KAREN ANDERSON: Two new leaders with big shoes to fill – and hard to say which has toughest road ahead

Well September has been a bit of a month, hasn’t it? We knew that September 5 was going to bring us a new Prime Minister in Downing Street, but despite her advancing years, I don’t think the loss of the Queen was on anyone’s radar.

I think that no matter what your opinion of the Royal Family, they are a bit like Doctor Who (bear with me here…) in that you can determine someone’s age by the one they identify with most closely. My Mum was born two years after the queen and being of the same vintage, seemed to go through the same life milestones at roughly the same time and identified very closely with her – although far from in her financial bracket of course.

I was born two years after Diana, Princess of Wales and can clearly recall the early days of her debut onto the world stage. The Sloane styling and chin down, looking up through the eyelashes with a tiny smile that characterised her arrival in the media, while, in a foreshadowing of her later events, the paparazzi chased her down the street as she tried to continue her work at the nursery. That famous photo with the sun making her skirt see-through that perhaps resulted in a swift change in lifestyle as they realised how vulnerable she was.

I watched her wedding and thought how nervous she looked and what a shame her dress was so crumpled after the carriage ride. I suppose in my group of friends we identified more closely with Sarah Ferguson as she appeared to be slightly out of control but much more fun and there was that time when she and Diana went out dressed as policewomen in 1986 to try to crash Prince Andrew’s stag do. That was more in our wheelhouse at the time.

Of course, the rest of the story is more sad than aspirational and has cemented in me a dislike of the whole princess culture that seems to invade every aspect of young girls’ lives nowadays. What I would prefer is that young girls are shown from as early as possible images of strong, capable intelligent women who support each other and fulfil their choice of potential and do not judge themselves purely as a result of the male gaze and what others around them try to mould them to be.

And that takes me back to the Queen. Of course, I didn’t know or meet her, but you can’t help but respect the years of handshaking, cutting ribbons, and speaking at events where your every word will be combed over afterwards for hidden meanings. When every public movement will be photographed and analysed endlessly. When public service overrides most things. Yes, it is a gilded life of riches, but it is still a gilded cage as well.

For our boy’s generation, they will perhaps know three monarchs in their lifetime – the late Queen, now King Charles and possibly King William as well. I suppose Prince William will be his ‘Doctor Who’ royal – the one he identifies most closely with.

Two new leaders in the country in a week, and both have big shoes to fill. One because of a mother who dedicated her life to the country, and the other because the previous incumbent was divisive, behaved appallingly, lied and was guilty of a criminal offence.

Difficult to know who has the easier road.

n Karen is Mum to an autistic son in his twenties and campaigns for the rights of unpaid carers to be supported in their caring role and involved in the decisions that affect their lives and the lives of the people they care for. You can find her on twitter @Karen4Carers.

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