William wants to explore the make-up of the institution and ensure that it’s “fit for purpose in the modern era”. The structure of the royal household at Buckingham Palace which is likely to remain as “monarchy HQ” though, like his father, he is not expected to live there, has barely changed since the Victorian era. His priority will be to “look under the hood” and see if the engine is running in a way that delivers “impact” — a William buzzword — and is value for money.
The sovereign grant, the taxpayer funds used to support the monarch’s official duties and household, is £86.3 million, equivalent to £1.29 per person in the country. The future king is “mindful of how much the monarchy costs” and the size of the organisation, and will be “hands on” in restructuring a leaner machine. Like his mother before him, Charles has tended to leave the running of his household to his courtiers. Very early on in his reign, William plans to “take every stone and look underneath it” while assessing the “footprint of the institution”.
Coronation
William has already indicated some of things that will evolve during his reign. While [Charles](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/topic/prince-charles) trimmed an hour off Elizabeth’s three-hour coronation service for his own in May 2023, William will go further. The week after the coronation, he let it be known that his would “look and feel quite different”. A royal source said: “He is really thinking, ‘How do we make his coronation feel most relevant in the future?’ He is mindful of the fact that … whenever his time comes, how can the coronation be modern but also unifying to the nation and the Commonwealth?”
The same source, who knows the Waleses well, believes that William will keep things much simpler and gives this advice: “Look at the coronations of medieval kings, they were staggeringly simple. Keep things that are pertinent to today, that reflect diversity and get back to the core of it.” They also think William should break with the tradition of wearing the Imperial State Crown, like his father and grandmother. “That ridiculous thing that looks like it’s out of Disney? No. What I most remember about that day were William and Catherine’s robes, [Catherine](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/topic/duchess-of-cambridge)’s beautiful, simple headpiece [by the milliner Jess Collett], and William wearing nothing on his head.” William has not yet made a decision on which crown he will wear at his coronation, but is understood to feel sentimental about the Imperial State Crown’s link to his father and his grandmother.
Lord Lieutenants
There are already small but significant shifts. Traditionally, lord lieutenants of each county have welcomed senior members of the royal family to engagements, but they are rarely seen on William’s jobs. A friend of the royal family tells me: “He often doesn’t feel he needs to have the lord lieutenants welcome him. So you don’t see them in the court circular as much as you do for other members of the family. It really pisses some of the lord lieutenants off. But he doesn’t always feel he needs them there, with the extra layer of formality.” Sources close to William insist he values the work of the lord lieutenants, but acknowledge that shift.
Sophie and Edward
Step forward the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh who will play a much more prominent role. William and Kate are big fans of [Edward](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/topic/prince-edward), 61, and Sophie, 60, and are already raising their profile. Last week, Sophie and Kate shared a giggle at the Garter Day procession in Windsor, and earlier this month, the natural double act of William and Sophie joked their way through a visit to the Royal Cornwall show, sampling cider, whiskey and clearly enjoying themselves. The Waleses admire Edward’s quiet, dutiful approach to his role and Sophie’s diligent, determined work on causes such as sexual violence in conflict and supporting young people. William’s view, says a friend, is that the Edinburghs are “needed” and “it’s really important the fantastic work that they do is seen”.
Cousins
Also ones to watch will be William’s cousin, [Zara Tindall](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/topic/zara-tindall), and her husband Mike, Zara’s brother Peter Phillips and the York sisters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. None are working royals but, between them, they supported William at Buckingham Palace garden parties he hosted last month and last year. Without his brother the Duke of Sussex as a wingman, they are likely to support William more in the future, though he has no plans to put them on the payroll.
Zara, a former Olympian equestrian like her mother [Princess Anne](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/topic/princess-anne), may take up the reins of royal equestrian pursuits. William, who attended Royal Ascot one day last week, does not share his father’s or grandmother’s love of racing. A racing source who knows the royal family well and has spoken to William on the subject, says: “I never get the feeling the whole top hat and racing is really his thing, and he’s said as much. He’s never really seemed comfortable doing it.” A source close to William says “he understands how important Ascot is, not just to the racing community but to UK plc”, but concedes he will not be as hands on with Ascot and the royal stud at Sandringham, Norfolk, as the current and previous monarchs. Step forward Zara?
Andrew
Unsurprisingly, there will be no role for the Duke of York, given his ill-judged friendships with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and more recent [dealings with the alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/article/prince-andrew-dominic-hampshire-chinese-spy-mf3qh6zln). All continue to convince William that, as sources close to him say, Uncle Andrew is a reputational “risk” and “threat” to the institution. When most of the royal family, including Andrew, gathered for church on Easter Sunday at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, William swerved it, preferring to worship with his family and in-laws, the Middletons in Norfolk, where the Waleses have their country home, Anmer Hall.
Harry
But those closest to William have noticed a marked, recent shift. Where he once raged at his brother’s outbursts — after the publication of *Spare*, a friend told me though he was determined not to publicly respond even though “inside he’s burning” — the anger has subsided to indifference. A friend tells me: “What has struck me the most recently is that he just doesn’t mention it at all. It used to be that the family stuff was taking up a lot of space in his head, it was a very close relationship and he was very upset. But he’s not letting it get to him at all any more. It is a change. It’s sad, but it’s a much healthier space for him to be at.”
There is bemusement in royal circles at a recent report suggesting Prince Harry wanted to keep HRH titles for his children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, so that they can decide for themselves whether they want to become working royals when they are older. Under the next reign, roles for Archie and Lili as working royals are unlikely.
Family first
William’s own family continues to be the most important thing in his life. A friend notes that he’s always been determined to give his children the stable childhood he lacked as Charles and Diana’s marriage broke down, followed by Diana’s death in 1997 when he was 15. “He’s always been fiercely protective of them and will be fiercely protective of them in the future.” When Catherine was hospitalised last January for abdominal surgery and then began chemotherapy, William scaled back his public duties to focus on keeping home and school life as normal as possible for George, Charlotte and Louis. The couple still share the school run from Adelaide Cottage in Windsor to Lambrook, and are often at sports matches, concerts and plays at the co-ed prep school. Just like any other dad, William was recently spotted poolside holding Charlotte’s sports bag while she competed in a swimming gala.
A source who knows the Waleses well says they have come through a difficult year, because they stuck to their guns of family first, regardless of criticism from some quarters, but conscious of and grateful for the public’s support: “When you’re going through a tough time like that and you’ve got a lot of tough choices to make in terms of protecting your family, the public support’s and having had the time to be a husband and father through it all was important. I don’t think he’s ever doubted it [public support], but they don’t take it for granted and always want to make sure they express gratitude whenever they have the opportunity.” The couple’s messages throughout Catherine’s illness have regularly thanked the public.
The guy is a twat and this shouldn’t even exist
Military
Some of William’s allies would like to see the next head of the armed forces do much more for the military. One says: “If the first duty of the government of the day is to protect the nation, that has to be reflected in the priorities of the head of state and the Prince of Wales. The wolf closest to the sled is national security, not climate change. It needs a massive amount more [of his attention]. In terms of current leadership, he’s one of the only ones who can do it. William and his father are revered by armed forces, they can really move the dial.”
Diplomatic role: example
Then there is “the special relationship”. At Donald Trump’s request, William was the first UK representative to meet him following his re-election, after the reopening of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris in December. In a “warm” meeting indicating Trump’s eagerness to align himself with the royal family, he described William as a “very handsome” and [“good man” doing “a fantastic job”](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/article/king-charles-donald-trump-second-state-visit-8266wklq3). The pair will meet again during Trump’s second state UK visit, expected in the autumn. As a source close to William quips: “Trump seems obsessed with him which is fantastic for the UK. He just has to smile at Trump and we get an extra cut in tariffs. Who does that remind you of? The late Queen, who had a nose for the strategic.”
Scotland
There is repositioning on the home front, too. Not long ago, a friend of the royal family with strong ties to Scotland, told me: “Scotland thinks William doesn’t really care. His grandmother got it, his father gets it, he needs to be in Scotland more. The independence issue has gone away for a bit but it won’t be forever.” There has been a recent uptick in William’s visits north of the border. Last month he did engagements in Leith and joint visits with Catherine to the Isles of Mull and Iona and to Glasgow. William has also done engagements in Wales this year and last visited Belfast in November.
Amanda Berry
The couple want to “supercharge” their philanthropy, and have just appointed Amanda Berry, chief executive of their Royal Foundation since 2022, as their “global partnerships ambassador”. In a letter to staff last week, the foundation’s chairman, Simon Patterson, said: “This is a new role that has been introduced at the request of their royal highnesses to support development and delivery of their philanthropic vision … ensuring a joined-up approach to partnerships on an unprecedented scale.”
All bullshittery.
The only things he desires is to work less and seem to be doing more.
IMO, this strategy doesn’t bode well for the future for the British monarchy. Maybe that’s William’s ultimate goal. He seems more interested in being a somewhat invisible member of the British aristocracy than the ruling monarch.
I like William but articles like this do him no favour.
Instead of this monthly word salad, he should show his vision through real work.
18 comments
[archived link for broke folks](https://archive.ph/X0Qiz#selection-2367.0-2367.375)
BP and Sovereign Grant
William wants to explore the make-up of the institution and ensure that it’s “fit for purpose in the modern era”. The structure of the royal household at Buckingham Palace which is likely to remain as “monarchy HQ” though, like his father, he is not expected to live there, has barely changed since the Victorian era. His priority will be to “look under the hood” and see if the engine is running in a way that delivers “impact” — a William buzzword — and is value for money.
The sovereign grant, the taxpayer funds used to support the monarch’s official duties and household, is £86.3 million, equivalent to £1.29 per person in the country. The future king is “mindful of how much the monarchy costs” and the size of the organisation, and will be “hands on” in restructuring a leaner machine. Like his mother before him, Charles has tended to leave the running of his household to his courtiers. Very early on in his reign, William plans to “take every stone and look underneath it” while assessing the “footprint of the institution”.
Coronation
William has already indicated some of things that will evolve during his reign. While [Charles](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/topic/prince-charles) trimmed an hour off Elizabeth’s three-hour coronation service for his own in May 2023, William will go further. The week after the coronation, he let it be known that his would “look and feel quite different”. A royal source said: “He is really thinking, ‘How do we make his coronation feel most relevant in the future?’ He is mindful of the fact that … whenever his time comes, how can the coronation be modern but also unifying to the nation and the Commonwealth?”
Charles’s televised service also included a “homage to the people”, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, invited the Westminster Abbey congregation and the nation to [swear allegiance to Charles and his “heirs and successors”](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/article/archbishop-will-ask-millions-to-pledge-allegiance-to-their-king-q6dtzfjxs). Another source close to William told me at the time: “There is no way he will go down that route or anything like it.”
The same source, who knows the Waleses well, believes that William will keep things much simpler and gives this advice: “Look at the coronations of medieval kings, they were staggeringly simple. Keep things that are pertinent to today, that reflect diversity and get back to the core of it.” They also think William should break with the tradition of wearing the Imperial State Crown, like his father and grandmother. “That ridiculous thing that looks like it’s out of Disney? No. What I most remember about that day were William and Catherine’s robes, [Catherine](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/topic/duchess-of-cambridge)’s beautiful, simple headpiece [by the milliner Jess Collett], and William wearing nothing on his head.” William has not yet made a decision on which crown he will wear at his coronation, but is understood to feel sentimental about the Imperial State Crown’s link to his father and his grandmother.
Lord Lieutenants
There are already small but significant shifts. Traditionally, lord lieutenants of each county have welcomed senior members of the royal family to engagements, but they are rarely seen on William’s jobs. A friend of the royal family tells me: “He often doesn’t feel he needs to have the lord lieutenants welcome him. So you don’t see them in the court circular as much as you do for other members of the family. It really pisses some of the lord lieutenants off. But he doesn’t always feel he needs them there, with the extra layer of formality.” Sources close to William insist he values the work of the lord lieutenants, but acknowledge that shift.
Sophie and Edward
Step forward the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh who will play a much more prominent role. William and Kate are big fans of [Edward](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/topic/prince-edward), 61, and Sophie, 60, and are already raising their profile. Last week, Sophie and Kate shared a giggle at the Garter Day procession in Windsor, and earlier this month, the natural double act of William and Sophie joked their way through a visit to the Royal Cornwall show, sampling cider, whiskey and clearly enjoying themselves. The Waleses admire Edward’s quiet, dutiful approach to his role and Sophie’s diligent, determined work on causes such as sexual violence in conflict and supporting young people. William’s view, says a friend, is that the Edinburghs are “needed” and “it’s really important the fantastic work that they do is seen”.
Cousins
Also ones to watch will be William’s cousin, [Zara Tindall](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/topic/zara-tindall), and her husband Mike, Zara’s brother Peter Phillips and the York sisters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. None are working royals but, between them, they supported William at Buckingham Palace garden parties he hosted last month and last year. Without his brother the Duke of Sussex as a wingman, they are likely to support William more in the future, though he has no plans to put them on the payroll.
Zara, a former Olympian equestrian like her mother [Princess Anne](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/topic/princess-anne), may take up the reins of royal equestrian pursuits. William, who attended Royal Ascot one day last week, does not share his father’s or grandmother’s love of racing. A racing source who knows the royal family well and has spoken to William on the subject, says: “I never get the feeling the whole top hat and racing is really his thing, and he’s said as much. He’s never really seemed comfortable doing it.” A source close to William says “he understands how important Ascot is, not just to the racing community but to UK plc”, but concedes he will not be as hands on with Ascot and the royal stud at Sandringham, Norfolk, as the current and previous monarchs. Step forward Zara?
Andrew
Unsurprisingly, there will be no role for the Duke of York, given his ill-judged friendships with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and more recent [dealings with the alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/article/prince-andrew-dominic-hampshire-chinese-spy-mf3qh6zln). All continue to convince William that, as sources close to him say, Uncle Andrew is a reputational “risk” and “threat” to the institution. When most of the royal family, including Andrew, gathered for church on Easter Sunday at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, William swerved it, preferring to worship with his family and in-laws, the Middletons in Norfolk, where the Waleses have their country home, Anmer Hall.
Harry
But those closest to William have noticed a marked, recent shift. Where he once raged at his brother’s outbursts — after the publication of *Spare*, a friend told me though he was determined not to publicly respond even though “inside he’s burning” — the anger has subsided to indifference. A friend tells me: “What has struck me the most recently is that he just doesn’t mention it at all. It used to be that the family stuff was taking up a lot of space in his head, it was a very close relationship and he was very upset. But he’s not letting it get to him at all any more. It is a change. It’s sad, but it’s a much healthier space for him to be at.”
There is bemusement in royal circles at a recent report suggesting Prince Harry wanted to keep HRH titles for his children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, so that they can decide for themselves whether they want to become working royals when they are older. Under the next reign, roles for Archie and Lili as working royals are unlikely.
Family first
William’s own family continues to be the most important thing in his life. A friend notes that he’s always been determined to give his children the stable childhood he lacked as Charles and Diana’s marriage broke down, followed by Diana’s death in 1997 when he was 15. “He’s always been fiercely protective of them and will be fiercely protective of them in the future.” When Catherine was hospitalised last January for abdominal surgery and then began chemotherapy, William scaled back his public duties to focus on keeping home and school life as normal as possible for George, Charlotte and Louis. The couple still share the school run from Adelaide Cottage in Windsor to Lambrook, and are often at sports matches, concerts and plays at the co-ed prep school. Just like any other dad, William was recently spotted poolside holding Charlotte’s sports bag while she competed in a swimming gala.
A source who knows the Waleses well says they have come through a difficult year, because they stuck to their guns of family first, regardless of criticism from some quarters, but conscious of and grateful for the public’s support: “When you’re going through a tough time like that and you’ve got a lot of tough choices to make in terms of protecting your family, the public support’s and having had the time to be a husband and father through it all was important. I don’t think he’s ever doubted it [public support], but they don’t take it for granted and always want to make sure they express gratitude whenever they have the opportunity.” The couple’s messages throughout Catherine’s illness have regularly thanked the public.
The guy is a twat and this shouldn’t even exist
Military
Some of William’s allies would like to see the next head of the armed forces do much more for the military. One says: “If the first duty of the government of the day is to protect the nation, that has to be reflected in the priorities of the head of state and the Prince of Wales. The wolf closest to the sled is national security, not climate change. It needs a massive amount more [of his attention]. In terms of current leadership, he’s one of the only ones who can do it. William and his father are revered by armed forces, they can really move the dial.”
Diplomatic role: example
Then there is “the special relationship”. At Donald Trump’s request, William was the first UK representative to meet him following his re-election, after the reopening of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris in December. In a “warm” meeting indicating Trump’s eagerness to align himself with the royal family, he described William as a “very handsome” and [“good man” doing “a fantastic job”](https://archive.ph/o/X0Qiz/https://www.thetimes.com/article/king-charles-donald-trump-second-state-visit-8266wklq3). The pair will meet again during Trump’s second state UK visit, expected in the autumn. As a source close to William quips: “Trump seems obsessed with him which is fantastic for the UK. He just has to smile at Trump and we get an extra cut in tariffs. Who does that remind you of? The late Queen, who had a nose for the strategic.”
Scotland
There is repositioning on the home front, too. Not long ago, a friend of the royal family with strong ties to Scotland, told me: “Scotland thinks William doesn’t really care. His grandmother got it, his father gets it, he needs to be in Scotland more. The independence issue has gone away for a bit but it won’t be forever.” There has been a recent uptick in William’s visits north of the border. Last month he did engagements in Leith and joint visits with Catherine to the Isles of Mull and Iona and to Glasgow. William has also done engagements in Wales this year and last visited Belfast in November.
Amanda Berry
The couple want to “supercharge” their philanthropy, and have just appointed Amanda Berry, chief executive of their Royal Foundation since 2022, as their “global partnerships ambassador”. In a letter to staff last week, the foundation’s chairman, Simon Patterson, said: “This is a new role that has been introduced at the request of their royal highnesses to support development and delivery of their philanthropic vision … ensuring a joined-up approach to partnerships on an unprecedented scale.”
All bullshittery.
The only things he desires is to work less and seem to be doing more.
IMO, this strategy doesn’t bode well for the future for the British monarchy. Maybe that’s William’s ultimate goal. He seems more interested in being a somewhat invisible member of the British aristocracy than the ruling monarch.
I like William but articles like this do him no favour.
Instead of this monthly word salad, he should show his vision through real work.
By working less is my guess.
Comments are closed.