Prince William has made it clear that 'change is on my agenda' when he becomes King. But he has a rather sizeable problem - he is running out of royals to do the legwork.
Once, there was a raft of working royals to carry out the cake-cutting, tree-planting and charity visits that are the bedrock of the family’s work.
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But age is an issue. Of today’s current working royals, only four are under 75 (Prince William, Princess Catherine, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh). Princess Anne is 76 this year, while the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are 81 and 79 respectively. The Duke of Kent, 90, and Princess Alexandra, 89, have practically (and quite rightly) retired due to old age and ill health.
Scandal - in the form of the man formerly known as Prince Andrew and his friendship with the convicted paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein - has rocked the royals.
His disgrace also means that, for the moment, his daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, have stepped back. They are not working royals and have their own jobs (Beatrice runs her own consulting company, while Eugenie is a director at Hauser & Wirth art gallery), but have, until recently, helped out at family engagements.
So could this mean that Prince William will look to the youngest of the late Queen’s grandchildren to support him?
They embody the dutiful tradition of the House of Windsor
Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and her younger brother James, the Earl of Wessex, are the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s children. Following in the footsteps of their grandparents, both have enjoyed military training in the army cadets.
They embody the dutiful tradition of the House of Windsor, turning out for the royal Christmas at Sandringham, Easter at Windsor and Trooping the Colour with good cheer.
Yet growing up, their parents have shielded them from the harsh glare of a royal childhood in the limelight. Their public appearances have been few and far between – a family trip to Bristol Zoo (of which Prince Edward is patron) in 2019, a Southsea beach clean in 2020 to promote marine conservation, and the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The dark horse contender for the new face of the monarchy
As Lady Louise finishes university this summer, could the 22-year-old be the family’s new secret weapon and saving grace? So suggests royal expert Christopher Wilson, who described her as a 'dark-horse contender' for the new face of the monarchy.
The late Queen’s granddaughter, says Wilson, 'charms all who meet her and could be a useful asset to the royal team.' But, he cautions, Sophie’s 'vastly protective' maternal instincts might mean Lady Louise stays 'out of the spotlight' for the time being.
For now, at least, the young royal - 17th in line to the throne - is focusing on her studies. After A levels at St Mary’s School Ascot, she’s now in her fourth year at the University of St Andrews studying English literature. Friends there speak of a 'very popular, sporty and down-to-earth' young woman who loves acting.
Like her fellow alumni, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Lady Louise appears to have found love in Scotland, with rumoured boyfriend Felix da Silva-Clamp often accompanying the Duchess of Edinburgh to watch Lady Louise competing in carriage-driving competitions.
They enjoyed a close relationship with the late Queen and Prince Philip
James, 18, is currently in his last year at boys’ boarding school Radley College in Oxfordshire.
As James and Louise grew up at the family’s palatial Surrey home, Bagshot Park, they spent a lot of time with their grandparents at nearby Windsor Castle. It meant they enjoyed a close relationship with the late Queen and Prince Philip. And much to his delight, Lady Louise took up her grandfather’s sporting passion of carriage driving.
Following his death in 2021, he left her his own carriage and driving ponies, and in the TV documentary Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, she paid a moving tribute to her beloved 'Grandpa'.
She recalled the close bond the two of them shared, forged over many years of a mutual love of carriage driving: 'After a competition, he would always ask how it went. His eyes would light up because he just gets so excited when he talks about it.'
New blood is vital if the monarchy is to stay relevant
As the grandchildren of the monarch, James and Louise were entitled to style themselves Prince/Princess and use their His/Her Royal Highness (HRH) titles. But perhaps with an eye on Princess Anne’s decision not to give titles to her two children, Peter and Zara Phillips, Sophie and Edward also chose not to do so.
It has enabled both Louise and James to lead very private lives. Louise even had holiday jobs at her local garden centre - on the minimum wage, where she operated the tills - so she could save up to buy her first car.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, as senior working royals, have proved a safe pair of hands - and upon whom Prince William has indicated that he will rely once he is King.
Their down-to-earth and dutiful children could also reinvigorate the brand, while Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven, are given time to grow up.
Whether Louise and James wish to serve as first rank royals is a different matter - although Louise has indicated she wants to serve in the armed forces. The King and Prince William have talked about the virtues of a slimmed-down royal family. But new blood is always vital if the monarchy is to stay reinvigorated and relevant.
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