Modernizing " Royalty " !

There is no doubt that this weekends Royal Wedding at Windsor Castle attracted a world audience that ran into billions.  Many people across the world are fascinated with British royalty but this wedding was a break with tradition.  Prince Harry was marrying a commoner who is not only a woman of colour, but an American actress who has played a major role in a much watched television series.

Royal marriages in the past were arranged affairs that carefully paired the Royalty of surrounding countries to achieve hopefully harmonious political relations.  The obligation was " Duty " rather than " Romance " and everything was stiff and formal.   That was a time when the monarch rarely set foot outside of Britain.

That began to change during the second world war.  The king and queen visited bombed areas of the city and mixed with ordinary people.  When Elizabeth ascended to the throne the royal mystique was further relaxed and the television cameras were allowed into Buckingham Palace. It shocked many when her children found partners and lavish royal weddings ended in divorce.

This is the new era of royalty.   The young Prince of Wales married a commoner and they have three children, George , Charlotte and Louis.  It is very obvious that Harry and Meghan have a love match and royal watchers will be fascinated as these four young royals play out their lives in the public spotlight.

Queen Elizabeth is now ninety-two years old and she is gradually retiring from royal duties.  Her partner - Prince Phillip no longer officiates in royal events and the world news cameras will concentrate on William and Kate, Harry and Meghan and those two little princes and a princess.

The forgotten figure in this royal cavalcade - is Prince Charles, who will automatically ascend to the throne on the death of the Queen.  He stepped into the spotlight when Meghan's father was unable to walk her down the aisle because of a heart attack, but he is becoming a remote figure known for eccentricity,  His personal life was wracked by scandal and his wife may not be acceptable as queen by some sections of the public.

All this is happening during a critical time for Britain.  The withdrawal from the EC is fraught with economic peril and this uncertainty will be spread over many years. Queen Elizabeth has the affection of her subjects, but it remains doubtful if that feeling will automatically transfer to Charles. The line of transgression that was automatically followed in the past may not meet public approval when Queen Elizabeth's reign ends.

This will not be helped by the longer the time gap before the accession becomes a necessity.  Charles is fading into obscurity and the media is fascinated by the young royals.   The lives of William and Kate and now Harry and Meghan will play out and command public attention.  Unfortunately, Charles shows no sign of acceding to public opinion and abdicating the line of accession.

A lot will depend on how smoothly this EC withdrawal proceeds.  If it gets bogged down and creates a loss of living standards a constitutional crisis  over accession is very likely.  Monarchies are now a rarity in the world and this one needs  continuing popularity to continue.