| In a break with tradition that says much about the
changing face of the monarchy, Prince Harry was confirmed alongside 30 of his
school friends at Eton rather than in the privacy of one of the royal chapels.
“It was a very pleasant and warm occasion,” said a Buckingham Palace
spokesman. It was also a far cry from the confirmation day of Harry’s
elder brother William three years ago, which took place at St George’s
Chapel, Windsor, with a formidable guest list headed by the Queen and Queen
Mother. That day became a landmark as it was the last major royal occasion at
which the boys’ mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, appeared.
Diana’s death only a few months later was to have repercussions that
nobody present at Windsor that day could have envisaged. The whole fabric of
the monarchy has changed dramatically in the three years leading up to
Harry’s confirmation. Symbolised in events like the decommissioning of
Britannia, the old-style monarchy is slipping quietly away. Lavish royal
celebrations are no longer considered appropriate -hence Edward and
Sophie’s ‘people’s wedding’ last summer- and even
day-to-day royal life has changed, with Palace spin-doctors arranging
‘theme days’ for the Queen, such as her tour of theatreland a year
ago. Harry’s low-key and relaxed Confirmation was another step along the
path to a different kind of monarchy. |
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Harry has always looked
up to and
adored his older brother William, who is soon to turn 18.
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