William,Charles and Harry.Credit:Illustration:Aresna Villanueva
Among younger Brits,the views are not as clear-cut. And the new King,as the royals face perhaps their biggest challenges in decades to remain relevant,simply wants to do what he can to unify his family.
Harry’s presence at Saturday’s historic coronation service has created its own separate sideshow. His wife is staying behind in California with their two children,including their eldest son Archie,who turns four the day his grandfather is crowned.
It may well be the last major royal event Harry attends in years. He and his wife have made it clear they no longer want to live in Britain or be a working part of the family. And Harry – who is said to have not spoken to his brother since the funeral of their grandmother,Queen Elizabeth II,last year – is expected to only be in the UK for 24 hours. It’s unlikely the pair will fraternise.
“I think Charles’ wish to reconcile with his youngest son makes a lot of sense,but you can’t blame William for being absolutely furious,” British historian Robert Lacey,a veteran royal watcher,said last week.
“Harry has basically exploited family disputes – which happen in any family – for money. It’s something that William understandably finds hard to forgive.”
The horror show came back to haunt Charles last week,when his estranged son dropped a new round of allegations about the royal family into the middle of the coronation build-up.
In written evidence for his invasion of privacy claim against Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group,Harry claimed his father prevented him from filing the lawsuit a decade ago. He said Charles didn’t want to dredge up graphic testimony about his extramarital affair with the former Camilla Parker-Bowles when he was married to the late Princess Diana.
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Harry had claimed in his memoir,Spare, that the senior royals leaked unflattering stories about him to the news media in return for more favourable coverage,particularly to improve Camilla’s image.
If the past is any indication,attention will now shift to body language,seating plans and even wardrobe choices during the coronation,as royal watchers look for any signs of a thaw in the family tensions.
Paul Burrell,the butler to Harry’s late mother,suggested this week he’d be sitting 10 rows back from the rest of the royals at the coronation and would likely make a sharp exit.
He suggested there was no chance of a reconciliation and that Harry may not even have time to speak to his father or brother during his visit.
“There is no chance of a reconciliation anytime soon,I’m afraid. I think he will get a very icy reception from the Windsors,” he said.
The royal soap opera didn’t begin with the current generation of royals. It was Edward VIII who sparked a constitutional crisis in 1936 when he abdicated the throne to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.
Bunting for the coronation of King Charles III adorns Regent Street in central London.Credit:Getty
Charles’ grandfather,George VI,is credited with saving the monarchy with a life of low-key public service after he replaced his elder brother. The late Queen Elizabeth II burnished the family’s reputation during a 70-year reign in which she became a symbol of stability who cheered the nation during its victories and comforted it during darker times.
But Charles becomes king under the glare of media attention as deference to the monarchy has faded.
Harry and Meghan walked away from frontline royal duties three years ago and moved to California,from where they have lobbed repeated critiques at the House of Windsor. In a Netflix series broadcast last year,they accused their family of unconscious bias when it comes to issues of race and suggested the royal family needed to “learn and grow” so it could be “part of the solution rather than part of the problem”.
An Ipsos poll last week put the King’s popularity ratings at their lowest level since Elizabeth II died,with more people thinking his son,the Prince of Wales,was doing a good job. Nearly half,49 per cent,of those questioned thought Charles was doing a good job as king,down from the peak of 61 per cent in polls conducted in September and December.
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But only 9 per cent thought the King was doing a bad job – down from about 20 per cent last year.
Lacey,the historical consultant to Netflix seriesThe Crown, thinks Charles will overcome this run of bad publicity,and his youngest son will retreat to the US and become increasingly irrelevant.
“Harry is destined to spend the rest of his life fighting against this institution he says he has no respect for and bringing a great deal of grief to his father at a very important moment in his life,” he said.
Charles,he says,will overcome his problems and hurdles like he has done in the past.
“He’s loved for his mistakes as well as for his virtues. We’re getting a rounded figure,and that’s what a personal represented monarchy is all about,” he said.