Sibling Rivalry

Warring siblings are an age old problem for monarchies.

Back in the 11th century, the three sons of William the Conqueror were locked in a feud that began when the younger two poured a bucket of urine over their eldest brother. A century and a half later, Richard I had to fend off a rebellion orchestrated by his brother John. They did eventually reconcile with Richard saying to him: “Think no more of it, brother: you are but a child who has had evil counsellors.” (John was 27.) The present royal spat, however, has more in common with the fallings-out of the Tudors. In much the same way that Henry VIII’s children “stood for opposing sides in the great conflict of the time” – Edward VI and Elizabeth as Protestants, Mary as a Catholic – the current royal tragedy is all about “new reformation ideas”: racial diversity, the empowerment of women and personal fulfilment.