LONDON – The death of Prince Philip, the steadfast consort by Queen Elizabeth II’s side for more than 70 years, comes at a time when the royal family is under intense public scrutiny.
It brings the next generation of royals into sharp focus, with observers wondering how the traditional institution could take shape in younger hands.
Modernizing the monarchy could mean fewer working royals; more virtual engagements, which started during the coronavirus pandemic; and less publicized ceremonial events on the royal calendar, in line with trends in other European royal households, said Carolyn Harris, a royal historian and author.
“The monarchy has existed for over a thousand years and has reinvented itself countless times over the centuries to reflect changing societal norms, political conditions and public opinion,” Harris told NBC News.
She added that Philip’s death would likely “hasten” and increase the public duties of younger royals and draw more attention to Prince Charles and his son Prince William – both heirs to the throne.
The past few years have been tough for the United Kingdom.
It has endured a messy and protracted split of the European Union following the 2016 Brexit referendum and the highest coronavirus death toll in Europe, and now mourns the death of a senior royal, each denting and reshaping collective national identity .
The Queen, 94, is seen by many as a stabilizing figurehead, defined by her silent preservation of the institution through controversies and crises.
But with the death of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, the shift from the old guard could also bring about a change in royal views and values.
“The younger generations of the royal family are more likely to voice their opinions and prioritize their personal lives in addition to their royal duties,” Harris said.
She noted that Prince Charles was criticized for speaking out on issues such as climate change, inner cities, and homeopathic medicines, in contrast to the non-interference and guarded private personality that characterized Elizabeth’s reign.
Public bickering between younger royals – including between Prince William and his wife, Catherine, and the self-exiled Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan – who generated headline news in the British and American press has also taken a close look at the family.
William and Kate could also strike a more holistic balance between their public duties and family life with their three children, Harris said.
Unlike the Queen and Philip, who married in 1947, the couple have often taken their young children on royal trips abroad, such as their visit to Canada in 2016, a trend that could continue. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have also undertaken shorter international trips and more virtual royal assignments, changes that could become more permanent.
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But for some, the depth of the royal institutions will remain entrenched, although the family itself can embrace change.
“The old guard will still be the old guard. Prince Charles is older,” said Marlene Koenig, author of European and British royal biographies.
“He [Charles] is what I call a transition. The real focus is William and Catherine, ‘she added.
Koenig said the fact that the monarchy knew how to evolve at all was due in part to Philip, who, like Queen Victoria’s husband Albert, had reformed the institution by being open to some new ideas.
Philip supported the TV broadcast of Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, which allowed the masses to tune in. He also advocated dropping upper-class debutants formally introduced to the court – a practice he called ‘foolish’ that ended in 1958. Instead, he defended annual summer garden parties at Buckingham Palace as a way to showcase the performance. to meet and recognize ordinary people.
Years later, he was also the driving force in a rare BBC behind-the-scenes documentary about royal life in 1969, making the family more accessible to the public.
In an early form of reality TV, the show tapped into British curiosity about life behind palace walls, a fascination that continues to this day with millions attuned to a 2021 interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex by Oprah Winfrey . The life of the royal family has also led to the worldwide success of the Netflix drama ‘The Crown’.
Even during the coronavirus pandemic, the 99-year-old Duke of Edinburgh learned how to adapt to social media and Zoom calls. In a lighthearted interview, Harry told television host James Corden in February that his grandfather often slammed his laptop to end online family conversations.
In front of the cameras, too “powerful but funny,” Philip was someone willing to speak his mind, ”said Koenig, acknowledging that this often made him prone to blunders and criticism, which she thought humanized him.
As the establishment of the royal family continues to evolve, change can also be felt in the Commonwealth, where Caribbean countries such as Jamaica and Barbados have recently expressed interest in becoming republics – an issue that future monarchs will have to grapple with.
For now, “the monarchy will continue to reinvent itself,” Harris said. It “will continue to exist in Britain for the foreseeable future”.