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Queen Elizabeth would have turned 100 this year, and PEOPLE is examining the state of the modern royal family in her absence
The long-reigning monarch was a constant of stability over the course of her 70-year reign
Royal experts reflect on how the late Queen would have managed the current tumult within the royal family, from Harry’s estrangement to Andrew’s arrest to Kate Middleton and King Charles being diagnosed with cancer
Queen Elizabeth was the steady symbol of the British monarchy throughout her 70-year reign, seeing the country through times of extreme change, political turmoil and even her own personal “annus horribilis.”
“She was the calm in the face of problems,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “People knew that they could count on her.”
However, since her death in September 2022, it seems like the royal family has been faced with one trial after another.
“You go from having a streamlined but action-ready royal family to having the monarchy itself looking incredibly tattered,” says Catherine Mayer, author of the upcoming Divide and Rule.
Queen Elizabeth’s centennial PEOPLE cover
From Prince Harry‘s estrangement to the fallout over the former Prince Andrew, multiple members of the immediate royal family have been the topic of intense scrutiny over the last few years. Then, in 2024, both King Charles and Kate Middleton announced that they had been diagnosed with undisclosed forms of cancer and were receiving treatment.
Health challenges have become a more visible reality for the senior royals in recent years. The late Queen Elizabeth remained largely healthy throughout her 96-year life and rarely publicized any treatments or conditions. The current generation, however, has been more open: Kate, 44, announced in January 2025 that she was officially in remission and the King, 77, shared in December that his treatments were being “reduced.”
When asked how Queen Elizabeth might have managed the health crises within her family, Bedell Smith said, “The Queen would have been extremely concerned, but would have relied on her faith to sustain her… She would have been a good support for both of them.”
Ailsa Anderson, the late Queen’s former press secretary, agrees, saying, “In moments of anguish, stress and crisis, she was the glue that kept us all together.”
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However, even without the Queen’s presence, Anderson believes the royal family can channel her steady resilience to make it through their current turmoil. Anderson tells PEOPLE that their latest troubles “are not going to be [their] downfall.”
“They’re survivors. The monarchy has weathered far worse,” she says.
Read the original article on People