I have always considered myself a royalist. I believed that the British royal family were the figureheads of the country and could never imagine anything different. But that was then. The prospect of a future king, who is well past retirement age, and scandal after scandal has made me consider whether the British royal family has a future.
What exactly does this very large family do for Britain? Obviously, I do not include Queen Elizabeth in this category, because she has proved to be a great monarch who has served Britain and the Commonwealth with distinction. But, I am afraid to say that other members of her family are not really fit for purpose.
Prince Charles is now 73 years old. In normal circumstances he would have retired but he is still preparing to undertake one of the greatest jobs in the country. Even Prince William is 39, so he won´t be a young monarch even if the crowns skips a generation. My biggest problem with the British royal family is that they do not have a clearly defined role.
I think during the Covid crisis they have been sadly missing. Granted that Covid is for the government and outside their royal remit but I am sure that the heir to the throne or even his son could have helped lead the campaign for volunteers to help with the vaccination programme or given regular televised speeches to raise the morale of the country.
Instead, some senior royals have been on the front pages for all the wrong reasons. They should lead by example.