By common consent, King Charles’s hugely successful trip to the US has enabled him finally to emerge from the long shadow cast by the late Queen Elizabeth II. But the family ramifications of the remarkable visit extend beyond his relationship with his late mother.
I would argue there are significant consequences for his sons Prince William and Prince Harry, positive and negative in both cases. For years, before and after he succeeded to the throne, it has been argued that the royals should ‘skip a generation’, with Charles breaking the hereditary principle by voluntarily standing down in favour of William.
He was too old, outdated and grumpy to be a popular and effective 21st-century monarch and forever tainted by his messy divorce from Lady Diana, some said. Much better to hand over to young dashing William with his finger on the pulse of modern concerns like mental health, homelessness and early childhood development, with glamorous and pitch perfect wife Catherine at his side.
In the space of a few days in America the outlook has changed as quickly as an Atlantic squall. Confronted with one of the most difficult assignments a British monarch has faced in modern history, King Charles’s image appears transformed.
The 77-year-old monarch gave a masterclass in diplomacy and charm, displaying courtesy and courage – leavened with a comic timing worthy of a stand-up entertainer – that won plaudits round the globe. The good news for William is that the King has showed the monarchy can still be relevant.
He discreetly and skilfully delivered a series of powerful political messages to President Trump on behalf of the British Government he serves – without offending him. That is no mean feat and one that has proved beyond countless other international dignitaries to visit Trump’s White House to date.
Before the visit, polls showed huge opposition in Britain to the King going ahead with the US state visit; afterwards they showed overwhelming approval of the way he conduct himself. In short, the crown tentatively placed on King Charles’s head in May 2023 has never looked more secure.
But does anyone seriously believe William could have pulled off such a diplomatic coup? One day, possibly. But now? Certainly not.
At 43, Prince William has matured considerably, but he has neither the gravitas or sophistication – or the sheer royal chutzpah – that his father demonstrated in Washington.
Dismissed as an anachronistic irrelevance by many, King Charles showed he can be a valuable asset not just to his subjects but to the British Government. He told President Trump what Sir Keir Starmer, bluntly, lacked the guts to do when he visited the White House last year.
Starmer only survived his humbling White House ordeal thanks to King Charles: by handing Trump the letter he craved from Buckingham Palace inviting him to pay a state visit to the UK.
With Starmer’s personal standing at rock bottom today, King Charles has proved an unlikely asset to the Government and the nation. A unifying voice of authority when the political class has rarely seemed so petty and low grade.
But Prince William is not ready for that yet. He needs more time to grow into his father’s larger-than-expected shoes. I predict much less talk of handing over the crown like a baton in a royal relay. And what of the effect of the King’s visit to the US on his errant second son Harry? As with William there is good news and bad news.
By raising the profile of the royal family, it helps to ensure that Harry and wife Meghan will retain the attention and interest of the US public and media, essential to them making a living.
On the downside, Harry may find it harder to maintain credibility in America. His reason for breaking away from the royal family in Britain and setting up home there is the supposed crimes and misdemeanours of his father and the royal establishment against him and Meghan. He has not held back in his criticism of his father.
However, now that America has had a chance to take a good close up look at King Charles for itself, and not through the highly-coloured, unsympathetic lens of Harry, they may take a different view.
He looked less like the antediluvian, cold-hearted and remote man some may have judged him to be listening to Harry, and more like a clever, funny, cool – albeit rather old – dude.
Waiting so long to succeed his mother meant King Charles had no option but to be a late developer. Prince William will not have to wait so long. But as his father has shown, he can put the time spent in his father’s shadow to good use.