By Sheila Mckenzie-
Princess Anne(pictured) has criticised the idea of a slimmed down royal family in terms of the future of the British monarchy. The princess, who is known for her no-nonsense approach to royal duties, expressed her concern about the potential negative impact of a smaller royal family.
Her comments follow reports that the king could reduce the number of working royals and cut back royal staffing.
Princess Anne, reputed for being the “hardest-working royal” due to the number of engagements she attends in a year; in 2022, she topped the list with 214, compared with Charles’s 181.
In response to questions about proposals to modernise the monarchy, the 72-year-old told Canadian broadcaster CBC News : “Well, I think the ‘slimmed down’ was said in a day when there were a few more people around. It doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing, I would say. I’m not quite sure what else we can do.”
Speaking from St James’s Palace before Charles’s coronation on Saturday, Anne said she expected much the same from her 74-year-old brother.
“Well, I think the ‘slimmed down’ was said in a day when there were a few more people around,” she said.
“It doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing, I would say. I’m not quite sure what else we can do.”
As part of preparations for the event, the King and Queen Consort will attend a reception at the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday to meet members of both Houses of Parliament as well as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
The King spent more than 70 years as heir apparent, longer than anyone else in British history, and in his mother’s later years frequently represented her on official engagements.
In an interview at St James’s Palace, Princess Anne said: “You know what you’re getting because he’s been practicing for a bit, and I don’t think he’ll change.
“You know, he is committed to his own level of service, and that will remain true.”
Discussing the future role of the rest of the family, the princess said the monarch was the “key” figure and that “we… see ourselves as there to support that role”.
“What we do, we hope, contributes to the monarchy in the way it can convey continuity… of service, of understanding,” she said.
Reports have previously suggested the King plans to reduce the number of working royals and the size of his staff in order to reduce the cost of the institution.
Asked about the idea of a “slimmed down” monarchy, the princess said it was originally proposed “when there were a few more people around”.
“It doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing, I would say. I’m not quite sure what else we can do,” she said.
The broadcaster said some of the questions about relevance have been spurred on by conversations about the history of the monarchy, colonization and the connection with slavery. After the issue made headlines in the United Kingdom, King Charles signalled he would support research into the Crown’s ties to slavery.
“Well, you know what you’re getting because he’s been practising for a bit, and I don’t think he’ll change,” she said. “You know, he is committed to his own level of service, and that will remain true.”
Discussing the future role of the rest of the family, the princess said the monarch was the “key” figure and that “we… see ourselves as there to support that role”.
“What we do, we hope, contributes to the monarchy in the way it can convey continuity… of service, of understanding,” she said.
Westminster Abbey will take centre stage when the king is crowned at midday during the coronation ceremony on Saturday.
The service will begin at 11am and will continue until 1pm, when the newly crowned king and queen consort embark on their coronation procession back to Buckingham Palace in the gold state coach.
Charles’s coronation will include the first “homage of the people” – an addition to the ancient ceremony in which people across the UK and the overseas realms will be invited to swear an oath of allegiance to Charles.
Given the laws of primogeniture, (the custom of the right of succession being past in the order of the firstborn child), she is 16th in the line of succession to the throne. But that understates her influence in the royal family, where she is a trusted adviser to Charles, and her stature with the public, where her approval ratings have been higher than any of the surviving senior royals, save Prince William and his wife, Princess Catherine.
With the ascension of Charles to the throne, royal experts believe Anne’s role in the royal family is likely to become more central. The new king will rely on his sister, who is known as the Princess Royal, to keep up her busy schedule of public duties in a slimmed-down family. She is also likely to advise him on delicate family matters, like how to handle their younger brother, Prince Andrew, who has been in a kind of exile since the disclosure of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sexual predator.
Princess Anne’s comments come amid discussions about the future of the monarchy in the wake of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step back from their royal duties and move to North America. Some have suggested that the royal family should be slimmed down to include only the direct heirs to the throne, namely Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince George.
Advantages of a slimmed down royal family
One of the advantages of a slimmed down royal family is that it could save taxpayers money. With fewer members to support, the cost of maintaining the royal household could be reduced. In addition, a smaller royal family could make it easier to manage the public duties of its members, as there would be fewer engagements to coordinate.
Another advantage of a slimmed down royal family is that it could allow the remaining members to focus more on their duties and less on internal family politics. With fewer family members vying for attention and position, there would be less opportunity for tension and disagreement.
However, a slimmed down royal family has disadvantages. One of those disadvantages is that a slimmed down royal family is that it could put too much pressure on the remaining members to carry out public duties. With fewer family members available to attend events and engagements, the burden of representing the monarchy would fall on a smaller number of people. This could lead to burnout and reduced effectiveness.
Another disadvantage of a slimmed down royal family is that it could limit the diversity of the monarchy. With fewer members to represent different regions and backgrounds, the royal family could become less representative of the UK as a whole.