• Royal biographer Valentine Low said in a recent interview that Prince William is “very different” from his father King Charles.
  • Low’s new book, Power and the Palace, examines how monarchs have interacted with U.K. politicians, and the Prince of Wales goes about working with ministers in a different manner than the King has.
  • William wants to avoid making “mistakes his father has made,” Low added.

Prince William is keen to chart his own path when he becomes King someday, pledging to not repeat the “mistakes his father has made,” a royal biographer said, referring to King Charles.

The Prince of Wales is a totally different person from the King, Valentine Low—author of the new book Power and the Palace—said in a recent interview with GB News.

“William is very different from his father, and I think essentially William is very aware of what he regards as mistakes his father has made, and he’s not going to repeat them,” Low said.

King Charles and Prince William.

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“And you can see that in the way that when William launched his homelessness initiative, he went out of his way to clear it with ministers beforehand, to make sure that he wasn’t treading on any political toes,” Low continued, referring to William’s Homewards initiative, which he launched in 2023.

Conversely, Low said, Charles “wanted to see what he could get away with, and he used to really annoy ministers.” Low added that “No one spells out or defines in this context the difference between prince and king. And I think Charles has tried to make it up as he went along.”

King Charles in Rome, Italy on April 10, 2025.

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William “is intent on being his own man,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams previously told Us Weekly. One way he is doing so? By putting his family—wife Kate Middleton and their kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—firmly in first place. “He puts up clear boundaries,” a source told Us Weekly. “He wants the upbringing of his children to be different from his own.”

While Charles has “wanted to be the monarch for decades” and isn’t going anywhere yet, conversations about the eventual changing of the guard are being held with “discretion and purpose” in hopes of a “smooth transition” someday, sources told the publication. One insider said that Charles “doesn’t feel sidelined” by William and is “more proud than anything,” but he “does feel the public anticipation for William’s future role.”

Prince William.

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Prince William and Kate Middleton on March 10, 2025.

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“Even though he’s battling cancer, he’s not letting that get in the way of his desire to be successful on the throne or a dynamic leader,” a source said.

“William and Kate have been preparing for this for many years,” an insider shared. “They both feel comfortable stepping into greater roles—and [are confident] William can provide a modern way of ruling that everyone will see as a breath of fresh air.”