( CNN ) -- The Windsors , ruling House of the British royal family , have endured world wars , personal tragedies and highly public scandals . In the 20th century , through moments of pain and joy , they provided the British people with a fixture of redoubtable comfort , an unchanging physical constitution in a world fraught with uncertainty . But how will the British royals face their greatest challenge -- maintaining relevance in the 21st century ? The new prince born to Catherine , Duchess of Cambridge , and her husband , Prince William , will be a critical part of the answer . It may be true that the royal family remains ingrained at the heart of the British establishment . The title ER ( Elizabeth Regina ) adorns the helmets of British police officers , the laws of Parliament still require royal assent and the monarch remains technical head of the UK armed forces . But things change . 'Wicked ' author : Royal baby stands for hope . Next February , Queen Elizabeth II will have worn the crown for 62 years . She 's 86 and her public appearances are becoming less frequent . Elizabeth 's reign will one day end . And without the princess who won hearts in war and then became a queen in peace , the royals will have to re-win the public 's affection . And they 'll have to do so by navigating a changing British society ; one more socially liberal and less predisposed to tradition . Recent history suggests it wo n't be easy . Consider the queen 's experience following Princess Diana 's death in 1997 . Facing intense pressure to show personal emotion in the face of a loss that was felt widely , the queen hesitated . Public expectations conflicted with her conception of royal purpose , that of a stoic , unmovable figurehead . Her inclination was to mourn in private , allowing the politicians to provide the public face of suffering . Eventually though , realizing that times had changed , the Queen of England bent to the will of her people . She recognized the intrinsic truth of her throne , one that the future king , William , and his son ( the future king ) will also have to grasp : that their royal adornments of power exist subject to the grant of their British subjects . Opinion : How to raise a royal baby . Ultimately , in an era increasingly defined by vigorous social entrepreneurship , institutional relevance is determined less by history , than by a perception of worth . It 's in this sense that change , the ability of the royals to evolve and find sustaining worth , will determine whether they rise or fall . So far , it seems that William gets this . When , on their wedding day , the future king and his wife drove down The Mall in an open-topped Aston Martin , the watching throngs reacted with elation . Why such glee ? Because the crowds perceived a royal interpretation of cool Britannia ; both seemingly natural and delicately informal . A simple act hinting at the prospect of a modern monarchy . Representatives to be proud of . This success is crucial . Where royals are regarded as living in an overly insulated bubble , major problems arise . Just look at the outrage that has followed the recent outing of Prince Charles ' ( next in line to the throne ) tax planning . For royalists then , it 's fortunate that the just-born prince defines royal change . He offers a royal family that is both necessarily distant and semi-relatable , an incarnation of royal tradition gelled to social modernity . In short , a prince for the present and a king for the future . But just as he 'll live without worldly want , the prince wo n't be afforded a normal life . Opinion : Why I would n't want to be royal baby . As his parents and uncle have repeatedly found out , the media has little interest in royal privacy , especially for a royal destined to one day become monarch . Just as the spotlights of the world fixed on his birth , so too will they follow him in life . That 's the price of modern royalty . And British history has begun its latest chapter . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tom Rogan .
Tom Rogan : The British royal family is enduring ; can it maintain it in 21st century ? He says how new royal parents , son reflect modern world to Brits is key to answer . When queen 's reign ends , Will , he will have to find worth , be relatable but distant , he says . Rogan : New Britain is an incarnation of royal tradition gelled to social modernity .