King Charles ‘cuts a lonely figure’ after all the Royal Family drama from last few years comes back to bite him

The late, great, Harry Nilsson sang it best when he said, “one is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do,” and King Charles’ is finding out first hand, as the number of royal family members the king can depend on is quickly dwindling.

In a piece for News.com.au royal commentator Daniela Elser looked at how the royal family’s situation has shifted significantly in the last five years, leaving the King more isolated than ever and the firm facing an issue it’s never had to contend with before. In January, Charles was pictured at St Mary Magdalene church on the Sandringham estate and he “cut a lonely figure.” Also in January, he attended the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz without his wife Camilla. His recent appearances are indicative of the problems facing the royal family right now.

King Charles is facing consequences

Years of turmoil and public drama are finally catching up to the king and while a lot of it is not exactly his fault, it is Charles who must deal with the consequences. A little over five years ago, Charles had his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, he also had all his siblings, and he had both his children and their spouses. But now, he has hardly anyone to help him out. 

His brother, Prince Andrew is a controversial figure and for good reason, Andrew’s connection to the notorious child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has seen him effectively become an outcast from the firm. Charles has been at odds with his brother pretty much since the news came out. On top of this, Andrew’s connection to an alleged Chinese spy has also brought more even embarrassment upon the royal family.

Then, of course, we have Harry and Meghan, who stepped down from royal duties back in 2020 and then proceeded to share a narrative that didn’t make the royal family look good. While Harry and Meghan have certainly lost some public support, King Charles and the rest of the royals didn’t come out completely unscathed. The king and his son are no longer on speaking terms and that doesn’t look set to change any time soon.

These dramas have alienated royals from one another, fracturing a family that was once an iconic part of the culture of England. The amount of working royals who can be relied on has shrunk so much in the past five years, and while Princess Anne does enough work for 10 people, she can’t pick up the slack for everyone. 

The health of many royals has also resulted in fewer helping hands. 2024 saw Kate Middleton out of action for the majority of the year after being diagnosed with cancer. While she and Prince William have returned to their public duties they aren’t always reliable. Charles’ other brother, Prince Edward is still doing all he can, but he and his wife are both over the age of sixty raising the question of how sustainable this current arrangement is.

Charles himself is aging and his health is in decline and his wife is being seen at fewer and fewer events. All in all it paints quite a sad picture for the royals right now. Years of infighting, drama, and ill health have led to a steady decline that Charles and the firm need to find a way to work around.