Royal shakeup: William and Kate hope to ‘bypass gray men at palace’ in…
The mysterious image of “men in gray suits” who operate the monarchy behind closed doors has long intrigued the public. Princess Diana reportedly feared these “gray men” – palace courtiers and aides – and their influence over her personal life.
A friend once revealed that during her marriage’s breakdown, Diana “had a long-standing fear of losing her boys and felt the people she called ‘the grey men’ were trying to label her as an unsuitable mother.
Prince Harry has also publicly discussed his struggles with some of his family’s courtiers, referring to three of them by unflattering nicknames in his memoir Spare and describing them as “middle-aged white men who’d managed to consolidate power through a series of bold Machiavellian maneuvers.”
Harry alleged that these courtiers attempted, from his viewpoint, to interfere between him and his family, particularly his beloved grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth. A royal expert recently suggested that after analyzing Prince William and Kate Middleton’s actions over the past year, which have seen the couple face significant challenges, it appears that the future King and Queen plan to manage their roles more directly, possibly avoiding these “gray men” entirely.
As William and Kate juggle their royal duties with raising their young children – Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six – they’ve made it clear that family is their top priority, according to royal expert Jennie Bond, formerly the BBC’s royal correspondent, in an article for the i newspaper. This is a significant shift from the House of Windsor’s culture during the late Queen Elizabeth’s reign, who was known to prioritize her monarch duties over motherhood, reports the Mirror.
Bond believes this change, along with a recent hire in their office, indicates that William and Kate plan to do things differently when William ascends the throne. “The Waleses have stepped outside the Palace walls in more ways than one,” says Bond.
They’ve appointed a former CEO of Tescos to head up their Royal Foundation and are planning a more corporate approach for their private office. While plans are on hold as the Princess recovers, it’s clear that the couple intends to bypass some of the ‘gray men’ at the Palace and take more direct control of their affairs.”
The Princess of Wales is gradually resuming her royal duties after undergoing chemotherapy, while King Charles is set to continue his cancer treatment into 2025, which may require other royals to step in and support the monarchy. The Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne have already embarked on several official overseas visits over the past year, joining Queen Camilla, who has faced her own health challenges.
Royal commentator Tessa Dunlop, penning for the Independent, observed, “Queen Camilla has not been in the best of health since she returned from Australia: a chest infection, pneumonia, post-viral fatigue. A salient reminder that long-haul travel, a grueling schedule and old age don’t necessarily mix. A problem compounded by the late Queen and Philip’s ability to make OAP monarchy look easy.
