In a surprising turn of events, the Royal Mint decided not to produce a special series of coins celebrating the grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II.
The reason behind this decision, revealed through documents obtained under freedom of information laws, was due to concerns about the public image of some of the royal grandchildren.
Concerns Over Public Image and Controversies
The proposal for the coins was rejected after the Royal Mint’s Advisory Committee raised concerns during a meeting in March 2012.
The committee noted that not all of the Queen’s grandchildren had “an entirely positive public profile.”
This likely referred to several public controversies that some of the royals had been involved in.
Prince Harry, for instance, had made headlines in the early 2000s for a series of incidents, including admitting to smoking cannabis and attending a rehab clinic in 2002.
His infamous 2005 costume party appearance in a German WWII uniform sparked widespread backlash.
And in 2012, he was photographed naked during a Las Vegas pool party, further damaging his image.
Other Grandchildren Draw Criticism
It wasn’t just Prince Harry who faced public scrutiny.
Peter Phillips, the Queen’s eldest grandchild, also found himself in hot water in 2008.
He faced criticism for selling exclusive rights to his wedding to Hello magazine for a reported £500,000, an act many considered to be in poor taste.
The documents from the meeting further revealed that committee members feared the coins might come across as “contrived” or just a “PR stunt,” which would open them to ridicule.
There was also concern that the royal grandchildren weren’t seen as being particularly interested in art and design, which is typically a key factor in the Mint’s coin designs.
The Royal Family’s Expanding Lineage
In 2012, Queen Elizabeth had eight living grandchildren: Princes William and Harry, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall (children of Princess Anne), Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie (daughters of Prince Andrew), and Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex (children of Prince Edward).
However, despite the vast royal lineage, the idea of commemorating them all on coins was scrapped.
A Royal Mint spokesperson refused to confirm which grandchildren were specifically in question but declined to name names as it wasn’t mentioned directly in the committee’s minutes.
Biographer Weighs In on the Decision
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie shared his thoughts on the decision, speculating that much of the hesitation was likely centered on Prince Harry.
He noted that by 2012, Harry had earned a reputation as something of a “hell-raiser” due to his various public controversies.
However, Lownie also expressed his belief that commemorating the Queen’s grandchildren on coins might have been an odd idea in the first place.
According to him, the focus should have remained on the monarchy as a whole, rather than individual members.
The Royal Mint’s Later Commemorative Coins
Despite this early rejection, the Royal Mint later produced coins to mark significant royal milestones.
For example, in 2018, a coin was minted to commemorate the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and another was created in 2022 to celebrate Prince William’s 40th birthday.
Though the idea of coins celebrating the Queen’s grandchildren may have been sidelined, it’s clear that the Royal Mint continues to find ways to honor key royal moments and individuals, albeit with a more selective approach.
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