TORONTO -- This past weekend marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and public expectations on occasions like this are that that the Royal Family would be front and centre. After all, The Queen served as a mechanic in the Auxiliary Territorial Service in the last months of the war and Prince Philip was in the Royal Navy on board a destroyer in Tokyo Bay sent to retrieve prisoners of war as the surrender was signed by Japanese officials. But while they are the last living links to the generation who served in this world war, it is the growing role of Prince Charles and Prince William as the future of the monarchy which was most in evidence over this commemorative weekend.

The Queen issued a statement to the Commonwealth on Saturday and the Duke of Edinburgh was featured in a montage of living veterans from the war in the Pacific. But it fell to the Prince of Wales to lead two minutes of silence at the National Arboretum and speak to the nation:

“Today, in this hallowed place, and in the presence of all those gathered here, or in their homes, or wherever they may be, let us affirm that they and the surviving veterans are not forgotten. Rather, you are respected, thanked, and cherished with all our hearts, and for all time.”

While many who had fought and were imprisoned in the Far East felt that they were forgotten in the immediacy and proximity of the European conflict, the torch was picked up for the next generation by Prince William at the end in a virtual commemoration when he said:

"As we look back, we must not forget our responsibility to learn the lessons of the past and ensure that the horrors of the Second World War are never repeated.

We owe that to our veterans, to their families, and to the generations who will come after us.

Your bravery, and the sacrifices you made, will never be forgotten."

Speaking for future generations, it was an important commitment made directly to the nonagenarian veterans, such as his own grandparents whose time with us is gradually coming to an end. This was one of the Prince’s most important speeches on a major national occasion and it demonstrates the increasingly important role he is playing in public life.

With the retirement of his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, the removal of his uncle Prince Andrew, and the departure of his brother, Prince Harry, the Royal Family is increasingly short of personnel. Most observers have noted that Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have been stepping up the number of their engagements and prominence throughout the pandemic, providing important leadership and focus as the public health crisis continues to challenge everyone.

While the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh continue to appear to be unbelievably robust, the pandemic has raised questions about how they can participate in public life. Given that The Queen is approaching 95, many increasingly wonder if she will return appear in public in the remaining years of her reign.

While it is possible that Her Majesty will continue to perform her constitutional duties, as with her husband when he turned 96, she may restrict her public appearances and lead a more quiet life in the safety of the various royal residences around the country. COVID 19 continues to be a threat to her generation aside from carefully managed appearances on television.

It was all hands-on deck this weekend as most of the other members of the Royal Family played their parts. Princess Anne was celebrating her 70th birthday but made time for video chats with veterans as she was appointed to honorary ranks in the Army and Royal Air Force to mark her lifetime of service to the armed services. Her cousin, the Duke of Gloucester (himself aged 75) read excerpts from King George VI’s speech to the Commonwealth marking VJ Day in 1945.

But even as the Royal Family is aging and short of people, the clear trend is for the mantle of public duty to be passed along more visibly to her immediate heir, the Prince of Wales, and also to Prince William, as the heir plus one and his family. It is an increasingly lonely role for them as they miss siblings at their side, as they have been in the past and imagined they would be, as succession to the Throne beckons.