If this year’s Remembrance Sunday was unusually affecting, it was in large part due to the presence of both the King and the Princess of Wales at the service. After one of the hardest years for the monarchy in living memory, surpassing even the so-called ‘annus horribilis’ of 1992, there is hope that, as 2024 draws to a close, business as usual has been resumed – as far as it can be. The King has been dutifully pursuing his obligations for some time now – including a high-profile recent visit to Australia – but it was Catherine’s appearance that most people have been eagerly anticipating.
Catherine may be the Firm’s greatest asset in bridging the gap between ordinary people and an often detached institution
Since announcing the completion of her chemotherapy treatment in September, her public appearances have been understandably limited – the most recent being last month’s visit to Southport to meet the families of victims of the mass stabbing there. It was crucial for the royal family, both practically and symbolically, that she was present this weekend. Last night saw her attend an emotional Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, and a body language expert noted her ’rounded-cheek beaming smile and glowing eye expression.’
At today’s service, she cut a typically elegant and assured figure, appearing on the Foreign Office balcony opposite the Cenotaph alongside the Duchess of Edinburgh as other members of the royal family laid their wreaths after the two minutes’ silence. There will, no doubt, be the usual prurient speculation as to her health – ‘doesn’t she look thin/drawn/well’ and all the rest – but to the average observer, the Princess appeared as healthy as one might expect for someone who has endured cancer. The look of pride and affection she directed towards her solemn-looking husband as he laid his wreath was an affectingly human touch on a day that comes laden with the solemnity its significance merits.
Illness still dogs the royal family. The Queen, said to be suffering from a ‘seasonal chest infection,’ was absent, and the King, attending alone, looked tired and drawn – a reminder that his own health remains a concern. But otherwise, the event went as smoothly and movingly as might have been expected.
The question now is what will be expected of Catherine in the future. The Prince of Wales made a brief comment about his wife’s health on his recent trip to South Africa, saying, ‘I think hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year, so we’ll have some more trips maybe lined up.’ She remains a popular and much-loved member of the royal family, and her return to public life will be welcomed. But there are pitfalls as well as advantages.
This year has seen intrusive and even hysterical commentary about the Princess’s health, and the photoshopped picture of her family put out at Easter – which, bizarrely, she had to apologise for herself rather than a press secretary or courtier taking the flak – fed conspiracy theories and justified the more fanciful claims from those who specialise in rubbishing the royal family. As recent stories about the King and Prince of Wales’s property holdings suggest, the media are not inclined to report only good news and ignore the rest. Catherine may well be the Firm’s greatest asset in bridging the gap between ordinary people and an often austere and detached institution. In return, they must be careful not to turn her into a pawn brought out for set-piece glamour and compassion on demand. The reputational consequences of such mishandling could be severe.
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