A Shrunken and Untied Windsor Knot of Royals?

As the New Year dawned, the future of the House of Windsor looked so assured. This was captured in the image, released by the Palace, of the Sovereign and her three heirs – quietly, confidently looking not just towards the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in  2022 but, into the fourth generation, George, well into the 21st century. As The Spectator’s Patrick O’Flynn has written, this photograph conveys a powerful story, “Charles seems a much less tortured soul than he did as a younger man and is clearly ready for the top job. William and Kate are a magnificent success. They have dealt with the demands of their positions with almost faultless grace and maturity.”

But then, last week’s bombshell. While the saucy tabloids on both sides of the Atlantic (Yes, Duchess, the US does have them) have dubbed it ‘Megzit’, one commentator, wanting to see the blame shared, has called it ‘Sussexit’. In any case, one hopes they make a success of it. But the real issue that springs…