The Windsors are not the only unhappy family in Britain, but they are the only one that is supposed to reflect the nation
These are brutal reputational days for the House of Windsor, and they are potentially threatening for the constitutional monarchy of Britain’s increasingly disunited kingdom too. Prince Harry’s memoir, due for publication on Tuesday, is already the most discussed – though not yet the most widely bought or read – book of 2023. It expands the assault, in frequently wounding detail, that was launched two years ago and is being continued in this week’s TV interviews.
In the court of public opinion, the monarchy has survived the Sussexes’ campaign thus far. Polling suggests the institution retains majority support and that more disapprove of Prince Harry’s campaign than sympathise with it. Republicanism is not surging. But this is an institution, a system and a culture crying out for some new thinking and reform. Only a fool would be complacent.
