King Charles has been unremarkable and to save the Firm he needs to stop relying on Kate

King Charles has been on the throne for a year now, following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2023.

It started off with a moving, perfectly delivered speech to the nation in the immediate aftermath of the Queen’s death but went slightly array when he had a tantrum over a pen in front of the world’s media.

The first few weeks however were not easy, and he held the Royal Family and the country together when we needed him most. Ensuring her funeral and the preceding events went off without a hitch.

The months that followed have been characterised by a flurry of family dramas, with the publication of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix docu-series, Harry’s explosive memoir and Prince Andrew’s attempts to return to the royal frontline.

The ousting of Queen Elizabeth’s former close confidante and dresser Angela Kelly also made headlines and further distracted from the person at the helm, King Charles.

But what has he actually accomplished this year? He may have steered the ship through a tumultuous time – a change in reign is never easy, especially after losing someone so widely adored – but other than the Coronation, nothing else springs to mind.

The only time he headed abroad was to Germany, with his first trip to France postponed due to the violent demonstrations taking place at the time, and many have criticised him for not prioritising Commonwealth nations in his first year.

He has managed to squeeze in trips to all four nations of the UK and visited various corners of the country, including York, Wrexham, Manchester and St Ives – but that’s part and parcel of a monarch’s job and it’s doing very little to quell the turning tide of public opinion against the monarchy.

Polling by YouGov shows that in July 2012 three-quarters of Britons (75 percent) said we should continue to have a monarchy, but this figure is falling.

By April 2020 this had fallen to 64 percent, before rising to 70 percent come October – having been buoyed by the Queen’s vocal support to the public during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the aftermath of the Queen’s death last September the figure was at 67 percent and the most recent survey in August 2023 found it has fallen slightly to 62 percent.

But the most worrying findings is the split in generations, as just three in ten 18-24-year-olds think the Royal Family is good for Britain, with 40 percent preferring an elected head of state.

By contrast, a majority of the elders support the royals, including 80 percent of the over-65s.

The lack of support from younger people is significant, as in 2012 almost three-quarters of 18 to 24-year-olds backed the monarchy. These are figures that must surely concern the Palace.

The King’s approach however appears to be to roll out the Prince and Princess of Wales, who are two of the most popular members of the Royal Family owing to their ability to keep the Firm relevant and grounded.

Kate is the one with all the draw, whenever she’s out her pictures go on the frontpage and people flock to catch a glimpse of her.

Whereas when the King and Queen step out the visit, no matter how important or pressing, rarely makes waves.

However, his approach cannot simply be to rely on the pull power of the Waleses to get him through – he needs to work on his own appeal and relationship with the people.

At 74 this isn’t easy, but a few trips to Commonwealth nations and the launch of an initiative or two for the public to get behind would help show the public that he’s more than just a symbolic figure keeping the seat warm for his son.

While Palace aides are furious at the idea that the King is simply a “caretaker” for William and are keen to point out that he has own agenda of ‘climate, community, Commonwealth and culture’, without action it’s hard for that image to be dispelled.