Princess Anne, King Charles III’s younger sister, gave a rare interview ahead of her brother’s coronation on Saturday, telling Canadian public broadcaster CBC that reorganizing Britain’s royal family to make it a smaller, cheaper enterprise for British taxpayers “doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
According to CBS News partner network BBC News, there have been reports that King Charles may look to reduce the number of “working” members of the royal family, and thus the cost of maintaining the monarchy.
When asked if a smaller monarchy would be a good idea, Anne said — without mentioning her brother, Prince Andrew, or her nephew, Prince Harry, and his wife Meghan, from their senior roles as working royals — that the suggestion might have been made “when there were a few more people around.”
She observed that the world had changed and that the members of the family who still served in official capacities were growing older.
“From where I’m standing,” she said, “it doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
Anne predicted that she and other royal family members would “have to shift the way we support” the new monarch, but she did not elaborate.
“My mother didn’t change all that much.” We had a good idea of the year’s rhythm. So that will change, things like that,” Anne told the CBC. “How we contribute to monarchy support may change slightly, who knows.”
Princess Anne stated that as her brother prepares for his coronation, he is likely to change very little in his new role.
“You know what you’re going to get because he’s been practicing for a while, and I don’t think he’ll change,” Anne explained. “He is dedicated to… his own level of service, and that will continue.”
The death of Queen Elizabeth II last year sparked a global debate about the monarchy’s role and purpose, particularly in British Commonwealth countries where the monarch of the United Kingdom remains the official head of state.
In Canada, where the king’s sister gave her interview, a September poll found that 54% thought Canada should cut ties with the British monarchy.
“I think it’s perfectly true that now is the time to have that conversation,” Anne said. “However, I would just emphasize that the monarchy, through the constitution, provides a level of long-term stability that is actually quite difficult to obtain in any other way.”
