Life As The Future King
•Historic plans to rule the THRONE •Harry WON’T be welcomed back Plus: Kate wants one more BABY!
Royal insiders reveal what the monarchy will look like when Prince William takes the throne. Plus: Inside his family life.
Life in the palace has been anything but dull lately, and no one knows that better than Prince William. Between the pandemic, Prince Harry’s bombshell tell-all television interview in early March and the sad passing of Prince Philip on April 9, the beleaguered royal has been hit hard. Says a royal insider, “The last year has been a real whirlwind for him.” But if anyone was up the challenge, it was William. At 38, the stoic heir to the throne has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has what it takes to wear the crown. “There’s been a huge learning curve, but William has taken on more
responsibility and clearly mastered the art of crisis control,” the insider tells Us. Last January, William and wife Duchess Kate were forced to pick up the slack after Harry and Meghan Markle decided to step back from their royal duties. “William has really grown and evolved, and there’s no question that he will make a great king,” the insider says, noting that the father of three — Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3 — is next in line after his dad, Prince Charles. “William is already thinking about the future of the monarchy and all the changes he plans on making.”
ROYAL PATH
He’s been in training since birth. “William was educated from the very earliest age about the crucial role he would play within the monarchy,” says a second source. “He’s always known what is expected of him when he’s eventually crowned king.” While William wasn’t always comfortable being in the spotlight, the royal insider says it’s gotten easier for him. “He found the publicity difficult to deal with when he was younger, but it definitely had more of a negative impact on Harry,” adds the source. “William accepts that it’s part of the job, and he’s fine with it.”
During his explosive sit-down, Harry, 36, claimed his older brother and father were both “trapped” by the monarchy, but the source says William is totally at peace with his fate. “He’s human and of course he has moments of self-doubt,” shares the source. “And he has times where he and Kate want to drop out of sight, so they’ll escape to Cornwall to recharge their batteries.” But overall, William has always taken the view that it’s an “unbelievable privilege” to serve the monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II, insists the source. “He’s never struggled with that fact.”
IN TRAINING
William has been preparing for his future by watching and learning from his father, 72, and grandmother, 95. “He’s had a lot of informal discussions with Charles and the queen about everything that’s required of him,” says the source, adding that they keep William closely informed of big decisions and he’s aware of how they deal with staff, courtiers and communications teams. “It’s a painstaking process but William is very in tune with how it
all works,” the source continues, “as is Kate since she will have a huge part to play as well.”
He has some historic plans in mind for when he takes over. “While William respects protocol, he wants to modernize the monarchy and is making it his mission to be more relatable than previous generations,” the royal insider shares, noting that he and Kate, 39, have successfully maintained a healthy balance of openness with the public (see box for their latest family photos) while also retaining a sense of privacy. “We get snippets of their personal life,” says the insider, “but we’ll never see them reveal everything. That sense of mystery keeps people engaged.”
The source says William and Charles share a similar vision of a pared-down palace, with a more streamlined household. “There will be more accountability,” the source explains. “They want to be in tune with what the public wants and also build on the immense volume of work the queen has done. The hope is to build on her legacy and then fine-tune things to reflect modern times.”
THE TIMELINE
There’s talk William will be sitting in the throne sooner rather than later. “William is well aware of the rumors that his grandmother may skip over Charles and hand the crown directly to him,” says the source, “and though the idea is flattering, he thinks it’s highly unlikely.”
According to the source, Charles believes it’s his birthright and duty to serve as king, however the palace insider notes that Her Majesty isn’t thrilled with how her son has handled his rift with Harry. “Charles hasn’t forgiven Harry for dragging the royal family through the mud during his TV interview,” says the insider. “He’s being stubborn and saying he may never forgive
Harry, which isn’t going down well with the queen.
She feels he’s putting his pride before the best interest of the monarchy and if he continues to act childish, it wouldn’t be out of the question for her to hand the crown straight to
William.”
While William and Harry put on a united front at Philip’s April
17 funeral, their relationship remains strained, and it doesn’t look like William will be welcoming his younger brother back into the royal fold. “From William’s perspective, it’s best for everyone’s sake if Harry stays in America,” says the source, “and keeps away from the royals until he can show them a lot more respect.”
POWER COUPLE
For now, William is focused on the present. In fact, he and Kate are even thinking about baby No. 4. “They both love having a big family and Kate is open to having one more child,” says the source. “But she’s taking a relaxed approach and not putting any pressure on herself.” Though juggling four kids — and possibly the title of king! — would be a lot to handle, William feels like he can handle anything with Kate at his side. “Thinking about wearing the crown can be nerve-wracking,” says the palace insider. “But he’s confident he’ll make a good king, and it’s not like he’s going at it alone — Kate is his rock and they make a great team.”