The public deserves royal transparency

THIS has been a distinctly rocky period for the Royal Family.

While not facing an existential threat, as in the days after Princess Diana’s death, there has been a troubling feeling that the monarchy is teetering on the brink of crisis.

The King is being treated for cancer. After Prince William mysteriously withdrew from a memorial service for his godfather, the family was inexplicably led into church by the disgraced Prince Andrew.

Then there is the Princess of Wales. The furore over the lack of any updates on Kate’s health after abdominal surgery has been intensified by her amateurishly doctored Mother’s Day photograph.

In these days of howling social media, the vacuum has inevitably been filled with wild conspiracy theories about her health and ongoing absence from public life.

Yet while storms buffet the House of Windsor – including alleged unscrupulous attempts to access Kate’s medical records – there is a ray of light. As William attended public engagements yesterday, a poll revealed trust in the monarchy remains undimmed.

The proportion of people who said their faith in Kate remained unchanged was twothirds. For Charles, it was 72 per cent.

But the survey should give the Palace food for thought. More than a third believe it should be more candid about the Princess’s surgery and well being. This is not mere intrusiveness or prurience. People are keen to know that she is recuperating.

There remains an enormous reservoir of goodwill and sympathy towards the Royal Family. That is proved by the throngs that cheer their every engagement.

Even so, we live in a less deferential age. While ‘The Firm’ may sometimes seek to shun intense scrutiny, the public pays vast sums to fund them. The least they expect in return is a little more openness.