Could Queen Elizabeth II Be the Last Queen of England?

In your opinion, what do you think the appeal was that made Diana the most famous woman in the world?

Partly because she was able to control the story of how she was the victim. And she was a victim, certainly, of a contrived, unsuitable marriage. You could argue the counter, that she did agree to it, but she was incredibly young and naive and suckered into the glamour of it. She believed Charles loved her, but he obviously never did, so she had to accept the role of a complacent wife who wouldn’t mind three people in the marriage. Diana showed far greater strength of character than any member of the royal family, and certainly greater than Prince Charles.

Had she lived, what do you think Diana would think of the family today?

Diana understood what fame was, but she was tortured on her way to that understanding. She had total command of her narrative in the last two to three years of her life, and the palace lost control of that narrative. Diana commanded it. By now she’d still be an influential person, and far more famous than anyone else in the family. It would be a fascinating situation.

What does the future of the monarchy look like?

I’ve heard [rumors] the queen will resort to the Regency Act when she turns 95 [next April], but I don’t think she is inclined to do that. She’d be incredibly frustrated if she can’t do what she does every day and has made it very clear that she’ll go on doing [her work] as long as she is able. And she is clearly able to do so, and do so well. Imagine being in the same line of work for 70 years and knowing how well to do it. She’s had 14 prime ministers so far. This underlines the permanence of the throne.

Which royal is the most compelling to you?

The queen. She is the most remarkable, and the only one I came around to really liking.

What do you think her legacy will be?

She prolonged the life of the monarchy far longer than it otherwise would have been prolonged. After the abdication, when her father came to the throne, there was a huge lack of respect for the Windsor family. Her father put it together very well during the war, and she finished her father’s job and put it back together again. No one else has the capacity to do the same thing [in my opinion].

Rachel Burchfield is a freelance writer whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British royal family.