This feels like Kensington Palace trying to push back on their own clownish behavior. Prince William covers the May issue of Tatler, and while he didn’t give an interview to the magazine, make no mistake, he and his team absolutely approved of the cover story. It’s a lengthy, overwrought piece in which they try to convince their readers that William is doing great, thanks for asking, and he’s stepping up and stepping into his “next act.” Tatler’s Wesley Kerr recites William’s royal titles like Huevo achieved these things through merit. Kerr also tries to pretend that William and his staffers haven’t been engaged in months of clownery, clownery which has significantly destabilized the monarchy. You can read the full piece here, I’m not going to excerpt many highlights because this is one of the most contemptible pieces of royal propaganda I’ve ever seen. Just unbridled sycophancy, with absolutely zero new information.
Grand but different: William is grand but different, royal but real. At 6ft 3in, he has the bearing and looks great in uniform after a distinguished, gallant military career. He will be one of the tallest of Britain’s kings since Edward Longshanks in the 14th century and should one day be crowned sitting above the Stone of Scone that Edward ‘borrowed’. William, by contrast, has a deep affinity with Scotland and Wales, having lived in both nations and gained solace from the Scottish landscape after his mother died. He’s popular in America and understands that the Crown’s relationship to the Commonwealth must evolve.
Time to step up: The Prince of Wales’s time has come to step up; and so he has deftly done. In recent months, we have seen a fully-fledged deputy head of state putting into practice his long-held ideas, speaking out on the most contentious issue of the day and taking direct action on homelessness.
William’s BAFTA appearance: More stardust followed when William showed that, even without his wife by his side, he could outclass any movie star at the Baftas. There’s also his immense aim of helping to ‘repair the planet’ itself with his Earthshot Prize: five annual awards of £1 million for transformative environmental projects with worldwide application. This project has a laser focus on biodiversity, better air quality, cleaner seas, reducing waste and combating climate change. Similar aims to his father; different means to achieve the goal.
Charles’s approach was to work constantly: As Prince of Wales, [Charles] was involved in the minutiae of dozens of issues at any one time, working into the night to follow up on emails, crafting his speeches, writing or dictating notes. Add to that much nationwide touring over 40 years (after he left active military service in 1976), fitting in multiple engagements, often being greeted formally by lord lieutenants. This is not William’s style. He has commended his father’s model, but he does things his own way. Although patronages are under review, William has up till now far fewer than either his father or his grandparents.
Valentine Low is a big Huevo fan: ‘He defuses the formality with jocularity,’ says Valentine Low, citing two public events in 2023 that he witnessed. In October, Low reported, William ‘unleashed his inner flirt as he hugged his way through a visit with Caribbean elders [in Cardiff] to mark Black History Month. As he gave one woman a hug – for longer than she expected – he joked: “I draw the line at kissing.” And while posing for a group photograph, he prompted gales of laughter when he quipped: “Who is pinching my bottom?”’ Low believes that when William eventually becomes king, he will be more ‘radical’ than his father but wonders if people will respond to ‘call me William’ when ‘the whole point of the Royal Family is mystique and being different’. However, William has thought deeply about his current role and is prepared for whatever his future holds.
The kids’ schooling: For now, there is a decision to be made on Prince George’s secondary schooling. It’s said that five public schools are being considered, all fee-paying. Eton is single-sex and boarding but close to home. Marlborough (Kate’s alma mater) is co-ed and full boarding. And Oundle, St Edward’s Oxford and Bradfield College (close to Kate’s parents) are co-ed with a mix of boarding and day.
Having read/skimmed the whole piece, this is not an underhanded, shady takedown like Tatler’s infamous “Kate the Great” debacle in 2020. It’s just straight propaganda, as they’re trying to rewrite very recent history before our eyes. They can’t say that William showed up under the influence at an investiture or that he was a crude buffoon at the BAFTAs, but do they have to lie about it completely? It’s also notable just how few mentions there are of Kate. While she’s not completely ignored, it’s clear that this is about William alone and how HE is stepping up and it’s HIS next act.
Photos courtesy of Instar, cover courtesy of Tatler.