King Charles' failed marriage to Princess Diana means he is unable to carry the brand of "family monarchy" like his parents, a royal author and historian has claimed.
This week marks the 75th anniversary since the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh tied the knot at Westminister Abbey in a marriage that lasted for 73 years until Philip's death last year.
In contrast, the new King Charles saw his union with Diana end in divorce - although he has since remarried with him and Queen Consort Camilla celebrating 17 years of marriage in April.
And according to author Tessa Dunlop, whereas the Queen and Philip could rely on their long marriage to promote a "family monarchy" Charles cannot.
She explained to the Mirror: "Seventy-five years ago Princess Elizabeth walked down the aisle with her war-hero husband, Philip.
"The stunning pair were instant trend-setters - 200 million listened to the wedding of the decade in a record-breaking year for tying the knot.
"Britain’s pin-up family, the House of Windsor, had reached dizzy new heights. Within a year Prince Charles was born; the original baby boomer, his arrival sealed the deal for family monarchy.
"In this era of the nuclear family, divorce laws didn’t change for over twenty years.
"Irrespective of what happened behind closed doors Elizabeth and Philip were the perfect couple in a fast-changing society. Theirs would prove a tough act to follow."
And she added that it's now up to Charles to find a new "potent" brand in order to lead the monarchy today.
Tessa said: "By 1980 the pressure on Charles was huge. Britain wanted another royal wedding. On the surface, his marriage looked like the perfect second act - another blushing bride with her sailor-prince.
"But times had changed: divorce was prevalent, celebrity culture distorting, infidelity unacceptable. Charles and Diana’s giant wedding ended in giant failure. Family monarchy fell apart."
"Charles is the product of his generation just as his parents were of theirs. But can our everyman king find a new brand as potent as family monarchy? Let's hope so for the sake of our divided nation."
Tessa Dunlop's new book Elizabeth and Philip, the story of young love, marriage and monarchy published by Headline Press is out now.
