The Queen’s death on 8 September brought to an end 70 years of a woman on the throne, being replaced by her 73-year-old son, King Charles III. Not only does the British crown now belong to a man but also the line of succession is dominated by male figures – William, the Prince of Wales, at the top, and his nine-year-old son Prince George of Wales in second place.
The matriarchal household is no more, as the reins of power are handed to a new generation of Windsors. But, during the period of national mourning, the Windsor women have been hypervisible: the Princess Royal, Princess Anne stood guard by the Queen’s coffin at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh; the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton shook hands with the public at Sandringham; Sophie Wessex read tributes left at Balmoral; and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, collected flowers from well-wishers at Windsor.
In the inevitable reshaping of the monarchy that will take place in the coming months and years, can the public expect to see more of the Windsor women or is this current choreography simply the product of a family being drawn together in mourning, stepping into roles at a time of crisis, rather than setting future expectations?
It is important to remember that royal commentators have long speculated about King Charles III’s reported plans to reduce the number of working royals to a core contingent of just seven, including himself. These other members would Camilla, the Queen Consort, his siblings Princess Anne and the Earl and Countess of Wessex and his eldest son Prince William and his spouse, the Princess of Wales.
“Charles has really had to draw on individuals quite heavily that he previously wouldn’t have done,” Ed Owens, royal historian and journalist, tells i. “It says a lot about just how damaging Harry and Megan’s departure has been for the monarchy.” Prince Charles is also no longer able to publicly rely on his brother, the Duke of York, after he was forced to step back from working life after his Newsnight interview in November 2019.
Within the smaller group that is left behind, the women are going to become valuable resources that King Charles should not underestimate, says Clive Irving, author of The Last Queen. “Women have always been the weathermakers in the Royal Family,” he says. “Our best monarchs have been extremely strong women who have left their mark in a way that no man ever has. I think this is set to continue.”
One element will come down to capitalising on their popularity. “Having women in the family who are popular is not a bad thing for Charles. There have always been question marks over his popularity,” says Elizabeth Norton, royal historian and author of England’s Queens. “He knows that Sophie Wessex is popular, and he knows that Kate Middleton is popular. So using them and making them the focal point for events is probably a really good idea.”
Sophie, Countess of Wessex, has not always had such a central role to play. Following her marriage to the Queen’s youngest son in 1999, Sophie stayed relatively under the radar. She continued with her job in public relations until April 2001 when a News of The World reporter recorded her being indiscreet about royal family members and she stepped down.
Decades on and Sophie has become a well-trusted member of the inner circle and a reported “favourite” of the Queen. In a 2019 speech at Buckingham Palace, Wessex referred to the late monarch as “Mama”. And after the death of Prince Philip in 2021, Sophie was trusted enough to speak on the behalf of the family on Radio 5 Live, talking about her memories of the Duke.
“Until Harry and Meghan left the Royal Family, Prince Edward and Sophie were sort of non-entities,” says Owens. But Norton says “since 2002, [Sophie] hasn’t put a foot wrong”. “She was very, very close to the Queen and people talk about her as the Queen’s second daughter. She’s seen as discreet, loyal, hardworking, and is seen as a real asset to the family.”
Wessex is also seen as an asset to her husband. “Thanks to Sophie’s guidance, Edward has a better public image,” says Irving. “So, I think she’s a real strength there. You can see that from the sheer number of engagements that she’s been doing over the last year.”
Under King Charles, Sophie Wessex will receive a new title, although this is yet to be confirmed. It is speculated that Prince Edward will become the Duke of Edinburgh, making Wessex the Duchess of Edinburgh, a title formerly held by the Queen; another nod to their closeness. Norton says we can expect to see Sophie attend more major royal occasions going forward.
The new Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, will, of course, continue to be an essential cog in the PR machine for the King. The Princess is now the second highest-ranking woman in the Royal Family after Camilla. Owens said we can expect to see more charity and issues-based work from Kate.
“She’s taken on the issue of early years learning development which is a relatively neutral area. Her work in that sector is designed to have a positive impact but it also helps her image as a mother. There is a sort of synergy there in terms of the work that she’s investing time in and her public image. I think that’s something the Royal Family will run with.”
Charles is most likely to choose to have Kate at every major royal event, says Norton. In particular, the occasions where foreign leaders are hosted, such as state banquets and receptions for heads of state. “Of course, the royal family knows just how popular she is. She is popular worldwide and she’s very popular in the USA,” she adds. “We will be seeing a lot more of Kate, even more than we have already seen.”
Of course, the King’s only sister, Princess Anne, has long been a central figure to the monarchy – even if publicly overlooked. “She is going to be indispensable to Charles,” says Irving. “She used to offer counsel that the Queen couldn’t find in Charles, Andrew or Edward. I see Anne as the next ramification of the Queen, in that she is a powerful woman with sound judgement, who understands all the issues in a way that maybe her brothers do not”.
As for the other women in the family – those who have more recently been in roles on the periphery, can we expect to see a change? Meghan Markle has already publicly stated, alongside her husband Prince Harry, that they are stepping outside of the senior royal fold and will not be working royals, instead choosing to live in the USA and pursue personal projects.
On paper Princess Beatrice, as the eldest child of Prince Andrew, ninth in line to the throne, and one of six Counsellors of the State, could have a role. But the damaged reputation of her father may prevent her from taking a more public place, says Irving.
“Andrew is a real persistent problem and won’t go away. So, I think those two daughters will take it easy and will have to be wary and sensitive to the fact that their father is in a difficult position. They’re smart kids. They can carry some duties, but they’re not in the same league as Sophie or Kate.”
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