Flash Points: Is the British monarchy losing its magic?

Princess Catherine, the new picture perfect, and modern royals. MARCH 17, 2024  |  [VIEW IN BROWSER](  |  [SUBSCRIBE](     Sponsored by [The Business Report]( Foreign Policy Illustration/Getty Images “The 19th-century constitutional writer Walter Bagehot wrote that the monarchy’s power lay in its mystery and warned that letting ‘daylight in on the magic’ would be disastrous,” Owen Matthews [wrote]( in Foreign Policy last year. “Britain’s modern monarchy has to try to retain its magic while remaining more illuminated than ever before.” That illumination, so to speak, was clearer than ever this week when controversy over an edited photo of Princess Catherine and her three children dominated headlines and sparked a slew of conspiracy theories on social media. This edition of Flash Points offers insight into all the fuss and considers the role of the British monarchy in the modern world.—Chloe Hadavas   [1]( [Princess Catherine, BBC Dad, and the New Picture Perfect]( What the reception to two viral moments reveals about our evolving global culture of authenticity. By Amelia Lester   [2]( [Royal Weddings Are a Fairy Tale. They Used to Be High-Stakes Diplomacy.]( Once upon a time, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would have been instruments of foreign-policy ambition. By Richard Evans   [3]( [Why Do Royals Get Away With So Much?]( Prince Andrew’s entanglements with Jeffrey Epstein lack the usual excuse of affairs of state. By Harriet Williamson   [4]( [Queen Elizabeth II Was a Pillar of Stability in Tumultuous Times]( Her successor will need to adapt while also protecting the age-old magic of the monarchy. By Owen Matthews   [5]( [How Rich Are Britain’s Royals?]( The House of Windsor owns huge tracks of land and all the swans in the country. What does that even mean? By Cameron Abadi Sponsored Report [Hungary emerges as an ideal base for expanding a business in Europe.]( The nation’s favorable business climate nurtures both homegrown enterprises with international acclaim, such as Origo Studios and Gránit Bank, as well as internationally renowned corporations like Novartis, that have chosen to invest in Hungary. Learn more [here](.   [Reading is better in the app]( Enjoy FP on the go. Features of the app include offline reading, personalized content feeds, PDFs of the magazine, and much more. [GET THE APP](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( You’re receiving this email at {EMAIL} because you signed up for FP's Flash Points newsletter. [MANAGE YOUR EMAIL PREFERENCES]( | [VIEW OUR PRIVACY POLICY]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Interested in partnering with FP on events, podcasts, or research? [Explore FP Solutions](. [Foreign Policy]( is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2024 Graham Digital Holding Company LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 655 15th St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20005.