Kate, the Princess of Wales and Prince William are the leading pawns in King Charles III’s “savvy plan” to preserve the Royal Family, according to a royal expert.
The Prince and Princess of Wales on Friday led the family’s tributes to the late Queen on the one-year anniversary of her death with a visit to St David’s Cathedral in west Wales and a series of Instagram posts celebrating her legacy.
The King opted instead for a day of reflection at Balmoral with Queen Camilla while releasing an audio message to the UK celebrating his late mother’s memory.
His Majesty took a step back and let his eldest son and wife be the centre of attention, a “hugely telling” sign that the couple holds a prominent role in his plans for the future of the institution.
Commentator Nicole Oliveri suggested the latest move is part of Charles’s “savvy plan” to modernize the British Royal Family and shift the focus to younger members.
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Oliveri suggested relying on Kate and William will help the King ensure he keeps the monarchy relevant and attract the attention of younger generations.
She noted Charles, while a widely known figure on the global stage, “does not appeal to the public in the same way his mother did” and will need the Prince and Princess of Wales to keep the Royal Family popular.
Writing on 9Honey, Oliveri said: “That the monarch opted for private commemorations, instead allowing his son and heir to lead the tributes, is hugely telling about the monarchy’s direction in the coming years.
“The generational divide in opinion suggests that renewed efforts are needed to appear more relatable and relevant to young people.
“Cue Prince William and Kate and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“The Wales’ family are extremely popular and resonate not only with a younger audience but also older people who look at Prince William with affection as Princess Diana’s son.”
A YouGov poll released this week suggested that less than a third of 18 to 24-year-olds would like to keep the monarchy while 40 percent want an elected head of state.
That marked a stark contrast to over-65s, who are widely more supportive of the Royal Family as 80 percent of survey respondents said they were eager to keep the King in charge.
William and Kate have consistently been among the most popular members of the institution, with the Princess of Wales emerging as the most liked member of the family in a recent Ipsos favorability poll.
Oliveri continued: “The Prince and Princess of Wales are continuing the late Queen’s legacy through their unwavering dedication to duty.
“Much like Elizabeth II, they have chosen to never respond to unfavorable headlines, in particular when verbally attacked by Prince Harry and Meghan.”
Their stoic stance, as well as their consistently more open approach to PR – marked by renewed efforts to foster their social media presence by offering more insight into their day-to-day life – only seems to have endeared the couple more to the public.
The Australian commentator added: “King Charles may not want to rock the boat by making major changes during his reign, instead we may see a significant shift of how things are done when Prince William accedes the throne.
“For he and the Princess of Wales are the future and from what we’ve seen since the passing of Her Late Majesty, the monarchy is indeed in safe hands with William and Kate.”
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