The marital troubles of Prince Charles and Princess Diana that have so engrossed the world are only one more downward step in the decline of the position of the royal family, a decline that began with the abdication of King Edward VII in 1936.There have been, and will be, many other books on the erosion of the House of Windsor, but no one is as qualified to chart its disintegration as Anthony Holden, Britain's leading royal commentator for more than a decade. His bestselling biography of the Prince of Wales, published in 1988 to a mixture of acclaim and controversy, was hailed by The Times of London as "definitive." Recent events have proved it remarkably prophetic. Renowned for the shrewdness of his insights, the accuracy of his reporting, and the reliability of his judgments, Mr. Holden argues that the British monarchy must change in order to survive beyond the reign of the incumbent. Even though the Queen has begun to pay taxes, many hard-pressed Britons still consider the monarchy's wealth disproportionate to the times. Following his separation from his popular wife, Prince Charles's prospects for inheriting the throne have been further compromised by the unseemly revelations of taped telephone conversations. What does the long-term future hold for Diana, Princess of Wales? Should the British monarchy surrender its postimperial splendor for the humbler styles of the "bicycle kings" of Scandinavia?In these pages Mr. Holden traces the collapse of the "family" monarchy, the true extent of the Queen's wealth, and the changing associations between Crown, Church, and Parliament. The author also analyzes the failure of four royal marriagesbesides Charles and Diana's, those of Princess Margaret, Prince Andrew, and Princess Anne - throwing new light on relations between the royals and those they have wed. He also examines the role played by British institutions, from the press to Downing Street, and looks ahead to the twenty-first century. Will Charles step aside in favor of his son William? Or will Britain become a republic with an elected president?In this important and revealing book, Mr. Holden makes the most authoritative contribution to the worldwide debate on the future of the British monarchy. Read Less