One of the Royal Family’s major annual events is not going to be shown on live TV for the first time in 37 years, and experts warn the move exposes the ‘greatest threat’ that the monarchy faces

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Royal insiders have been left reeling over the move(Image: Getty Images)

It’s a move that’s left royal insiders speechless.

For decades, the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey has been a set piece event in the Royal Family’s calendar – but the times are changing. For the first time in 37 years, the BBC won’t be broadcasting tomorrow’s service live. Instead, they will be showing Escape to the Country – a decision that does not bode well for the crisis-hit monarchy, according to experts.

Amid the ongoing scandal engulfing Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and the ongoing revelations about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the Commonwealth Day service looks to be a more muted affair than usual. But it was only six years ago that the event featured astonishing royal moments that had all eyes glued to Westminster Abbey – in one of the last ever royal engagements Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry ever would undertake, tensions between the ‘Fab Four’ were notably high.

That occasion may have become notorious for to the drama brewing behind the scenes rather than celebrating the Commonwealth itself, but losing its primetime telly spot is certainly bad news for the Windsors – and it could potentially affect the 56 countries King Charles heads up too.

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Tensions were noatably high the last time Meghan and Harry attended the event(Image: PA)

This year will see King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales attend the service, alongside Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence – but Prince Edward and wife Sophie are not expected to join. The King and Queen will afterwards host the usual reception – but the number of senior royals marking the celebration is down to just six.

The service not being televised live this year casts doubt on the future of the institution, experts tell the Mirror. Royal author and historian Tessa Dunlop argues: “The BBC’s dumping of the commonwealth service speaks to establishment slippage – one that incorporates four previously revered institutions – the BBC, the Royal Family, the Church of England, and the Commonwealth. In these tense times previously we’d have sought consolation in national rituals and shared events. Not anymore.” She adds that, “More specifically, it is a warning sign for the Royal Family that things are not what they were.”

Royal commentator Afua Acheampong-Hagan agrees that this is a significant moment, particularly amid the ongoing turmoil surrounding Andrew. “I think it probably speaks to the lack of interest, she suggests. “[It’s] probably people thinking that this is going to be such a spotlight on the Royal Family, [and] that perhaps it will be embarrassing.”

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Commonwealth Day was once a staple event for the royals(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

She says it’s “interesting” that the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are not going to be there either. Afua also points out that it’s possible the Commonwealth has waning relevancy in the modern age. “For countries within the Commonwealth, there’s a saying that the wealth is not common. What is the Commonwealth really for? Is it just colonialism-lite?”

Meanwhile, Tessa Dunlop adds: “Amidst all the war talk it was easy to miss the quiet announcement that the BBC would not be broadcasting Commonwealth Service live.

“Once a big beast in the royal calendar, it has long been a national staple. Recently the service has generated some of our most infamous Windsor moments. Who can forget the tension between the Sussexes and the then Cambridges when in 2020 the watching public clocked William’s puckered brow and the silent standoff between Meghan and Kate.”

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Experts warn that the BBC’s decision speaks to a wider problem for the monarchy(Image: Getty Images)

“On a less superficial level, the annual service in Westminster Abbey is a landmark event that speaks to Britain’s soft power in a voluntary association of countries who still look to the monarch as their titular head,” Tessa explains, adding that this moment is indicative of the “greatest threat” facing the monarchy – that increasingly, the public care less and less about them.

“That the BBC no longer considers the event worth broadcasting live highlights not only the diminished relevance of the Commonwealth but likewise royalty’s shrinking cultural capital. While many republicans may dream of a revolution, in fact the Windsors’ greatest threat is a creeping apathy. Disgusted by the Andrew hoo-ha and bored by the same-old royal players who never explain, or apologise, the nation’s reserve of good will gets ever smaller.”

Communications expert and PR to the stars Mayah Riaz tells the Mirror that from a more general branding point of view, the Service being axed is not a great sign. “The decision not to televise the Commonwealth Day Service is quite a symbolic one. Events like this have traditionally been used to reinforce the monarchy’s connection to the wider Commonwealth, so it’s been a broadcast staple for decades then it drops off the schedule, it will inevitably raise questions such as about the relevance and audience appetite,” she explains.

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Tessa Dunlop’s latest book will be released in paperback on 7 May 2026

However, she points out that the BBC’s decision is also a reflection of other factors, like how people choosing to consume media and the overall changing landscape of TV. “Sure, some of it could simple be due to changing media consumption,” she tells the Mirror. “Audiences today are far less likely to sit through formal ceremonial broadcasts unless there is a strong news hook or emotional narrative attached to it. In many ways, the monarchy is now competing for attention in the same crowded media space as everyone else.

“That said, perception still matters. So when long standing royal traditions stop being broadcasted, it can feed the narrative that public engagement with the Commonwealth itself has softened, especially with the younger audiences who may already feel quite distant from the institution.”

For the PR whizz, it’s impossible to ignore the blemish the Andrew scandal has cast over the Royal Family at large. “There’s no denying that there is a reputational backdrop to consider,” Mayah admits. “The ongoing shadow of the Andrew scandal has undeniably reshaped how royal events are covered and framed. Even when he is not directly involved, the wider Royal Family brand has been forced into a more cautious and controlled strategy.

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A photo of Andrew on all fours over a woman, released in the Epstein files(Image: US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE/AFP via)

“At the end of the day, it’s moments like this that highlight a bigger challenge for the Royal household. Ceremonial tradition alone is no longer enough to hold public attention. If they want these events to resonate, they have to feel relevant, modern and meaningful to audiences who are increasingly questioning what the Commonwealth actually represents today. Especially, bluntly put, if people don’t feel emotionally invested in the story, they simply won’t tune in.”

However, in a time of geopolitical turmoil, hope isn’t entirely lost for the Commonwealth, Afua explains, but the association needs to adapt to modern times, and that might mean, when the time comes, eschewing tradition and appointing a Head of Commonwealth who is not the British monarch.

“You could shift the power to outside of the United Kingdom, outside of the traditional powers, as it were,” says the royal expert. “You could have someone from Jamaica, from the Gambia, from any of those smaller countries who have joined the Commonwealth. Maybe it is the time for the power to shift and for them to have some of the wealth that isn’t common.”

Prince William himself has put it forward publicly that he does not expect to take over King Charles’s position as head of the voluntary association, saying during a royal tour to the Caribbean in 2022, “Who the Commonwealth chooses to lead its family in the future isn’t what is on my mind.

“What matters to us is the potential the Commonwealth family has to create a better future for the people who form it, and our commitment to serve and support as best we can.”

Meanwhille, the BBC has said about the decision not to air the service live: “Our decision not to broadcast the Commonwealth Day ceremony in the same way we’ve done in previous years reflects the difficult choices we have to make in light of our funding challenges. “BBC News plans to cover the service across its platforms, including the BBC One bulletins and rolling news channel.”