King Charles is keeping calm and carrying on today as he hosts the Emperor and Empress of Japan for the long-awaited State Visit, but His Majesty has even fewer family members to rely on than initially thought.
I understand the Princess of Wales has been ruled out of attending any part of today’s formalities - usually, she would be supporting Prince William in officially greeting the foreign Head of State at their hotel and accompanying them to Horse Guards Parade - but now the ever reliable Princess Anne has been, quite literally, knocked out of action.
Although Princess Anne’s horse-related injuries are thought to be temporary (royal sources indicate the Princess is awake and comfortable in hospital) her sudden absence highlights just how much the King relies on her to support the royal firm.
Not only has the Princess Royal been forced to pull out of the Japan State Visit, but her planned tour of Canada has also been put on hold.
Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips were all invited by the King to take part in Royal Ascot carriage processions last week
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Her Royal Highness consistently ranks as Britain’s hardest-working royal, consistently carrying out more public engagements than any other.
Will this force King Charles to rethink his slimmed-down monarchy approach?
In recent weeks, we have seen the younger generation rally around their cousin, Prince William, to host a Buckingham Palace garden party, and Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips were all invited by the King to take part in Royal Ascot carriage processions last week.
The King relies on her to support the royal firm.
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Has an invitation been extended to the younger generation for the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace, in the absence of the Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal?
We will find out tonight.
A Japanese foreign official has said this week’s State Visit is a chance to forge “friendly relations across generations”.
Perhaps, therefore, the younger generation could play a key part in supporting King Charles, whose slimmed-down monarchy approach appears increasingly fragile.
