No one is happier to see the back of 2017 than Prince Charles — a year when he was virtually written out of the royal script as his sons marked the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death and paid lavish tribute to their mother.
As numerous TV documentaries either ignored the Prince of Wales’s part in the tragedy or reduced it to that of villain of the piece, a series of bruising opinion polls showed his popularity was flagging.
One revealed that only one-third of Britons believe the Prince had been beneficial for the Monarchy — down from nearly two-thirds four years earlier. A quarter believed that Charles had had a negative impact on the Royal Family, compared with a sixth in 2013. Fewer than one in ten thought his influence very positive.
In contrast, almost half of those polled considered that Prince William had had a ‘very positive’ influence on the monarchy.
Harry was garlanded with praise for his recent guest editorship of Radio 4’s Today programme, where his interviewees included his father and Barack Obama
How crucial, therefore, 2018 will be for the Prince of Wales. Yet while undoubtedly relieved that interest in Diana will drift away for now, Charles knows that he will not have the stage and the spotlight to himself.
Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in May, the arrival of William and Kate’s third child in April, and the 65th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation in June will all be significant and hugely popular royal events.
In November, Prince Charles has his own landmark — his 70th birthday. And had things turned out differently, it might have been Charles rather than his younger son who would have been beginning the New Year basking in the goodwill of the public.
Harry was garlanded with praise for his recent guest editorship of Radio 4’s Today programme, where his interviewees included his father and Barack Obama.
History may well note his decision to participate in BBC Radio’s flagship current affairs programme as the moment that Harry finally shed what is left of his playboy prince reputation. It is unlikely, though, to record the events preceding it.
Friends say Charles was ‘disappointed’ to miss out on the three-hour news show which would have presented him with a significant national audience to highlight his pet projects
The origins of Harry’s appearance go back to early last summer when he received an invitation to be one of several celebrity guests who ‘edit’ the programme between Christmas and New Year.
I can reveal that when he did not immediately commit to the project, Today executives turned instead to Prince Charles, who readily agreed. However, mindful perhaps of his sensitive relationship with his sons, Charles insisted that Harry was kept informed about what was going on.
Quite what happened next is unclear, but abruptly Harry’s diary became freer and he accepted the Today offer, leaving his father no option but to stand aside.
Friends say Charles was ‘disappointed’ to miss out. The three-hour morning news show would have presented him with a significant national audience to highlight his pet projects.
And this may go some way to explain why Harry chose to include an at times preachy interview with his father about climate change and the environment. However, their encounter was far more revealing — and intriguing — for the light it shone on the relationship between father and son.
Harry included an interview with his father about climate change but the encounter was more revealing for the light it shone on the relationship between father and son
Along with a liberal exchange of terms of endearment — ‘Pa’, ‘Dear boy’, ‘Darling boy’ — what emerged was a depth of affection that’s all too rarely seen between Charles and his younger son.
Charles has always worried more about Harry than William; and, of course, has at times been troubled more by him, too. But ever since Diana’s death, their relationship has been stronger than that between him and William.
William has always been more independent of Charles’s influence and has modelled himself far more on his grandmother than his father. Friends say William will never be a ‘meddling prince’ in the mould of Prince Charles.
At the height of the Diana commemorations, it was Harry rather than William who offered his father some public acknowledgement. Recalling the aftermath of their mother’s death in a TV interview, he praised Charles for his support.
‘One of the hardest things for a parent to have to do is to tell your children that the other parent has died,’ he said. ‘But he was there for us. And he tried to do his best to make sure that we were protected and looked after.’
While undoubtedly relieved that interest in Diana will drift away for now, Charles knows that he will not have the stage and the spotlight to himself
What also became clear as Charles and Harry discussed the merits of sustainability and the dangers of a throwaway society during their Today encounter was that at least some of what the Prince of Wales has been talking about for so many years had been absorbed by his son.
For years, Charles has grumbled in a jokey yet semi-serious way that his sons take no notice of their father. It’s the kind of complaint that many a father has made about his children.
However, what has upset Charles is that his sons do not show much enthusiasm for his passions and campaigns. If they do show interest, it was murmured that it was done without much grace.
One issue that rankled particularly was that having arranged briefings for William on the internal workings of the Duchy of Cornwall, which he will one day inherit, William never bothered to discuss them with his father afterwards.
His charities and foundations are a sore point, too.
In November, Prince Charles has his own landmark — his 70th birthday. He readily agreed to the Today project but insisted that Harry be kept informed
‘Charles always hoped that one of his sons would have wanted to take on one of his organisations, such as the Prince’s Trust, but there’s always been a reluctance,’ says one of the Prince’s circle.
This week, it was disclosed that Charles was stepping back from some of his charitable work as he devotes more time to supporting and standing in for the Queen.
Now would be the perfect moment for William or Harry to step forward. But so far neither has. Instead, they will concentrate on their own charitable interests, from conservation in Africa to the Heads Together mental health campaign.
One area where they may be agreement, I understand, is on the scourge of knife crime. Prince Charles is keen for one or both of his sons to be a focus for a campaign to tackle the issue of stabbings. (In London alone last year, 80 people were killed.)
These are certainly changing times. This year, the Royal Family will reach something of a watershed — a tipping of the balance from the old to the new. The Queen will turn 92 and Philip 97.
This year, the Royal Family will reach something of a watershed — a tipping of the balance from the old to the new. The Queen will turn 92 and Philip 97
There has been talk in palace circles that, should she live to 95, the Queen would pass the baton to Charles, making him Prince Regent although never abdicating.
Whether that happens or not, the passing of responsibility is already taking place. When Charles travels abroad, he is there on his mother’s authority as she no longer makes long-haul flights.
There is also the presence of a new royal bride to consider. Some observers say that Harry’s salute to his father in that TV interview in the summer was an early sign of the influence of Meghan Markle.
Like Harry the product of a broken home, Meghan has remained on good terms with both her parents. She is also said to have warmed to the eccentricities of her future father-in-law.
Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle (pictured) in May and the arrival of William and Kate’s third child in April will be significant and hugely popular royal events
This is not the only manifestation of the ‘Meghan effect’. Kate and William holding hands in public on the walk to church on Christmas Day was another, as are formal Palace bulletins referring to Meghan as ‘Ms’ Markle — a modern title that would once not have been used. Trivial, yes, but they are significant changes.
For Charles, however, the real challenge in 2018 will be to reach the kind of understanding with William that he has with Harry.
Bound by tragedy, the brothers have always been the closest of siblings — generating worldwide admiration for their efforts to honour their late mother and promote the causes she supported.
The question in the year ahead is will they show that same commitment in supporting their father?