Interestingly, there’s been a flurry of Kensington Palace briefings in recent days. Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of the Princess of Wales’s cancer announcement, and KP marked the occasion by giving an exclusive, sugary briefing to Becky English at the Mail. As it turns out, KP also gave a special briefing to Roya Nikkhah at the Times, but this one is all about Global Statesman Peg and his commitment to never doing a full-scale royal tour ever again. William spent two days in Estonia last week, visiting a British military outpost and highlighting NATO’s commitment to the Baltic states in the wake of Russia’s war with Ukraine. Apparently, the two-day trip was Prince William’s new model for “tours” and foreign trips. He thinks he looks more like a global statesman if he keeps his schedule open enough to always have weekends off, in addition to a good chunk of the work week off too. Some highlights from this Times exclusive:
This is the new “tour” model: When the Prince of Wales recently outlined his approach to the monarchy, he spoke of aiming for “impact” and “trying to do it differently”. With a whistlestop trip to Estonia last week — where he spent less than two days on the ground and was home in time for a weekend with his family — the prince gave another indication of what his “different” approach to monarchy means in practice. Some royal watchers have questioned why the Waleses appear to have moved away from the traditional model of two overseas tours a year — one in the spring and one in the autumn — which the King adhered to for years as the Prince of Wales and has continued with as monarch.
Soft power: For William’s deployment of soft power on the global stage, he will increasingly opt for short foreign trips rather than the traditional lengthier royal tours. A source close to William said: “What you saw last week is a short, impactful trip that showcased an important issue. It’s a model you’re likely to see more of.” William and Kate’s last overseas tour was to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas in March 2022, and was beset by controversy and diplomatic hitches.
Why William & Kate won’t go on long tours: The Waleses have prioritised not spending extended time away from Prince George, who is eleven, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six. The children’s weekends and school holidays are seen as special family time, which the couple try not to let work interrupt.
William loves the word “impact”: While aides would not rule out longer overseas tours for the couple in future, they stressed that William’s vision for “the role that modern monarchy has in diplomacy” and his role as a global statesman is more about that buzzword — “impact” — over endurance. “The idea of the short, sharp trip that has impact is one that works from a storytelling and impact perspective,” said an aide. “He was in Estonia for under 36 hours, one minute he’s sat with the president, the next he’s taking selfies with Estonians [during a walkabout with hundreds of wellwishers], then he’s taking part in a military exercise on the Russian borders. In terms of diplomacy and the role the family has to play, that is an example of what they can deliver.”
No major overseas tours for a while: In November, William is set to travel to Brazil for a few days for his annual Earthshot environmental awards, and to attend the Cop30 climate conference which will be held in the northern city of Belem. He and the Princess of Wales, who is in remission from cancer and is continuing with a gradual return to public life, are not expected to embark on a major overseas tour any time soon.
More global statesmanship without the messy travel: While William is not expected to increase the amount of time he spends abroad on official business, there has been a notable increase in what aides call his “statesmanlike work” since becoming heir to the throne. At every meeting, discussions about geopolitics and a range of world issues were on the agenda. “I think he is more confident and he takes it in his stride,” said the aide. “That role of global statesman is really important for him. When asked, he’s always willing to do what’s needed to support the government and His Majesty.”
This reads like everyone knows that William is profoundly incapable of doing anything more than this, so they’re trying to work with what little they have. “I was in Estonia for 36 hours, that makes me a global statesman!” Sure, Peg. That being said, it definitely feels like William is telling (and not showing) the press that this is the way it is from now on… and the press isn’t quite sold on it. Thus, Roya’s jabs about the Caribbean Flop Tour of 2022 and “Some royal watchers have questioned why the Waleses appear to have moved away from the traditional model of two overseas tours a year.” This is a disagreement between Charles and William, right? Charles wonders why William can’t get off his ass and commit to traveling at least twice a year for something other than “vacations” and “football.” Oh well – Charles got the heir he deserves.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
