The picture that tells Harry and Meghan: There’s no way back
A‘It is a reminder the royals are always on duty’
LL over the world yesterday, the first official portrait of Britain’s new monarch King Charles with Queen Consort Camilla was being studied with fascination.
Fascination because with William and Kate, the new Prince and Princess of Wales, at his side, we have a glimpse of the present and future of the monarchy.
Rarely has Charles looked so at ease in a formal photograph.
Observers will search for clues about everything from its composition and backdrop to what it tells us about the long-term security not only of the royal family but, more pertinently, of the institution that they represent.
The photograph is brimming with symbolism of course: the new sovereign is pictured with his son and heir, while looming behind them is a glowering portrait of King George III, the longestreigning British male monarch.
Remarkably, the picture was taken on the eve of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, when the four most senior British royals were about to host a huge reception for visiting heads of state, including US president Joe Biden, at Buckingham Palace.
The message was clear: the business of monarchy never rests, even at times of great personal sorrow, and its enduring strength lies in its continuity.
However it is also a reminder that the royals are always on duty – even when they have to summon every inch of self-control, as they did during the public grieving for the queen who for them was a mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother as well as the monarch.
Palace sources said that the picture had been taken to mark a ‘historic moment’ for the family. But there was more than just history on display here.
The body language of all four is surprisingly relaxed. It speaks of warmth and acceptance. The taller William and Kate may physically dominate, but the eye is drawn to the new King, a pace closer to the camera, and wearing an easy confidence.
For once, those cuff-tugging mannerisms and general fidgeting so familiar from any number of ceremonial portraits are absent.
One hand rests comfortably behind Camilla’s back while the other is casually thrust into his jacket pocket.
But it is the hint of a smile on his face that is the most telling. It is the look of a man who is not daunted by what lies ahead – but rather is invigorated by it.
There is another significant factor here too. And it is a not-sosubtle nod to his wishes for a slimmed-down monarchy: one he believes will be more relevant and more resilient. Some will wonder if this is not just slimming down, but cutting to the bone. The unspoken elephant in the room is the absence of the King’s younger son. Three years ago, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle would have had every expectation to be part of this family ensemble.
Indeed, only four years ago, there was just such a photograph issued to mark the then-Prince of Wales’s 70th birthday.
But, within months, the unity and happiness that radiated from that image had vanished.
So it is not difficult to imagine how this picture will be viewed in sunny California, where the pair are based. Might it deepen their feelings of exclusion and exile, or will it merely serve to remind them why they chose to break from the family in the first place?
It surely can be no coincidence that the picture was taken when the couple were still in Britain and several days before they returned home to their children Archie and Lilibet. It must, therefore, be yet another signal that they will never again return to their central role in royal life.
One reason that they chose to walk away in the first place was because they did not wish to share the spotlight. In America, they are at the centre of their own production. But in Britain, there is a new royal order – and it revolves around four people, not six.
There is a finality about this photo that suggests there is no way back for a couple who could have been at the epicentre of royalty, but are now at its margins.
Is it the dagger to their hearts it was for Prince Andrew when he was first excluded from the Palace balcony? It certainly feels like it.
Over the years the queen often curated the photographs around her when she spoke to the nation for her Christmas message.
She did so in 2019, when on her desk were pictures of her own father and Charles, but also William and Prince George.
Here, it said, was monarchy past, present and future. The omission of Harry was said to have contributed to his break from the family just weeks later.
Rather than photographs, King Charles commandeered the art on the walls of his new palace home for this image – and he selected carefully. Choosing as backdrop a king who reigned for 60 years was another nod to the permanence – and preservation – of monarchy.
It is a lesson Prince Harry could do well to study, because every royal picture tells a story.