Future of the monarchy falls to dignified, stoic Duchess of Cambridge
The death of Prince Philip was a reminder that the Royal Family is on the clock — and it will fall to the Duchess of Cambridge to ensure the Windsors’ future, writes Annette Sharp.
NSW
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Upstaged by a photogenic American actress with a practised smile who wears a hat and coat well, swept aside by a Hollywood-obsessed media and painted briefly as a villain, it now falls to Royal Family “good wife” Kate Middleton to restore the Windsors’ regal reputation.
It comes as the British royals prepare for a tragic impasse.
While Prince Philip’s death unearthed a forgotten affection, respect and love for the Windsors — something that surprised many of us who underestimated his value — it has also served as a reminder to Britain and the world that the family is on the clock.
At 95, how many more years does Queen Elizabeth have left?
The monarchy’s very survival, post-Elizabeth II’s reign, particularly in Commonwealth outposts like Australia, is now at stake.
Few believe King Charles, or whatever he calls himself when he ascends the throne, can revitalise a monarchy whose legislative function is redundant.
It is with William and the constant Kate, a commoner who doesn’t make waves and knows her place — something that is deeply unfashionable in these modern and militant feminist times — that the Royal Family’s future now lies, a burden that must sit heavily on William, whose bearing in recent years has become progressively stooped.
William appears, at 38, a man prematurely aged, weighed down by an immense responsibility. He looks joyless and strained.
Fortunately not so Kate, 39, who has been preparing for her future role as King’s consort for almost 20 years.
Despite the infuriating trials and misadventures of the Windsors, to date Kate has played her part unerringly with grace and stoicism, qualities the British population values highly.
She possesses an inherent understanding of the dignity demanded for her role, something sorely tested when Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle consented to give Oprah Winfrey their damaging tell-all interview.
The March 7 interview had the potential to sink Kate, who was bruised by Markle’s claims the Duchess of Cambridge’s aides had bullied Markle and that members of the royal household were racist.
In one corner was the adversarial Markle, an outspoken and brash American celebrity refusing to be bound by royal convention and protocol and, it seemed, landing every punch.
In the other was Kate, her sister-in-law by marriage. A woman bound by her marital vows to remain silent and steadfast.
Based on the modern rules of media engagement and backed by the muscle of Winfrey, self-made mixed race Markle should have been the victor.
But it seems that while she may have won the day, Markle didn’t win the war.
In an ageing Queen’s absence, it is Kate who has been chosen by the royals to ride the crest of a popularity wave now lifting the Windsors out of mourning following the death of Prince Philip.
Two weeks after she was thrust into the prominent role as peacemaker between the two estranged brothers, William and Harry, at Philip’s funeral, Kate — and her children — are the stars of a new video launched on Friday to celebrate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s 10th wedding anniversary.
It comes days after she returned to post-COVID public duty on the Queen’s 95th birthday alongside William to meet cadets at an Air Training Corps in East London.
In the 39-second anniversary video clip, William, Kate and children George, 7, Charlotte, 6 on Sunday, and Louis, 3, gambol in a garden looking carefree and in love.
The Cambridges released the clip with a message hammering home their popularity, writing:
“Thank you to everyone for the kind messages on our wedding anniversary. We are enormously grateful for the 10 years of support we have received in our lives as a family. W & C.”
Filmed in soft focus by their friend, filmmaker William Warr, the clip, capturing the couple in his and hers woolly knits, could well be a life insurance ad.
While it features no written text, it largely is just that, a device created to insure — and ensure – the future of Britain’s Royal Family.
As marketing tools go, in two days its had an impact. It was downloaded millions of times in the first hours of its release.
The challenge for Kate and The Firm now, is to back it up with actions and deeds that might prove the monarchy still has relevance and will have, long after Queen Elizabeth’s reign.
MUM’S THE WORD FOR BRUNSDEN
He has styled megastars from Prince to Michael Hutchence and was once stocked in Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Selfridges, but in a sign of the times Sydney fashion designer Jayson Brunsdon’s latest collection is for budget retailer Harris Scarfe.
Last week Brunsdon, whose private label folded during the 2008 GFC, unveiled a new range of “chic pieces”, saying he was “excited” by his latest work.
The collection comes after the end of a long and fruitful association with retailer Myer.
“After a career designing party dresses I felt times were changing — and being a papa, hanging out with mums — I wanted to do something chic and easy for them and every woman,” he said on the release of his latest collection, which features comfortable pieces “with a splash of tailoring and a LOT of animal print” at a budget price point.
Having recovered from testicular cancer, Brunsdon and husband Aaron became parents to a son Roman, 6, via a surrogate in 2015.
The one-time fashion illustrator who cut his teeth working for Vogue Australia and Harper’s Bazaar, has also returned to his roots with a collection of artfully designed gift cards, wall art, home decor and notebooks he sells through his website Jayson Brunsdon Home for an under- $100 price point.
A former creative director to designer Peter Morrissey, for whom he worked in the 1990s, Brunsdon has eclipsed his mentor who is now stocked by The Reject Shop.
Originally published as Future of the monarchy falls to dignified, stoic Duchess of Cambridge
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