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Senior royals unlikely to be part of 'inner circle' when Charles becomes King

Author
Newstalk ZB / NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Mon, 19 Oct 2020, 9:15PM
Princess Anne. Photo / Getty Images
Princess Anne. Photo / Getty Images

Senior royals unlikely to be part of 'inner circle' when Charles becomes King

Author
Newstalk ZB / NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Mon, 19 Oct 2020, 9:15PM

Princess Anne could be one of the senior royals to be dropped from the 'inner circle' of the royal family when Charles becomes king, commentators warn.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams spoke to Express UK about what we can expect from Charles' succession to the throne, warning that Charles' vision of the monarchy could have a big impact on many charities.

And he revealed there's a certain phrase dropped around the royal family that could give away what's next for senior royals like Anne.

"The phrase 'slimmed down royal family' constantly keeps coming up," Fitzwilliams said.

"The royal family will evolve with Charles coming to the throne."

He also said it was likely Charles' eldest son and heir to the throne would be in the inner circle, while Harry and Meghan didn't get a mention.

"As far the inner core, I think it's perfectly clear that it's going to be Charles and Camilla, and then William and Kate and their children and eventual spouses.

"It does tend to have the feel that certain royals who do a lot or who are quite a lot older will have to take on different roles at that point."

He went on to say that Princess Anne, now 70, does "a remarkable amount" of work.

"No doubt she will want to continue, but who knows how that will play out?"

Speaking to Heather du Plessis-Allan, UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this has been mooted before, and that Charles is like to "restrict" the extended royal family to his family.

Grey says that Prince Andrew was long thought to have been unhappy about these plans, but became "tainted goods" after his interview around his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. 

"That's got rid of him easily enough for Prince Charles' plans." 

He says that Princess Anne and Prince Edward are likely to be cut out of the "middle core" of working royals." 

Fitzwilliams told The Express that he "would have thought that it was in everyone's interests for royal patronages, where appropriate, to be around the same as they are.

"People ought to realise that the royals have some 3000 patronages and do some 3500 engagements."

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