Royal family crisis of 2020, and how they can recover
The Queen has faced an unprecedented year where internal turmoil has taken its toll on the Royal Family. But there is a way they can recover.
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While it lacks the drama of 1992, a year famously described by Queen Elizabeth II as ‘annus horribilis’, this year has not been an easy one for the British royal family.
From the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s shock exit, a damning television portrayal of the crown prince and his romantic relations, and the scandal and allegations engulfing Prince Andrew, 2020 has seen the Windsors face a constant stream of highly publicised trials and tribulations.
Here’s how they fared, and how they can bounce back in 2021.
MEGXIT
The Firm were eight days into the new year when the first bombshell of 2020 was dropped by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who announced via Instagram they were planning to step down as senior working royals and effectively handed in their resignation.
The couple reportedly caught family and staff off guard with their announcement. But following days of crisis talks and a meeting later dubbed the Sandringham Summit, the Queen gave the couple her blessing to walk away on 18 January, issuing a statement that said Harry, Meghan and Archie “will always be much loved members of my family.”
While their departure has been the source of gossip throughout the year, royal biographer Penny Junor says that in the long run, Megxit could be a good thing for the royals.
“In some ways I think their departure has brought the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William closer together and made them focus on the future. They are a strong team and provided there are no bear-traps ahead, I think they will go from strength to strength.”
Dr Giselle Bastin, Associate Professor of English at Flinders University, agrees, saying, “What happens to Meghan and Harry’s reputation depends on what they do now, but I don’t think that will reflect badly on the royal family.”
The now California-based couple have used their new-found freedom to ink a lucrative deal with Netflix, write for the New York Times, and are set to launch a podcast series in the coming weeks.
PRINCE CHARLES TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS
Not even the heir to the British throne was immune from COVID-19, with Prince Charles testing positive for the deadly virus in March.
Thankfully, the 72-year-old made a swift recovery and was able to return to royal duties within weeks of falling ill.
Junor, though, says COVID-19 has been the least of Prince Charles’ worries this year, suggesting that the latest season of The Crown and its depiction of him has been far more damaging to his reputation long-term.
“I think a lot of people will view it as factual, as history, and it is not. It is fiction based around real events and real people. But those real people have been almost universally portrayed as horrible human beings which they are not. My particular concern is the portrayal of Charles and Camilla. Diana is seen as a victim and Charles and Camilla as villains. This is just not true,” Junor says, adding, “Both of them are decent and honourable human beings who work tirelessly and have made a big difference in the world, and it would be disastrous, in my view, if people believed they were the cold, heartless, dishonest pair they are made out to be in The Crown.”
PRINCE WILLIAM TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS
Prince William, who is second-in-line to the throne, also tested positive for COVID-19, just one month after his father. However the public were not informed until November, when the 38-year-old was fully recovered.
Despite his sickness, William and Catherine upped their workload during the pandemic, undertaking a royal tour of the United Kingdom in early December, embracing Zoom and making countless appearances.
Bastin says the move online has been a positive one for the royals.
“Despite the tragedy of the pandemic, it hasn’t actually been bad for them,” Bastin says.
“It has shown that they are people to look to as role models for how to behave in this really difficult time. They’ve been a steady, comforting, reassuring presence. Particularly in the UK where politics have become so fractious.”
Junor agrees, saying, “Monarchy seems to come into its own in times of crisis and people start to appreciate it and understand what it is for.”
FINDING FREEDOM IS PUBLISHED
In August, the bombshell book exploring the lead up to Megxit is published. Among its revelations, the book alleged William and Harry’s relationship had been fractured since 2017, despite the siblings putting on a good show for the public.
Neither the Duke or Duchess directly contributed to the book, but it is understood they permitted many close friends and employees to speak on their behalf, creating another headache for the palace.
“I think a lot of people in the UK saw Meghan and Harry stepping down as disrespectful to the Queen, so if it has any real long-term consequence it’s more likely to be felt by them than by the royal family,” Bastin says.
PRINCE ANDREW’S SAGA CONTINUES
Following a disastrous interview with BBC’s News Night in December 2019 relating to allegations of abuse from Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Prince Andrew’s ties to the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein continued to cloud the royal family in scandal well into 2020.
Despite consistently denying all allegations against him, Prince Andrew announced he would retire from public duties in May.
“The royal family have always rallied when it suits them, but if something happens and some expulsion is needed they will allow for it,” Bastin says. “So while Andrew does seem to be copping it, he seems to be copping it alone in the corner.”
In July, when his eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on the grounds of Windsor Castle, Prince Andrew remained noticeably absent in official photographs released by the newlyweds. At the same time, his close friend and Epstein co-accused Ghislane Maxwell had been arrested on charges of sex trafficking of children, enticement of minors and perjury.
By December, another close friend of the Prince’s had been arrested, Jean-Luc Brunel, on charges of sexual assault, human trafficking and conspiracy.
But Junor says the scandal is unlikely to harm the reputation of the royals long-term, saying, “he has always been seen as an unimportant member of the royal family and has repeatedly been seen to have very poor judgment and poor taste in friends.
“Despite the obvious damage … I think the royals have come out of 2020 in a strong position.”
2021 AND BEYOND
What lies ahead is likely to be a year in which the Queen’s ‘circle of eight’ (a slim lined group of royals consisting of the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie, Prince William and Catherine) will become more prominent and further assist the Queen with her duties.
“It got to the point where the balcony of Buckingham Palace was positively groaning under the amount of royals who used to stand on it,” Bastin says of the slim lining.
And while rumours of a retirement have been circling for some months, Bastin says the chance of the Queen calling it a day is highly unlikely.
“When she gave that famous speech (for her 21st birthday) in Africa saying my whole life (would be devoted to public duty), she would have meant her whole life. She’s a woman of her word.”
Originally published as Royal family crisis of 2020, and how they can recover
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