I discussed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to step back from the role of senior members of the royal family with Maija Kappler at Huffington Post Canada. The announcement makes clear that the royal couple intends to engage with the public on their own terms and focus on the causes most important to them. Harry and Meghan have also expressed a desire for financial independence in the future and it remains to be seen how their future careers will unfold in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada. I have discussed these developments with a number of media outlets and more interviews will be posted here in the next few days.
Category Archives: Royal News
Reader’s Digest Interview: 14 Things That Will Happen When Prince Charles Becomes King
I discussed the future of the monarchy with Tina Donvito at Reader’s Digest. Queen Elizabeth II will be 94 on April 21, 2020 and there is increased scrutiny of the Prince of Wales as he assumes a greater number of his mother’s public duties. There has not been a change of reign since the death of King George VI on 1952 and there is growing speculation concerning how Prince Charles will approach the role of monarch when Queen Elizabeth II’s reign comes to an end.
Click here to read 14 Things That Will Happen When Prince Charles Becomes King at Reader’s Digest
Global News Interview: How the Royal Family does Christmas
I discussed royal Christmas traditions with Meaghan Wray at Global News including opening presents on Christmas Eve, multiple Christmas trees including nursery trees for royal children, and other traditions that date back to Queen Victoria’s reign.
CBC News Interview: Could the Queen retire?
I discussed a variety of royal events, past and present with Janet Davison for the latest edition of the CBC News Royal Fascinator newsletter including Princess Anne’s presence at the recent NATO leaders reception at Buckingham Palace and Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna’s decision to immigrate to Canada after the Second World War.
Upcoming Guest Lecture: Royal Weddings from Victoria and Albert to Harry and Meghan – December 16, Toronto Public Library
Mon Dec 16, 2019 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Toronto Public Library S. Walter Stewart Branch 170 Memorial Park Ave.
Royal weddings have been the focus of popular fascination for centuries. Queen Victoria popularized the white wedding dress and her descendants have also exerted a profound influence on how marriages are celebrated around the world. Join Carolyn Harris, author of ‘Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting,‘ for a lively history of royal weddings from Victorian times until today.
Drop in. No registration required.
CBC News Interview: ‘Only thing he could do’: Why Prince Andrew stepped down. But will he stay away?
Here is an excerpt from the interview with Janet Davison at CBC News:
“There aren’t a lot of precedents for this scenario within the Royal Family, but after Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, there was a similar expectation that he would live a quiet life out of the limelight. It didn’t quite work out that way.
“That turned out not to be the case, as he made a very highly publicized visit to Nazi Germany in 1937,” said Toronto-based royal author and historian Carolyn Harris.
“The Duke of Windsor kept trying to carve out a public role for himself after his abdication … [and] ultimately during the Second World War he was sent off to be governor of the Bahamas, which gets him out of Europe. He was never able to find that public role.”
CBC Here and Now Interview: Prince Andrew announces he will be stepping away from his royal duties
I discussed the reputation of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and his decision to step away from royal duties for the foreseeable future with Gillian Deacon at CBC Here and Now (CBC Radio 1). Prince Andrew’s withdrawal from royal duties accelerates the process of streamlining the royal family to have a core group of senior figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex undertaking public engagements rather than a larger extended family.
Click here to listen to the interview about Prince Andrew’s reputation at CBC Here and Now.
NBC News Interview: ‘The Crown’ season three: Did Princess Margaret really party with LBJ?
Season 3 of The Crown series premieres on Netflix today and there is already interest in how much dramatic license has been taken by the writers of the series. I discussed the portrayal of Princess Margaret’s 1965 official visit to the United States with Daniel Arkin at NBC News. President Lyndon Baines Johnson was the only American president elected during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign who did not meet the Queen but he hosted an official dinner at the White House for Princess Margaret.
For more about Princess Margaret, I recommend reading 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown and Princess Margaret: A Life in Contrasts by Christopher Warwick.
For more about President Lyndon Johnson, I recommend reading Robert Caro’s ongoing series “The Years of Lyndon Johnson” – The Path to Power, The Means of Ascent, Master of the Senate and The Passage of Power have been published so far.
CBC News Interview: Could the Royal Family shrink?
I discussed the recent changes to the Royal House of Sweden with Janet Davison at CBC News. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden’s decision to remove the titles of His or Her Royal Highness from five of his grandchildren are part of a wider trend of streamlining royal houses to include fewer people who receive public funds and perform official duties.
This trend is evident in the British and Commonwealth royal family as well. Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, son of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, did not receive a title at the time of his birth, suggesting that he will eventually pursue his own career rather than undertake full time royal duties.
Click here to read “Could the Royal Family Shrink?” in the Royal Fascinator newsletter at CBC News.
New BBC History Magazine Article: Was Queen Mary, wife of George V, a kleptomaniac?
My latest article in the BBC History Magazine examines the reputation of Queen Mary, the wife of King George V, and grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. In the new Downton Abbey film, one storyline references a long-standing question: was Mary partial to stealing from the grand houses that she visited? Writing for History Extra, I explore the life of George V’s queen, and her habits as a collector of precious objects.
Click here to read “Was Queen Mary, wife of George V, a kleptomaniac?” in the BBC History Magazine.