Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who served as private secretary to both Prince William and Prince Harry, has voiced his conviction that the British monarchy will weather current challenges, pointing to its remarkable track record of survival across more than a millennium.
While promoting his novel Beyond the Edge of Light, the former SAS officer addressed questions about the institution’s prospects.
“The monarchy, throughout its 1,200-year history, has always been on the edge of crisis but it’s a brilliant, brilliant organism for change,” he said. “It’s a chameleon, if you like.”
Mr Lowther-Pinkerton characterised the Royal Family as perhaps the most successful organisation in existence when it comes to adaptation, noting that historical pressures once included execution for monarchs who failed to evolve.
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who served as private secretary to both Prince William and Prince Harry, has voiced his conviction that the British monarchy will weather current challenges
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“I’ve got no doubt that it remains able to do that, actually,” he concluded.
The former aide reflected warmly on his years with the young royals during the podcast interview.
“I realised that they were both great guys. And I really loved them, actually. I mean, they were really, really fun to be with,” he recalled.
Mr Lowther-Pinkerton, who was two decades older than his charges, joked that he was “the only private secretary who needed to be able to ride up a trial bike to keep up with them on their motorbikes.”
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton described both brothers as ‘brave’ and played a crucial role in their military tours | GETTY
He acknowledged he never quite matched their pace on two wheels but maintained a deep fondness for both brothers.
The aide departed his role in 2014, before relations between William and Harry deteriorated in the period preceding the Sussexes’ departure from royal duties in 2020.
“Circumstances have come along which are very sad, but they’re not really for me to talk about because I left in 2014,” he told the Royalist podcast. “But I’m fond of them both.”
Mr Lowther-Pinkerton’s confidence comes amid polling that reveals shifting attitudes towards the crown, with a pronounced generational gap emerging.
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who spent a decade as the trusted confidant to Princes William and Harry, has offered his advice to Prince George ahead of his start to life at Eton College | GETTY
Research from Ipsos published in June 2026 found just 55 per cent of Britons favoured retaining the monarchy whilst 27 per cent preferred a republic, the lowest support recorded since tracking began in 1993.
The divide between age groups proves particularly stark. Among those aged 18 to 34, only 33 per cent back the monarchy compared with 45 per cent who would opt for a republic. For Britons over 55, support climbs to 74 per cent.
The British Social Attitudes survey reinforced this pattern, finding 59 per cent of 16 to 34-year-olds would prefer an elected head of state. The same study recorded monarchist sentiment at its lowest point since the 1980s.
Despite these trends, the monarchy retains majority backing across the population as a whole.
YouGov’s regular tracking surveys from April 2026 showed 64 per cent of Britons wished to keep the institution, with 59 per cent believing it benefits the country.
King Charles maintained positive ratings from approximately six in 10 people, while Prince William and Catherine remained the most popular living members of the family.
A Newsweek analysis of historical data suggested outright support for abolition would not surpass 50 per cent for roughly 120 years if current trends continued linearly, though such projections carry obvious limitations.
Nevertheless, the steady decline from levels seen during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign has prompted more serious discussion about the monarchy’s long-term prospects than at any point in a generation.