approach.
It comes despite signals from within the Palace that he wants a slimmed-down coronation next year, costing taxpayers less to reflect the economic challenges facing Britain.
In his first 45 days on the throne, the 73-year-old monarch has won acclaim for his more informal touchy-feely approach to the job, but he’s closely followed the late Queen in other ways.
Charles, for example, is set to stop declaring how much tax he pays on the grounds that his mother, who started paying voluntarily in 1993, never published a summary of her payments.
The King, who as Prince of Wales felt he should set an example on transparency, paid £5.8 million tax on an income of £23 million income from the hereditary Duchy of Cornwall estate last year.
Aides have said that, although the plans still have to be finally signed off, the intention is that he will pursue Queen Elizabeth’s approach, and Prince William, as the new Prince of Wales will for the first time publish details of his tax bill.
The question is part of a much wider Palace review underway into how the monarchy will operate. With fewer generations of working royals, aides believe it will be hard for the family to undertake as many as 3,500 engagements around the country and the globe.
The family and their advisers are considering what happens to many of the scores of organisations once represented by a royal patron whose presence can help raise funds and bring awareness to causes.
One senior royal source said that these are things that are all being looked at as part of a more comprehensive review at the moment and that William and Kate, the new Prince and Princess of Wales may be able to take on some new patronages and expand their workload.
Kate, in particular, has made it clear that, while she’s passionate about matters such as giving children a more promising start in life, looking after her own children is her primary priority right now.
Before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit in March 2020, some Palace officials had predicted that there would be no role for the King’s siblings when the reign changed.
Most countries just manage with an elected President, and then members of the President’s family, possibly their spouse may accompany them to functions or on visits.
I thought that I would have been more awed by Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, but in fact, I was a tad discomfited by it all because it went on too long and it was a bit over the top.
It had too many imperial overtones and was a tad condescending to the grief-stricken people who weren’t even that grief-stricken.
I’m not even sure we were supposed to be that impressed by rituals made up in the 19th century to compete with those splendours made up for the Napoleonic monarchies, and I suppose that the Coronation may get a flawed response, especially if the ominous projections for British poverty manifest over the winter, and the Royals may need to tread carefully as it wouldn’t take much to trigger an antagonistic response.
And I actually couldn’t understand the outpouring of grief when Queen Elizabeth passed away, it was ridiculous, just as it was for Princess Diana. It wasn’t like they personally knew her, and it was nothing but mass hysteria for somebody they didn’t even know.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 