Prince William holds future of British monarchy in his hands

LONDON, May 27 (Reuters): While nearly all attention will be focused next week on Queen Elizabeth as she celebrates her 70th anniversary on the throne this year, for those with eyes on the future of the British monarchy, attention is switching to her grandson Prince William.
The British royals have suffered a bruising couple of years with the U.S. sex abuse lawsuit against Elizabeth's son Andrew, Prince Harry, William's younger brother, quitting duties to move to the United States in 2020, and police investigating alleged wrongdoing at the main charity of son and heir Prince Charles.
With the health of the popular 96-year-old queen an increasing source of concern, forcing her to pull out of public engagements, her Platinum Jubilee will mark not just a time to reflect on her past, but to look ahead.
Most polls show a majority of the British public support the monarchy, and, while his 73-year-old father commands less popularity, William - the second in line to the throne - and his wife Kate are the most liked royals after the queen.
But, surveys also suggest those aged under 50 are far more ambivalent about the institution.
"The future does rest on Prince William," Matthew Dennison, a biographer of the queen, said. "And we all know that public opinion can be unkind."
A decade ago, amid celebrations for Elizabeth's then Diamond Jubilee, there was a notable moment when she greeted crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace accompanied by Charles, his wife Camilla, William and his wife Kate, and Harry.
It reflected the long understood plan of Charles to slim down the monarchy effectively to his immediate family when he became king.