It is no secret that King Charles was in favor of what he called a "slimmed-down monarchy" during his reign, nor has he been for some time. [With Prince Andreu's resignation over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his own sexual assault accusations, and the departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the "slimmed-down monarchy" is even slimmer than previously expected. health concerns in 2024 - that is, for most of this year, as both the King himself and the Crown Princess were diagnosed with cancer earlier this year - the monarchy has never felt so ossified, as the Buckingham Palace balcony of the late King's former reign proved on occasions such as "Trooping the Colour" earlier this month, replaced the sparse balconies of Prince Charles' reign.

While the concept of a "slimmed-down monarchy" is believed to be an aspiration of Prince Charles, what his successor, Prince William, will do when he takes the throne remains largely unknown. The garden party last month, held in the rain with cousins Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Peter Phillips, and Zara Tindall, has led to speculation that Prince William, like Queen Elizabeth before him, will one day perform his duties as monarch with the help of his cousins. Speculation was widespread. Richard Eden of the Daily Mail, however, disagreed, leading this veteran royal reporter to worry about William's future plans.

Eden wrote in Trooping the Colour that "junior royals have been asked not to join senior members of 'The Firm' on the balcony," but Eden disagreed with this decision. Eden wrote that the balcony at Buckingham Palace was "left with a wide open space" that previously would have been filled with "young royal smiles." Eden wrote that, especially in light of Harry and Meghan's departure, "it would be a mistake for William to continue with his radically slimmed-down monarchical plans," and continued.

He added, "Instead, he should ask his cousins, such as Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, and the Earl of Wessex, to share the burden when the time comes."

After all, Eden said, "Queen Elizabeth asked her cousins to help her carry out the engagement.

Talking to a friend of William's, apparently this was not in the Prince of Wales' future plans: "What he told me made me worry about the future of the monarchy," Eden wrote. The friend said that William was in "complete agreement" with his father about the need for a "streamlined monarchy." He told me that "when the elder members of the family retire, His Highness will not invite anyone else into the active royal family." And the bombshell - "We still don't know if His Highness even wants the two younger children to be active royalty" - is, of course, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. [The 59-year-old Duchess of Edinburgh (Sophie) is the only member of "The Firm" under 60. This means that by the time William ascends to the throne, he and Princess Catherine may be the only full-time royals." But apparently "that's exactly what William wants," a source told Eden. He sees the small European monarchies as a model for the future."

According to Tatler magazine, "The Prince of Wales has long believed that 'the royal family must remain relevant to the times, modernizing and developing. "He seeks a unique way to be relatable and benefit all in the context of an age-old institution in the midst of great challenge and upheaval as the head of a nation divided by difficult times, conflicts abroad, and social and political uncertainty." The magazine added, "As parents, William and Kate aspire to raise their children 'as good people who see service and duty to others as very important,' William said in a 2016 interview with the BBC. 'Within the family unit, we are a normal family.'" This idea, while wanting to emphasize the importance of "service and duty to others" to Charlotte and Louis (and, of course, the heir to the throne, Prince George), does not mean that that "service and duty to others" must be specifically performed within the framework of the monarchy may indeed merge with the idea that "service and duty to others" does not have to be played out specifically within the framework of the monarchy.

William just turned a year older last Friday, and "at 42, William has a lot on his shoulders," royal writer Christopher Andersen told OK." It is truly staggering." He added, "William also realizes that he is the only one who has to reassure the children. This is just rough treatment and their mother (the Crown Princess, who is undergoing treatment for cancer) will get over it. William could not have been a more devoted husband to Kate. This is evident by the fact that he stepped in to reassure the children while Kate was undergoing chemotherapy, while at the same time taking on some of the father's work."

But William stepped in to face the bumps in the road of 2024 head on, as he himself apparently would in the future in a "slimmed-down monarchy," royal biographer and historian of "The Crown," Robert Lacey told E.News. 'The double illness put a lot of pressure on William, both as a parent and as heir to the family business. 'It brought all kinds of challenges. He handled it calmly and without drama."