This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.The Loss of Queen Elizabeth Is Still Felt Keenly by the Royal Family

Victoria MurphyTue, April 21, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTC

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“Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones; my own is no exception.” Those were the words of Queen Elizabeth when she became the longest-reigning British monarch in September 2015. Less than one year later, she was at the center of three-day celebrations for her 90th birthday. And in 2022, the world watched as she reached her record-breaking Platinum Jubilee.

Now the royal family is out in force marking another milestone for Queen Elizabeth, but this time in her absence. What would have been her 100th birthday on April 21st is instead a day of reflection as the royals highlight the many ways she is being memorialized. There is a landmark fashion exhibition, plans for a statue on the Mall, and a community garden in Regent’s Park. Centenarians who share their birthday with her will be celebrated at Buckingham Palace.

There can be no doubt that the tone will remain upbeat; as King Charles said on his accession, hers was “a life well lived.” But there is no denying the fact that her loss is still felt keenly, both by the family personally and by an institution now without the comfort of the unparalleled affection and deference she inspired.

Queen Elizabeth during her Platinum Jubilee.WPA Pool - Getty Images

A YouGov poll commissioned for this anniversary found that the late Queen remains the most popular royal, with 81% of Britons having a positive view of her. Prince William and Kate are not far behind, but the fact remains that no living royal has ever commanded the level of public backing that Queen Elizabeth did.

“She was not a Queen, but the Queen,” former Prime Minister Tony Blair told the BBC for a celebratory documentary about her life. “I don’t think we’ll see her like again.” In the same program, former President Barack Obama described her as a “link to history.”

Yet similar sentiments have been expressed by anti-monarchy campaigners with a different emphasis. “A lot of previous support for the monarchy was actually for the Queen,” CEO of organization Republic, Graham Smith, told the Daily Telegraphearlier this year. “People loved her – she had a grandmother-like appearance and was a link back to a pre-war Britain many people hanker after – but none of that is true with Charles. When she died, people lost their deep emotional attachment to the family and started to look at it more dispassionately.”

The Queen and Andrew in 1980.Tim Graham - Getty Images

There is a deep irony in the fact that nothing has galvanized anti-monarchy sentiment quite like the man described as the late Queen’s “favorite son.” Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appearance in the Epstein files and unprecedented arrest is a scandal that continues to dominate. And we have approached this anniversary with the impact of this on her legacy in question. “Prince Andrew is in danger of dragging the late Queen’s name down with him,” one headline read. “Andrew scandal sullies late Queen’s legacy,” was the title of a Daily Telegraph podcast.

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“I’m concerned that with her passing she is now a very sort of easy target if you like, let’s dump on the Queen and blame her for everything that went wrong with Andrew," royal author Robert Hardman told UK’s Channel 5. “One of the toughest things she had to do in her entire life was to effectively strip Andrew of his public role.”

The Sussexes and Queen Elizabeth at Royal Ascot 2018.Max Mumby/Indigo - Getty Images

Meanwhile, the feud with Harry and Meghan that dominated the end of Queen Elizabeth’s reign shows little sign of dying down. The Sussexes are now carrying out their own privately-funded, high-profile tours in a move that the Daily Mail described as “everything the late Queen wanted to avoid.”

“It certainly feels as if this anniversary marks a bit of a crisis point,” said Emily Andrews, co-host of podcast Catching Up With the Royals. People magazine has devoted a cover to this same sentiment. “The family she once held together is navigating a far more uncertain era, marked by illness, estrangement, scandal and the pressure of proving the monarchy can still steady itself without its longest-serving anchor,” the magazine pointed out.

Charles and Camilla earlier this month.Mark Cuthbert - Getty Images

King Charles has followed his mother’s playbook of service and neutrality. He is soon about to embark on one of his most important and delicate diplomatic missions: A State Visit to the U.S. He has been praised by President Trump as “a great gentleman, a friend of mine.”

But the current monarch has also faced heckles over Andrew’s relationship with Epstein—something that did not happen to Queen Elizabeth. It is impossible to know whether she would have faced the same calls to meet with Epstein survivors in the U.S. were she still Head of State. The answer would have, however, undoubtedly have been the same; that it will not be possible due to concerns over jeopardizing any legal proceedings.

While the rhetoric around Queen Elizabeth’s legacy may continue to vary, it is clear that her popularity is now frozen in time. "Steadfast and committed in times of great turbulence, both domestically and internationally, she always did what she thought was best for her country, the commonwealth and the constitution,” said Emily Andrews. “She left the institution in a better place than the one which she inherited.”

The question is now whether King Charles will be able to do the same.

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