The Royal Family's appearance at the Trooping of the Colour in June 2019. Video / AP
Prince Charles is set to cull the monarchy by axing several members after the Queen's death, it's been claimed.
It's thought the future king has been a long-time supporter of slimming down the ranks of the royal family, and now a friend of the family has said Prince Philip also supported the move.
Gyles Brandreth, a friend of the late Duke, told UK newspaper The Express, "One of the interesting things that Prince Philip pointed out to me that in the past the royal family has always been quite small.
"And when he became Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 it was just the King and the Queen and the two young princesses. And now of course it became this larger thing altogether.
The Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Kate, William, Harry and Meghan in March 2019. Photo / Getty Images
"But I think that going forward we are going to go back to a much slimmed down [monarchy]."
The broadcaster didn't hold back his opinion on who he thought would be kept "in" and who would be pushed "out".
Brandreth claimed that six royals will take their places at the head of the family – Prince Charles and wife Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for the younger generation.
The Duke's friend noted, "In a sense, it will be a leaner machine going forward and I think the Duke would have quite liked that. Less to talk about, less to gossip about."
This new streamlined version of the royal family would see disgraced Prince Andrew culled, along with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The late Prince Philip, pictured with the Queen, reportedly supported the idea of a slimmed-down monarchy. Photo / Royal family, Instagram
This comes hot on the heels of reports that Prince Charles plans to cut off Harry and Meghan. A royal insider told US Weekly that "Charles is working towards a new slimmed-down monarchy and is freezing Harry out. He's actually already out.
"After the damage Harry has caused, he firmly believes that his son doesn't deserve the privilege of being a royal."
Brandreth's predictions are also supported by royal biographer Angela Levin, who claimed that Meghan and Harry could be the pair cut from "the firm".
"Prince Charles has wanted for a very long time to cut the monarchy down to save costs and to make people be worth the money that they get from the taxpayer," she told talkRadio, a UK broadcaster.
"I imagine that might be when Harry and Meghan are ditched from being members of the royal family.
"I think the outer edge, which the Queen has wanted to keep together for a very long time for sentimental reasons, which at her age she didn't really particularly want change, which I think is understandable.
"But he wants to change and I think he will do that."
