Autumn Brewington

In 1952, Britain’s King George VI waved to his oldest child from a windy London airport tarmac as Princess Elizabeth set off on a multicountry tour initially planned for the king. A few months earlier, the king was treated for lung cancer by having his left lung removed, yet neither his heir nor his subjects knew the gravity of his condition. Less than a week after that goodbye, George died in his sleep.

Contrast that with Buckingham Palace’s announcement on Monday that King Charles III, George’s grandson, has cancer. The king has started unspecified treatment, the palace said in a statement, and the cancer is a “separate issue” from the recent disclosure of an enlarged prostate.…  Seguir leyendo »

Even if he makes it to a milestone anniversary on the throne, Prince Charles has a better chance of slaying a host of fiery dragons and recapturing the Empire than he does of being feted the way Britons and people around the world are celebrating the record-long reign of Queen Elizabeth II this week.

If it is possible for a city to be a love letter, London has become an urban avatar of affection for the queen, marked by Union Jacks fluttering over streets, outsize floral arrangements of crowns and corgis, and shop windows crammed with more than the usual garish tea and cookie tins commemorating her 70 years on the throne.…  Seguir leyendo »

Queen Elizabeth II has lately been making a case for her own abdication.

The 96-year-old queen’s absence from the state opening of Parliament this week — owing to what Buckingham Palace gently referred to as “mobility problems” — is just the latest high-profile absence of the once-unstoppable queen. A U.K. tabloid reported last month that the queen’s aides plan to confirm her attendance at future events only a few hours before. When she is present, her advancing age is being accommodated: At a March service honoring her late husband, Prince Philip, she entered Westminster Abbey through a side door to avoid walking the church’s lengthy nave.…  Seguir leyendo »

With her platinum jubilee looming, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II can fairly celebrate her record-breaking 70 years on the throne. But with the broader royal family in a far less sterling state, this latest milestone is an opportunity to do more than take a victory lap. Better to focus on steps the queen can take now to boost the monarchy’s chances of surviving long after her stewardship ends. Here’s where to start:

First, specify what a future, “slimmed-down” royal family looks like. When it comes to modernizing the monarchy, the central issue is cost: How many royals (and their staffs) is it reasonable to subsidize?…  Seguir leyendo »