Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.hellomagazine.com
When King Charles ascended the throne following the death of his mother in 2022, he took to the role with ease. The now 77-year-old was quick to put his own stamp on the monarchy and has garnered a positive response from the British public.
But he has faced more than his fair share of crises in the 1,516 days he has been king.
First came the continuing fallout from Megxit, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s unexpected u-turn in August, which saw them return to the UK.
It has put the King in a difficult personal position and once again turned the spotlight on the royal rift.
Charles is said to want to strengthen his relationship with his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet, but Palace insiders are said to be wary of Harry and Meghan’s intentions. The monarch is not believed to have seen the family since they moved back.
Then there was the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor scandal, which saw the King strip his brother of his titles and evict him from Royal Lodge.
Andrew is now at the centre of an ongoing police investigation, threatening to bring yet more controversy to the King’s door.
King could not have “anticipated family scandals would have blown up so big”
Royal expert Phil Dampier has noted just how much Charles has had to contend with since taking over the throne.
He told the Daily Mail: “It was always going to be a difficult act to follow, his mother, after a 70-year reign, but he took to it like a duck to water and stamped his authority in the first week.
“It was all going well, and all these problems and challenges have come along subsequently. The main one is him getting cancer and Kate getting cancer as well, so that was a double blow for them.
© Mark Cuthbert
“Then there’s been all the family problems with Harry and Meghan’s laundry airing and the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor scandal. Some of these things have been brewing for years, but I don’t think he could have anticipated that they would have blown up so big.”
Phil believes that the key to Charles overcoming these challenges has been his wife, Queen Camilla.
“None of these challenges have derailed the King’s reign and he’s had to be very resilient, but he has a very strong support system in his wife, without her I think he would struggle.
“Camilla is such a strong support behind the scenes which is her main role, she has kept him sane and is helping him to navigate each crisis.”
King ‘confident’ in handling family crises as police investigate Andrew’s Balmoral links
King Charles is “confident” in his handling of royal family crises as he balances duty and personal issues, according to a senior Palace aide.
As family matters, including the ongoing police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, continue to dominate headlines back at home, the King is pressing on with his nine-day tour of the Caribbean.
Asked whether the monarch was confident that his approach to family matters was the right one, in light of recent polling showing a dip in his popularity, the aide said: “Yes. That is why he takes the actions he does – and has done.”
Reflecting on the King’s ability to balance his roles as head of the family and Head of State, the senior aide added: “Busy people get lots done.
“The King rigorously prioritises his multiple roles, as Head of State, church, Commonwealth, military and family. The order of priority shifts by the day – and often by the hour.”
The Palace’s comments come days after Police Scotland confirmed it had begun preliminary inquiries into the former Duke of York’s visits to Balmoral with Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, following allegations that women were trafficked to the King’s private Scottish estate.
Andrew remains under investigation on suspicion of misconduct in public office following his arrest on February 19.
Meanwhile, the return of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the King’s unprecedented reminder to official bodies that they should be treated as “private citizens” and the recent allegations of child sex abuse levelled at Meghan’s father Thomas Markle have distracted from the royal family’s public work.
Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on whether the King has spoken to his daughter-in-law since the allegations emerged.
