The British monarchy was at its most popular when it presented as a happy, harmonious family, according to a University of Queensland PhD study.
For her thesis with the History Department, Dr Sandra Simpson-Smith examined the often-difficult relationship between sovereign and heir in the British royal family.
Supervised by Professor Paul Crook, the thesis found periods of public dissatisfaction with the monarchy co-incided with disharmony between the king or queen and his or her heir.
In her thesis, Dr Simpson-Smith focused on the relationship between sovereigns and their heirs between 1840 and 1917 including Queen Victoria and Edward VII, Edward VII and George V and George V and Edward VIII. Of the three relationships, only that between Edward VII and George V was loving and harmonious despite the pair being exact opposites in temperament.
'The other two relationships continued in the bickering and untrusting vein seen in Britain since the 15th century,' Dr Simpson-Smith said.
'After the death of her beloved Prince Consort Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria retreated into her grief and refused to allow her heir to fulfil her public duties in her place. The resulting void caused the monarchy to come under serious threat in the late 1860s and early 1870s from Republican pressures. If the monarchy had been more visible during this period through the Prince of Wales, a lot of agitation could have been avoided.'
The episode was examined in the recent movie Her Majesty Mrs Brown although Prince Edward's character was inaccurately portrayed as weak and mealy-mouthed when in reality he was a charming and generous man, she said.
She said the Queen later softened towards her son and ended her reign as a popular monarch, her large and solid family regarded as the epitome of late-Victorian middle-class virtues.
'Edward VII reigned only for eight years or so, coming to the throne at age 59. He maintained a warm and affectionate relationship with his son George, Duke of York. Prince George became his father's confidante and helper, his adviser and ambassador abroad and a crutch for the King to lean on when his health and enthusiasm waned,' she said.
'The King was happy to tour the European health spas with his lady friends leaving his serious and dutiful son to run the monarchy back in England. They enjoyed many outdoor activities together with George V said to be among the six best shooters in England at the time.
'Prince George and his older brother Albert Victor (who died of influenza at the age of 28) joined the Royal Navy as children (14 and 15 respectively) even visiting Brisbane aboard the ship Bacchante in 1881.'
Unfortunately, the new harmony between sovereign and heir was not to last. King George V lacked compassion as a father and was very strict with his son Prince Edward (later King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor).
'On his deathbed, the King predicted his son would never be King. He was almost right - Edward abdicated in 1936 to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson,' she said.
Dr Simpson-Smith said her research had showed most British sovereigns jealously guarded their positions and were unwilling to share the role with an immediate successor.
To research her thesis, she was one of the few PhD students world-wide allowed access to the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle where she found memoirs and correspondence belonging to the royal family and its attendants. She also accessed the archives of the Duke of Argyll, the Duke of Atholl and the Earl of Elgin's Papers in Scotland.
Dr Simpson-Smith, who is looking for a publisher for the thesis, said problems within the royal family over the past decade had seen the public perception of the monarchy plummet. She said the current Queen should do more to involve Prince Charles into official duties.
For more information, contact Dr Simpson-Smith (telephone 07 5573 6145).
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