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The British royal family has been doing their best to regroup amid Megxit and the ousting of Prince Andrew. When Prince Hary and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex announced their engagement in November 2017, all eyes turned to royals. Though the royal family is used to being on a global stage, their popularity ebbs and flows. An American mix-race actress joining the family certainly garnered interest from royal experts, fans, and those who’d never been intrigued before.

Unfortunately, we now know how much the Duchess of Sussex struggled in the royal family. The rumors and tabloids were relentless, ultimately prompting her and Prince Harry to resign from their roles and move to Los Angeles, California. Megxit happened on the heels of Prince Andrew’s expulsion from royal life following his defense of his relationship with late sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Now, amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Prince Charles is trying to take the reigns of the royal family again, while relating to citizens of the U.K. and fans across the globe.

Prince Charles’ hasn’t always been popular

Though Prince Charles is now seen as an eccentric and beloved grandfatherly figure, he was once not so well-liked. amongst royal fans. Following the death of his ex-wife, Princess Diana, the prince’s popularity plummeted to a ghastly 4%. In fact, many polls showed that royal fans wanted Prince William to succeed the throne in place of his father.

From his own words and Netflix’s depiction of the prince in The Crown, it is said that Prince Charles his own personal misgivings about taking the throne which has led to nagging self-doubt.

However, following his marriage to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall in 2005, the Prince of Wales has worked diligently to revamp his image. In fact, his less than stellar reputation in the press isn’t exactly fair.  In her book, Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life, Sally Bedell Smith wrote that the prince was far warmer than the tabloids would have us believe.

Prince Charles is trying to be more relatable

With a new vision for the British royal family that calls for a more streamlined approach, the prince is focusing on his son, Prince William and grandson, Prince George as his mother, Queen Elizabeth II prepares to step down in the coming years.

The Prince of Wales is also attempting to modernize the royal family without stripping The Firm of its traditions. TV Royal Editor Camilla Tominey believes that this is in an effort to make the royal family appear “relatable” and “touchable” instead of “cut off and cold.” Tominey went on to say that she believes this new warmth from the remaining senior royals is something they learned from the Sussexes.

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex never did find their footing in royal life, but they soared when it came to being relatable and reaching out to others.

Prince Charle’s throwback photo from his teen years is epic

Now, Prince Charles is trying to find his own way when it comes to being relatable. On the Clarence House’s Instagram page, the Prince of Wales shared an unrecognizable photo of himself at age 17 playing Macbeth in the William Shakespeare play.

The photo was captioned, “In the run up to the anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth on 23rd April, @TheRSC invite you to #ShareYourShakespeare and help celebrate the Bard’s birthday. Follow @TheRSC for inspiration and how to get involved – they will share some of their favourites on Shakespeare’s birthday. Here, The Prince of Wales, President of @TheRSC, plays the lead in ‘Macbeth’ at 17 years old.”

We know that Prince Charles’ adored acting. He was a member of the Dryden Society, the drama group at Trinity College, Cambridge. During his time, he wrote his own material and appeared in plays and sketches. Unfortunately, he never got to do more with his craft since his royal duties and the Royal Navy got in the way.