Prince William, 44, has been dubbed “workshy” by a royal author after new data revealed that he had taken part in fewer royal engagements this year than his father King Charles, 77, who is currently battling cancer.
New research analysing the number of events attended by the royals between January 1 and June 15 in 2026 has shed light on who the hardest-working family members are.
According to the data, Prince William attended 57 engagements, his father King Charles showed face at 76 engagements and Princess Anne earned the top score of 100 engagements.
Norman Baker, who penned the book And What Do You Do? What the Royal Family Don’t Want You to Know, weighed in on what the results show about the Prince of Wales’ work ethic.
“If you are looking for a royal to cut a ribbon, you are unlikely to secure the attendance of Prince William,” he told Daily Mail.
He went on to remind readers that William has form, saying that in 2024 Anne attended 474 public events, Charles appeared at 372 and William only showed face at 166, which comes to less than one engagement every two days.
Baker added that William has been notably absent from many major events, missing last year’s Easter service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor and the funeral for US president Jimmy Carter in Washington D.C. in January 2025, which his father is rumoured to have ordered him to attend.
However, the Prince of Wales declined to attend on account of his wife Catherine Middleton’s 43rd birthday, allegedly stating that his “family must come first”.
Baker points out that while the future King seems to be slacking when it comes to royal engagements, he has “plenty of time” to manage the Duchy of Cornwall, which he took over from King Charles when he ascended the throne.
The royal author put down the idea that it was an “altruistic” endeavour, claiming that William’s appointments to the board have mostly involved property developers and investment bankers.
“It is interesting that one of his first decisions was to create an investment committee to boost profits for the Duchy and therefore for himself,” he added.
“Workshy William? Yes when it comes to undertaking royal duties. But no when it comes to adding to his already bulging bank account,” Baker claimed.
William’s results in the new data are particularly shocking considering his father’s current condition.
King Charles went public with his diagnosis in February 2024, revealing he was battling an undisclosed form of cancer.
The monarch has been receiving cancer treatment over the past few years, however he revealed in December 2025 that his early diagnosis and “effective intervention” meant he could reduce his treatment in 2026.
Despite his health battle, he has still outperformed his first son and heir to the throne when it comes to his royal duties, the data shows.