William will be a less formal, more tactile and more media-savvy Prince of Wales than his father – and he will continue to be a “hands-on father”. These are the predictions of a number of royal correspondents who have spent years observing the new Duke of Cornwall.
He will be able to connect better with younger generations and will carry out his duties as heir apparent in a more relaxed way than Charles, while simultaneously taking a financially responsible and more circumspect approach to his role, they say.
“There have been quite a lot of question marks over the way Charles’s charities operate and where the money comes from,” said Nicholas Owen, a former ITN royal correspondent. “I think William is less likely to go along easily with people saying, ‘Oh, everything’s all right, sir, no, leave it with me, that will be fine’.”
Owen added: “I think he’s more likely to ask questions about people. ‘Why are we offering them an honour? What have they given us?’ I think that will be his style.”
William is also likely to be less standoffish than his predecessor. “There’s going to be a lot more friendly handshakes and possibly hugs, rather than the formality that we’ve seen in the past,” said Charles Rae, a former royal correspondent for the Sun and author of The Queen Mum: Her First 100 Years.
It was William, he noted, who started hugging the Lionesses as they approached him to receive their Euro medals. “He didn’t hug everyone – he hugged the first two or three, who he knew quite well, and missed some others. But the girls at the back saw this and they grabbed him and put their arms around him. And he was just full of smiles.”
This weekend William released a statement expressing his emotions about the death of his grandmother.
“It will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real,” he said. “She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life.” He also said that he and Catherine had benefited from her guidance over many years and that “my three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives”.
Owen thinks William will be more media savvy than Charles was as Prince of Wales and “rather more circumspect when it comes to controversial issues”. “He won’t be afraid to speak his mind, but he’ll probably pick his targets a bit more carefully, I would suggest.”
Katie Nicholl, royal correspondent for Vanity Fair and author of Her Majesty The Queen: The Official Platinum Jubilee Pageant Commemorative Album, also thinks William will be more politically neutral and cautious than his father. “He’s seen his father heavily criticised for what the media have deemed to be ‘meddling’ in political issues. William will have learned from his father’s experiences and I think he’s going to be very mindful not to be seen to be interfering in political matters.”
This won’t stop him trying to connect with his younger future subjects on social media and campaigning for causes he feels strongly about, such as conservation, homelessness and mental health, she said. “I can’t imagine for a moment that’s going to stop. He’ll make his voice heard on important issues – but I think he’ll be careful to sidestep some of the criticism his father came in for.”
Owen thinks one of William ’s priorities will be ensuring the royal family is financially responsible and he will support his father’s efforts to create a “slimmed down” monarchy. “The King has already started that process of getting fewer members of the royal family on frontline duty, keeping it smaller and therefore cheaper in the long run.” He will continue to focus on his charities and family, the correspondents predict. “He will continue to want very much to be a hands-on father. I don’t see that changing,” said Rae.
Wesley Kerr, royal commentator and former BBC royal correspondent, said Charles’s decision to invest William as Prince of Wales immediately was “a fantastic vote of confidence”. He expects a lot of Prince William’s time will be occupied in being the executive chair of the Duchy of Cornwall estate. “Charles has managed it in a particular way, in terms of the emphasis on sustainability,” said Kerr. He believes William will continue to prioritise this.
