How King Charles has shaken up the royals in his first year – including ruthless ‘deep freeze’ of Prince Harry & Andrew
ONE year after the death of his dear mother, King Charles III wasn’t just thinking about the next year – he wanted to preserve the monarchy for decades to come.
His goal is to ensure the monarchy is “fit for purpose” by the time he hands it over to Prince William, senior sources told The Sun.
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That means a streamlined monarchy that works like a modern institution – with fewer royals working, less money spent on security, cuts in mid-level staff, and more diversity. .
A reputable source told me: “Your Majesty believes that the monarchy should be a well-oiled, cost-effective machine with a clear purpose.
“After a year on the throne, he knows money will stop with him and he will make sure he seals his power.
“The late Queen Elizabeth had her way of doing things, but the King has made it clear that while respecting tradition, he is not afraid to make changes.”
The royal landscape has changed immensely since Elizabeth II’s death, but it is clear that those who expressed doubts about Charles before his accession to the throne underestimated him.
The shouts of “God save the king” as he stepped out of his car outside Buckingham Palace after the Queen’s death, as well as a hug from a woman in the crowd as he returned from Scotland touched him deeply. .
For the first time, he realized the crowd had come here just to see him and wish him all the best. It was the rocket fuel he needed to embrace his reign.
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The Queen’s death anniversary on Friday will definitely be an anniversary
An emotional day for him – but also a day to reflect on his fateful first year at the job.
King Charles will quietly mark the occasion at her dear Balmoral, in the Scottish Highlands. That was where she found peace throughout her life and he would find solace there.
But Charles was never one to rest on his laurels, and since the funeral of the late Queen, he has imprinted his personality into his reign.
He always said it wouldn’t be a copy of his late mother. He will do it his way.
There have been subtle changes. Some of the pictures on the wall have been changed – less dogs and horses.
International relationship
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On the world stage, his first foreign trip was more powerful than previous state visits. He vowed to ‘strengthen connections’ between Britain and Germany after Brexit and said it was our ‘divine responsibility’ to unite in support of Ukraine in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
This month, he will travel to Paris and Bordeaux in France for another state visit that has been postponed due to riots, with a similar message.
I learned that Charles will visit Australia next fall before the Commonwealth Government Heads meeting in Samoa.
The Australian Government will lead the planning of the State visit as Charles is their King. They will also have to pay and such a visit is not cheap.
When the Queen visited Australia in October 2011, her last official long-distance visit, the cost of her trip was said to have come to almost $1.74 million (£890,000) but the bill Includes plane rental for long-haul flights.
royals shunned
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Charles wanted to avoid the more expensive royal display events. After the Platinum Jubilee, the Queen’s death, State Funeral and Coronation, he will celebrate his landmark 75th birthday with no major events planned.
“Because the King reduces costs for taxpayers and improves efficiency. He was determined and it will be done,” a senior aide said.
A new era is taking place under Charles. Changes have been made.
At first there were less royalty on the main palace balcony; only the working royal team of Charles and his closest family.
Without Harry and Meghan, without Prince Andrew, the Duke of York was disgraced.
Charles dealt with both of those issues resolutely. He loved his son but did not allow his son’s feisty behavior to undermine his reign.
The disgraced Andrew was also not allowed to escape the deep freeze,
although of course he is at family gatherings because he spent Christmas in Sandringham and this summer in Balmoral.
An insider said: “It is completely wrong for him to allow Andrew and Harry to return to the royal family.
“Andrew is of course part of the family and will be present at family gatherings. But no, he won’t be back officially.
It will not happen.
“There is very little communication with Harry. Time is a great healer, more time is needed.”
Cost effective
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Slowly but surely the way of the King is being introduced, to the Queen
Camilla, assisted by Prince William, acted as his chief executor.
Some of Elizabeth II’s former bodyguards have been moved. Sir Edward Young served as King Charles III’s chief private secretary, along with Sir Clive Alderton, until his resignation in May 2023.
Just before the King’s coronation, Angela Kelly, former servant and right-hand man of the late Queen Elizabeth, confirmed that she would be leaving her beloved and favored home in the shadow of the Queen. Windsor Castle.
She forgot to mention in her cryptic online posts about her expulsion that the King had given her a new home closer to her family in the north so she could live her whole life, performing his mother’s promise to her.
Mindful of the years of public service that his late mother’s first cousins had crowned, Charles treated the Duke of Kent and Gloucester with great respect, as well as the weak Princess Alexandra. weak. He encouraged them to attend official palace receptions and
family event.
The king cared deeply about his extended family but realized that changes needed to be made for the sake of the monarchy’s prestige.
The point is not that there is a reduced monarchy, which his sister Princess Anne said on TV “doesn’t sound like a good idea”, but in efficiency and cost.
It was important to the King that his reign was cost-effective. Cuts must be made but not necessarily to the budget but to provide value for money for taxpayers.
Sources close to him say his focus is on making the monarchy fit for purpose over the next five years.
He worked closely with his son and heir William to achieve this, but it was Charles who gave the order and not some common monarchy as has been erroneously proposed.
True to his passion for green issues, Charles is keen to present Teslas as the royal fleet of vehicles. In the end, this idea was rejected and they chose Audi because they were more powerful.
But it was a sign that he was no longer affected by the mystery of his late mother or the dominant personality of his father. The decisions are his own.
He is making moves to cut the middle management team – by an estimated 20% – to improve the efficiency of the Royal Family.
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And he also wants more diversity in the family, up to 20%, with more ethnic minorities holding senior positions.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were determined to downsize the payroll, where too many people were doing the same jobs. Dozens of people will be affected.
He also wants to reduce the number of homes in the royal portfolio and is said to have asked Prince Andrew to move out of the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
In March, Harry and Meghan were also evicted from Frogmore Cottage as part of the scheme.
Plans for a leaner monarchy with fewer working Royals are taking shape.
But Charles can’t cut his family without cutting staff. Consciousness of
the financial burden that a large household places on the taxpayer.
He knows less royals which means cheaper security costs too. Queen Camilla, Charles’s executioner at the palace, personally raised the matter of reductions with the Head of House, Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt.
Camilla, like the King, believes that the Royal Family must be seen as a companion of the times in order to prosper.
Feathers will be ruffled – but Charles is determined to make the necessary changes because he believes that is the only way to ensure
a healthy monarchy.
“The senior courtiers will have to understand that the tune is different now and that the King, not the late Queen, is in charge.”
A senior source said.
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Our King: Charles III – The Man and King Revealed by
Robert Jobson will be published in paperback next month. (October
2023)