Royal Wedding: The Future of the British Monarchy

April 18, 2011— -- When Catherine Middleton marries Prince William April 29, billions of people from around the world will be watching.

Among them will likely be the skeptics who've seen this so-called fairy tale play out before to a less than happily-ever-after ending.

"When you have a royal wedding in the 21st century on the heels of a whole generation of royal marital failures, inevitably there's a degree of cynicism," Patrick Jephson, Princess Diana's former secretary, said. "You can take a bet in English bookmakers at the moment as to how long the marriage will last."

The marriages of three of Queen Elizabeth's four children and that of her sister all ended in divorce. The scandalous headlines and tales of adultery that accompanied many of these splits tarnished the royal family's image.

Having inherited such a legacy of divorce, Prince William and Middleton might lose an opportunity to modernize the monarchy and risk irrevocably damaging the royal family's popularity if their marriage fails.

"And, for them, living in the public eye so much, when every flicker of an eyelid is recorded by the cameras and television … and now by mobile phones, the pressures are even greater. " William Shawcross, the queen mother's official biographer, said.

All the speculation and media attention surrounding the couple have also provoked a broader discussion on the relevance of the monarchy in 21st-century Britain.

"The monarchy needs to think about its relevance for today," Tristram Hunt, a member of parliament for Stoke on Trent, said.

Hunt argues that the monarchy needs to modernize, and that Middleton and Prince William should play a pivotal role in the process.

In a recent paper he wrote for the Institute for Public Policy Research, a British think-tank, he called for Prince William to publicly support a change to the royal family's succession law. The Act of Settlement dictates that the first-born son will inherit the throne even if he has an older sister.

The law also states that anyone in line to the throne cannot marry a Catholic without revoking the right to succession. Hunt wants Prince William to change all this.

He also wants the young prince to introduce more diversity in the royal households. "Prince Charles has shown the way in broadening his circle, but it is up to his son to do more," Hunt wrote.

The Future of British Monarchy

His biggest complaint about the monarchy: "I don't think they do enough to share their space and their inheritance within Britain," he said.

"If they do want to be this family embodying the nation, they should also think about the nation, you know, having access to some of the cultural riches they have."

But such changes and even unlimited access to the royal family's cultural riches would do little to placate those that wish to abolish the monarchy all together. They view it as an obsolete, arcane institution that should not be paid for by the British taxpayer and are using the interest in this wedding as a platform from which to promote their message.

"Our head of state is someone who's there simply because of who their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents were. I think that's quite embarrassing in the 21st century," Johann Hari, author of "God Save the Queen" and columnist for the Independent newspaper, told ABC News in an interview with Barbara Walters.

He and other members of the so-called Republican movement want an elected head of state. But proponents of the monarchy say that this is precisely what makes the monarchy so special; it is above politics.

"And, quite honestly, most people, I think, in this country, and perhaps in America also, think they've got quite enough politics, "Shawcross said. "And the nice thing about the queen is that she represents history. She's been there herself for almost 60 years. She's seen 10 prime ministers come and go. She's known every president since [U.S. President Harry] Truman."

But the critics view the cost of the monarchy as an unreasonable burden on the taxpayer, saying the money spent on maintaining the "lavish" lifestyle of the royals would be better spent on public services.

Hari said, "The queen mother set the pattern, which is still followed. She had 83 personal servants. She had three full-time chauffeurs. What did they do, cut her into three pieces to transport her? It's an absolutely bizarre amount of opulence. And it's all paid for by me and by every British taxpayer.

The official cost of the monarchy, released annually by Buckingham Palace, is about $60 million a year, and supporters of the monarchy say that this is cheap at the price.

"Every country has to have a head of state, there's 60 million people, a few more actually, in this country," Shawcross, the queen mother's official biographer, said. "It costs a dollar a head per person per year to sustain this extraordinary institution, which, as I've said, has served the country very well for a thousand years."

How Much Does the Monarchy Cost?

This figure does not include the cost of protecting the royal family nor the ceremonial duties the military fulfills on royal occasions. Those that are against the monarchy say its true cost is much higher and there are other hidden costs that are not disclosed.

But Shawcross, an ardent supporter, said "the royal family is a bargain" and the queen "the biggest bargain of them all."

Hari, along with other critics of the monarchy, acknowledges the extraordinary popularity of the queen. She has had a steady approval rating of 80 percent since polling began.

"Everyone, including me, has admiration for the work that Elizabeth Windsor has done," Hari said. "She's been very stoical, she has stayed out of politics."

Tune in to a Barbara Walters special, "The Royal Wedding: A Modern Fairy Tale," tonight at 10 ET.

It is when Prince Charles inherits the throne that they hope the system can be changed.

"I think it's quite likely the monarchy will be abolished in my lifetime because Charles Windsor is such a PR disaster," Hari said.

Prince Charles has abused his position by meddling in politics, Hari said. "He doesn't have any right to be taking political positions using that power any more than any other British citizen, yet he uses his position to really intimidate government ministers."

But Prince Charles' supporters say that he has used his time as heir to the throne for good, founding charities and raising awareness of environmental issues. He heads 20 charities that raise more than $150 million a year.

"If I was waiting, I would be in St. Tropez on a yacht, and I would say, just give me a call when you're ready," Colleen Harris, his former press secretary, said. "But the Prince of Wales has mapped out this wonderful charitable career for himself. He's done so much good in so many different areas."

Despite recent polls that show the British public would prefer a leapfrog in the line of succession and for Prince William to be the next king, the consensus is that Charles will become king. This means William will most likely face an equally long wait to become King and will have to carve out his own role as heir to the throne.

"We are in this unique position, because when you think about the monarchy in the past, actually, their lives were pretty nasty, brutish, and short," Hunt said. "And you'd have a healthy turnover of monarchs. Now, we have the position with Prince William, of a man who is the heir to the heir to the throne."

William and Catherine, the New Faces of the Monarchy

The young couple has already started on the royal duty rotation, launching ships, opening sports grounds and meeting and greeting the masses. As the new face of the British monarchy, they carry with them its best hope of survival.

They have yet to disappoint, so far. "There's a great deal of warmth for Prince William in this country, partly because of his traumatic childhood, partly because of his late mother and partly because of the way he's ... behaved and carried himself."

But Hunt of the British parliament said, "What they have to do is somehow contain the enthusiasm that the public show for them."

They will spend their first few years as newlyweds in Anglesey, as William continues to fly search-and-rescue helicopters for the Royal Air Force. But even in this remote location, they will not escape the scrutiny to which the royal family is subjected.

Tune in to a Barbara Walters special, "The Royal Wedding: A Modern Fairy Tale," tonight at 10 ET.

"I've worked with the Royal Family for five years. And you couldn't pay me enough to join that family," Harris, Charles' former press secretary, said. "They never get to switch off properly and do the ordinary things that we do. And I think that the only reason to do it is if you were madly and deeply in love with that person."

Those that know him say Prince William is equipped for the role. "I mean he is a model prince, if I can put it like that," said Sir Malcolm Ross, who has served in both the queen's and Prince Charles' households in the past 25 years. "And he's developed into the most inspiring young man with a very clear head; very tremendous leadership qualities.

"He's an outstanding person. He'll be an outstanding prince. He'll be an outstanding king.

"They are the most wonderful modern couple. A modern prince still serving the country in the Royal Air Force, with his princess coming alongside him. It will be the way forward," Ross said. "It will be a great, great inspiration for the country."