As the Queen, the longest-serving British monarch in history, attains 70 years on the throne, 2022 is expected to be a year of mixed blessings – with national celebrations as well as the possibility of yet more unwelcome headlines.
The monarch joins an extremely exclusive club in February when she marks her platinum jubilee, also achieved by Louis XIV of France, Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein, and, most recently King Bhumibol of Thailand.
Queen Elizabeth II (wearing her Vanguard Rose Brooch which she received in 1944 from Messrs John Brown and Co. when she launched HMS Vanguard) attends the Out-Sourcing Inc. Royal Windsor Cup polo match and a carriage driving display by the British Driving Society at Guards Polo Club, Smith’s Lawn on July 11, 2021 in Egham, England.
It is a first in UK royal history, with the occasion due to be celebrated over a four-day weekend in June. The festivities, including a service of thanksgiving and the colourful spectacle of a jubilee pageant, will be an undoubted highlight for the monarch, who will be 96 in April, and preparations for 2022 have long been in the planning at Buckingham Palace.
“But 2022 is going to be a year of mixed blessings for her, I think,” said Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty magazine. “Clearly, there are various clouds on the horizon, the Duke of York perhaps being the biggest at the moment. But, blowing in from the west, the Duke of Sussex’s book, whatever form that may take.”
The platinum jubilee
The anniversary of her accession is 6 February, but it has always been a day of mixed emotions for the Queen as it is also the anniversary of the death of her father, George VI.
Trooping the Colour, bringing together more than 1,400 soldiers and 200 horses, will kick off the jubilee bank holiday weekend on 2 June, when she and her family will be on the Buckingham Palace balcony watching the traditional RAF fly-past. Over the weekend there will be beacons lit, a St Paul’s cathedral service of thanksgiving, a BBC “Party at the Palace”, a jubilee pageant and street parties.
“But the highlight, for her, will be the Derby,” said the royal historian Hugo Vickers.
It is her first jubilee without the Duke of Edinburgh at her side – though he missed much of her diamond jubilee in 2012 after becoming ill following the Thames River Pageant. Her 2002 golden jubilee year was blighted by the deaths of her sister, Princess Margaret, and her mother.
“I think during this forthcoming jubilee she will be less visible than she has been for all the previous jubilees because clearly account will be taken of her age and her health at the time things are happening,” said Little. So Charles and Camilla, and William and Kate, are likely to be bobbing around the country and Commonwealth – Covid restrictions permitting – on her behalf.
“If you look at 70 years of service as a monarch, it does put some of the grumbly things that are going on rather into perspective,” said Vickers. “Jubilees are great fun.”
But they are also tiring, he said. “I remember Princess Anne saying at the time of diamond jubilee that the family had to rally to make sure the Queen and Prince Philip did not get overtired.”
“So I think she is going to do about 10 notable things that will be high profile.”
Family reunion?
One big question is whether Harry and Meghan will be on the palace balcony along with other members of the royal family for the June festivities. “You would expect the Sussexes to return to the UK for that, if not beforehand. So that could be the first opportunities for the Queen to meet the newest member of the Sussex family, Lilibet,” said Little.
Royal watchers will have their metaphorical – and literal – binoculars trained for any signs of family tension, against the backdrop of reported rifts.
Harry’s vocal criticism of the family, and institution, include being cut off financially by his father, Charles. His comments that he wished to break the cycle of “genetic pain and suffering” in the royal family was seen as a swipe at Charles’s parenting, as well as the Queen and Philip’s.
Observers have suggested an unravelling of the father-son relationship, with the two last speaking face-to-face at Philip’s funeral in April. They did not meet when Harry was in London in July for the unveiling of a statue of his mother, Diana, and Charles has still not met Lilibet – named after the Queen’s family nickname.
Harry’s memoirs
Penguin Random House pulled off a coup in landing Harry’s memoirs. The publishers have described it as an “honest” and “inspiring, courageous and uplifting human story”. Harry, who is working with the Pulitzer prize winner JR Moehringer as his ghostwriter, has said: “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become.”
Some question if he has much left to reveal, having been vocal since he decamped to California.
“I really can’t imagine what Prince Harry can say that will be constructive. Presumably, the publishers will want him to come up with something. But if he comes up with something unattractive, I think it will backfire, in this country anyway,” said Vickers.
Royal watchers are primed. One, predicting it will cause “mayhem” within palace walls, has said: “It will become an international bestseller, but at what cost to the monarchy?”
If Harry goes into detail about issues involving his wife, or alleged racism within the royal family, which is denied, it will be damaging. The book is due to be published globally in the latter part of 2022.
Andrew’s court case
The Duke of York’s legal battle with Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who has alleged that he sexually abused her when she was aged 17, while being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, could be the blackest cloud on the horizon. The allegations are strongly denied by Andrew, with his lawyers asking for the case to be dismissed.
On Monday, a previously confidential document Andrew’s legal team believes will stop the civil lawsuit against the royal was made public, showing Giuffre had entered into a “settlement agreement” in 2009 with Epstein for $500,000 (£371,000). The document provided a release for “any other person or entity who could have been included as a potential defendant” against various claims by Giuffre.
Andrew’s lawyers are expected to argue in a New York court on Tuesday that even though they say her allegations against him are baseless, Giuffre cannot even bring the case because of the document she signed.
If the case is not dismissed, the New York judge Lewis Kaplan is aiming for trial between September and December, and has announced that depositions for the case must be submitted by 14 July 2022.
Andrew’s name had already featured in the Ghislaine Maxwell criminal case, which last week resulted in Maxwell, a friend of Andrew’s, being convicted on five of the six charges she faced relating to sex trafficking teenage victims of Epstein’s.
The Queen is reportedly footing the legal bill for her second son in the civil action case brought against Andrew by Giuffre.
“At this time of her reign she should be sailing toward glorious, golden uplands, yet she has had a lot of stress – not only Harry and Andrew, but also Brexit, and possibly Scottish independence,” said Vickers.
