King Charles’s slimmed-down Royal Family undertook seven per cent fewer engagements in the first half of this year than last year.

The Firm, now reduced to 11 people on official duties, is doing significantly less – down 31 per cent – than when there were 15 working royals in 2019.

This may make it harder for charities to win financial support and recognition for their work – and it may also not improve the public’s view of the monarchy, seasoned royal watchers fear.

Patricia Treble, a Canadian journalist and royal specialist, said: “They have to figure out how to live up to the late Queen’s maxim, ‘I have to be seen to be believed.’”

READ MORE: Quaint UK beach town with a hidden castle where locals would see Charles walking

Workload

Her analysis of official duties recorded in the Court Circular shows that the Big Four – the King, Queen Camilla, PrinceWilliam and Kate – have collectively reduced their number of engagements by 11 per cent compared to the first half of last year and 16 per cent on the same period in 2019, the last entirely Covid-free year.

In total, those four combined undertook 514 engagements in the first six months of 2023, compared to 578 in the same period last year and 611 in 2019.

The big difference is the lack of overseas tours undertaken in 2023, with aides blaming the build-up to the Coronation in May for the trend.

A source said: “The aftermath of the Queen’s death and then the Coronation are certainly big factors.”

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Looking at all 11 working royals, Charles and his family are missing the late Queen, who still undertook 100 duties in the first half of last year while ill and helped take the 2022 half-year total to 1,373 engagements, compared to 1,277 in the same period this year.

The current 11 working royals are doing about as much as the same number did last year, helped by Princess Anne.

She increased her workload to become the busiest royal of the first half of 2023 with 254 engagements, compared to 237 at the same stage last year.

The King, Edward, Sophie, Camilla, and then William, and the Duke of Gloucester followed by Kate are the next busiest.

Anne, 72, spent more days (104) working on official engagements than any other family member. Charles followed, with 82 days.

William and Kate, the youngest royals, were out on official duties for 65 and 55 days respectively.

The King, Queen and other senior royals are expected to undertake visits to some of the 14 overseas realms where Charles is also head of state and other Commonwealth countries in the
near future.

A state visit by the King and Queen to France is expected to take place in the autumn after being postponed in March.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “All official overseas visits by members of the Royal Family are undertaken at the request of Government.

“The cost of official royal travel varies from year to year, depending on the number and nature of overseas visits.”

Analysis

There is some debate about whether royal patrons and visitors actually increase income but they are certainly the gold standard for public recognition.

The publicity they attract is normally a welcome seal of approval, and it is a big deal for many people when a member of the Royal Family turns up in their neighbourhood.

Similarly, British politicians have long insisted that royal visits overseas are an important diplomatic tool.

So it may be a cause for concern that a down-sized Royal Family is doing less and seeing fewer people. Will charities and other organisations suffer? It remains to be seen.

What we are also seeing is senior royals trying to reflect the King’s desire to make the monarchy a campaigning force for positive change.

But royals are still needed to turn out around the country, opening schools and hospitals and recognising community heroes. They would do well to remember the late Queen’s conviction that she had to be seen to be believed.

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