So much has been said about the divisions within the family in recent years that it can sometimes be easy to forget how well our senior royals get along. In fact, they are remarkably close.
Standing side by side at a garden party at Buckingham Palace yesterday, Prince William and his cousins added a welcome touch of youthful glamor that hasn’t been seen at the institution for some time.
How touching that the future king – knowing he would be without his wife by his side – was able to call on Zara, Peter, Beatrice and Eugenie for support.
Encouragingly, multiple sources have told me that the Princess of Wales herself has been seen more frequently in recent weeks, although Kensington Palace has made it clear that Kate will not return to work until she has been given the green light. ‘ of doctors.
Prince William hosted the first royal garden party of the year at Buckingham Palace yesterday
He was flanked by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the only other working royals present
After all, she underwent major abdominal surgery and later a course of ‘preventive chemotherapy’ when the presence of cancer was discovered.
This is why William personally invited close relatives, the nearest and dearest, to accompany him when he replaced his father yesterday.
Every member of ‘Team Wales’ was clearly delighted to be there – proud to support not only William, but also their uncle, the King, who himself took a short break from a busy week of public duties as he continued his own cancer treatment .
The presence of the younger royals gave Tuesday’s event a unique family atmosphere, as well as insight into the easygoing relationship William has with his cousins. It’s a warmth that goes all the way back to fun family summers at Balmoral and Christmases at Sandringham – and which is now reflected in the very modern medium of shared WhatsApp family groups.
It was 4pm when the royal party entered the terrace overlooking the palace lawn through the Carnarvon Room.
Resplendent in morning suit and top hat, William was flanked by the ever-faithful Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the only two other working royals present (and a couple so sweet they’re often seen holding hands during royal engagements).
The King’s niece Zara Tindall paired a Laura Green tea dress with a £900 Sarah Cant straw hat
Princess Beatrice and her sister, Princess Eugenie, addressed the crowd and shook hands
William offered light banter to his youngest son, Prince Louis, about reading bedtime stories
Behind them followed William’s group of royal relatives: Peter Philips, 46, and his sister, Zara Tindall, 43 – son and daughter of the Princess Royal – led the way, along with Zara’s husband, Mike, the former England rugby captain.
Then came Prince Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice, 35, and her sister, Princess Eugenie, 34.
It is true that the persistent rain had no respect for royal protocol, but nevertheless the mood was cheerful, as the guests enjoyed the absurd but fantastic Britishness of drinking tea under parasols, while not one, but two military bands played on tenaciously .
William was charming, as he always is with the audience. He posed for selfies and smiled as he chatted about everything from bedtime reading for his youngest son, Prince Louis, to his weakness for cookies. He accepted a bag of homemade goodies from a well-wisher.
There is no doubt about its popularity – or that it is growing. You could hear excited shouts and shouts of “William, Prince William!” as he walked by.
And while the biggest draws like the King and Kate weren’t in attendance, the less spotted members of the family created genuine excitement.
Professional equestrian Zara – looking like a sugar-spun Mary Poppins in a Laura Green ‘Isobel’ tea dress with a striking £900 Sarah Cant pink straw booter – was easily the hit of the day.
She charmed the audience with her throaty laugh and easy banter, happily ignoring the fact that her £495 pink suede Emmy London heels turned a dull rose in the rain.
Mike Tindall, a frequent speaker on the after-dinner circuit and podcaster, was clearly also a crowd pleaser and was obviously comfortable with the crowds.
Notably, Mike and Zara were asked to flank William as he moved along the lines to shake hands and greet as many of his 8,000 guests as possible.
Sisters Beatrice and Eugenie, who are more occasional figures at summer events and large-scale Palace receptions, also seemed happy to join in.
I thought Eugenie, who wore a white satin dress and a 1950s-style headpiece studded with flowers, was a passing reminder of Princess Margaret.
Beatrice, who wore a £750 crimson Beulah dress and checked headband, was never far from her sister’s side.
It is true that the monarch will often ask other family members to organize garden parties. Last year William hosted such an event.
But given the current circumstances, Tuesday’s event raises intriguing questions about the future shape of the royal family – and the much-needed vitality the younger generation brings.
Zara was accompanied by her husband, the former husband of England rugby captain, Mike Tindall, far left
William replaced King Charles, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer, at the event
Many royal watchers have repeatedly wondered: Why can’t the cousins intervene on a more permanent basis?
This has never been an option for Peter and Zara. From the moment their mother, Princess Anne, chose not to accept titles for them, the Phillips children were always destined to grow up away from the royal spotlight, perhaps fortunately.
It is entirely plausible that Charles, or more likely William if he became king, could call on their services more often. But they will never become full-time working royals while they have their own careers and young children.
The same goes for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who also have young families and jobs, although their father, Prince Andrew, has never made a secret of his desire to see them take on prominent royal roles.
Bea works for the American technology company Afiniti, while ‘Eug’, as she is known to her family and friends, is a director at the art gallery Hauser & Wirth.
All four support their own charitable efforts privately.
The unfortunate truth, however, is that none of them will be asked to support the working royals on a more permanent basis, no matter how much they are needed. And they have the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to thank for that.
Eugenie, who wore a white satin dress and a 50s-style headpiece, while Beatrice wore a £750 crimson Beulah dress and a checked headband
Those in the know tell me that there is great concern at Buckingham Palace that changing direction in this way would play into Harry and Meghan’s hands.
The Sussexes had been told very firmly by the late Queen Elizabeth that their preferred option of being ‘half-in, half-out’ royals while pursuing a lucrative commercial career was simply unacceptable.
This statement was partly due to the queen’s personal sense of service. But it also owed something to her quiet belief that Harry and Meghan’s loyalty to the almighty Dollar could replace everything they promised to Queen and Country.
At the height of the ‘Megxit’ controversy, when it became clear that Harry and Meghan would be moving to North America, I was told that Her Majesty was angry at the couple’s insistence that they would remain with her in the future’ to collaborate’.
‘No one works with the queen. This isn’t one of those ‘Kate Moss X Top Shop’ contests!’ a well-placed source raged at the time.
Seeking commercial deals while acting on behalf of or as a representative of the British head of state would also have been a clear conflict of interest, and Her Majesty knew that well.
Of course, Harry and Meghan could never accept this, and here is the consequence: there can be no relaxation of the rules for the younger royals. It’s full time or nothing.
Apart from the occasional garden party, more substantial roles for William’s cousins are out of the question – at least for now.
