I’m still trying to understand what really went down last week, with King Charles’s cancer diagnosis, Prince Harry’s quick visit to his father, and William’s complete freak out and briefing spree about Harry. Like, Charles and William were not projecting confidence or steadiness, and by the end of the week, William looked downright unhinged and solely obsessed with bad-mouthing Harry to everyone. Simultaneous to William’s freakout, his people were briefing friendly reporters that William wouldn’t be coming back to work in any way for another month or longer. That became the focus of several pieces in the Telegraph and Times of London this weekend. While it’s obvious that Kensington Palace is working overtime to paint William in a positive way, there’s some really interesting criticism creeping in. Some highlights from this Telegraph piece:
Prince William’s role has never been more important: At 41, just 17 months into the job, the Prince’s role as next in line to the throne has never been more important. But as of this week, he finds himself – as one source delicately puts it – in an “unenviable position”. “It is…suboptimal,” said another.
William’s appearance at the investiture ceremony last Wednesday: At the most recent investiture, William looked a little thinner, a little more careworn than he has of late. As a military band played the national anthem, he blinked rapidly with a furrowed brow over the strains of God Save the King – the tune so familiar, the keyword of “King” still so new to the nation. Later that night, at a hotel for London’s Air Ambulance gala fundraiser, he was more like his old self, leaning in to speak to fellow air ambulance helicopter pilots and the patients they have saved; clapping Tom Cruise on the shoulder and making jokes about his Top Gun-themed shoes.
King Charles does not William to take over any kingly duties: William will not, sources emphasise, be taking on tons of the King’s engagements, with both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace mindful not to make sweeping changes to the public face of the monarchy before necessary. As a palace aide says: “The King is still the King.” In other words, he can and will still fulfil his state duties. The only current hole will be outside the palaces, where the 500-odd engagements he does every year will temporarily fall by the wayside to minimise risks to his health.
William can’t win!! “William can’t really win on this one,” worries one long-term royal watcher. “Either he keeps calm and carries on with his own programme, and people say he isn’t stepping up. Or he steps up, and people think he is trying to be King-like or – worse – that his father isn’t capable and needs him to step up.” A palace source said there was “constant conversation” between the King and Prince William’s teams, but that the Prince was not expected to pick up all of his father’s engagements – a mutual decision.
Poor William: “This week has been a reminder that yes they [the Royal Family] are in these public positions, but they’re also human beings,” says one who knows William. “Think about it: his life partner who he’s been with since university has had major surgery. They have three children and all of the worry about keeping things normal for them. Then on top of that you find out your father has cancer? It’s only been four days.”
William the dutiful: “He’s very aware of the future in front of him,” a source said of William. “They [the Waleses] take their commitment to duty and service very, very seriously, and he has made decisions about his life based on being heir to the throne. That weighs on his mind constantly.”
William won’t do anything until Kate is back on her feet: First and foremost, his priority is to see the Princess safely back on her feet. “Do not expect him to say or do anything about the future until his wife is recovered,” said a former royal aide. “He will always do the right thing, and for his wife and father right now that also means not jumping too many steps ahead.”
The press/royal establishment: William, you have to do something, you have to be seen, you have to show up to events and provide a sense that the monarchy is in steady hands no matter what.
William: No, I think I’ll show up drunk to an investiture, scream about Harry for 72 hours, whine about how I can’t win and then tell everyone that they shouldn’t expect me to do a g–damn thing for the next two months.
“Do not expect him to say or do anything about the future until his wife is recovered” is a very interesting timeline too – the shifting goalposts have been remarkable to watch as everyone works out in real time that William just refuses to “step up” and do ANYTHING.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.