A day is a very long time in the current news cycle surrounding the royal family, and since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved their family to the US, the constantly analyzed narrative of brothers at war and of the monarchy exposed feels almost overwhelming.
There’s no denying these are landmark times. The Queen is 95 and despite showing an infectious passion for her public role, the passing of Prince Philip, the patriarchal head of the House of Windsor and a calm source of experience, advice, and reason, is significant.
If we’ve learned one thing from the current slew of revelations from Prince Harry and Meghan, it is that being a royal isn’t as enviable as it may appear. Behind the palaces and privilege is a predestined work-life carried out in an often painful spotlight. While the monarchy does evolve, ancient ways do change and modernize – so much about royalty is tied up in history and that is a weighty mantle to carry.
The Duchess of Cambridge didn’t come from a regal or aristocratic background, but her ability to become a royal has been quite remarkable and is turning heads. Kate has successfully risen above the noise of current royal media storms with quiet dignity, devotion, and sense of duty that feels cut from the same cloth of Her Majesty herself. It’s also something the Duchess of Cornwall has in spades. Camilla and Catherine both faced media onslaughts when they joined the family but their ‘head down, do the work’ reaction is traditionally how the royals have coped under fire, even if it is a path not favoured by the Sussexes.
This story is from the September 2021 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2021 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Where to go in 2024
Who doesn't love fantasising about their next trip? We've gone for lesser-known locations, and whether you're seeking bright lights, striking natural scenery, serenity or excitement, here's where you're sure to find it.
Money matters with Effie
Didn’t reach your financial goals in 2023? While a new year won’t wipe away pressures like rising costs, there are a few things you can do now to refresh your money mojo in 2024.
Bright stars in a rugged land
The hot, dusty opal fields around Lightning Ridge in outback NSW have traditionally been a man's world. Now The Weekly meets the women who have been struck by opal fever.
The gift of life
Maureen Elliott had just months to live when she went on St Vincent's Hospital's transplant list. Thirty years on she's one of the longest living heart-lung transplant recipients in the world.
An uncaged heart
After more than two years in Iranian jails, Kylie Moore-Gilbert has forged a new life that's brimming with love, and a determination to help others who have been wrongfully imprisoned.
The woman behind The King
As Sofia Coppola's biopic Priscilla readies to hit screens, we look back at the early life and great love of Priscilla Beaulieu Presley.
Say hello to the Cockatoo cake
When we put a call-out to our readers for their best children's cakes we were inundated with recipes, and this clever cockatoo was ahead of the flock.
The French revolution
Dawn French quit her sketch show because she felt so ugly. Now the \"roly-poly comedian\" wants us all to stop fretting about our faults. She talks body image, surviving the 1980s and owning her mistakes.
Trump's women
Will it be the jailhouse or the White House for Donald Trump this year? The women in his life could make all the difference.
Can you buy a good night's sleep?
Forty per cent of Australians have trouble sleeping, and the market has responded with a mind-boggling array of sleep aids. But do any of them actually work? The Weekly goes in search of slumber.