Prince William's Tell-All Interview With Eugene Levy Reportedly Didn't Help Tensions With King Charles

Will we ever get a royal family reunion? New tensions are bubbling up in the family — shockingly, between King Charles III and his eldest, William, Prince of Wales. This news comes on the heels of the monarch and Prince Harry taking the first step toward reconciliation after meeting in London in September.

In William's revealing interview with Eugene Levy for the comedian's new AppleTV+ docuseries, "The Reluctant Traveler," the prince discussed everything from health updates about his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, to mourning his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. But revelations about family stress and his plans to transform the monarchy, reportedly did not sit well with his father. "The King sees it as betrayal, not honesty," a palace informant told Rob Schuter for his Substack, Naughty But Nice. William's openness reportedly prompted Charles to give his son the cold shoulder. Per another source, not only is the king personally offended by his son's comments, but it also feels like an attack on the strength of the monarchy, which is teetering amid all the royal drama. "It's not just family tension — it's about the Crown itself," they said.

William got candid with Levy in the interview, telling the "Schitt's Creek" actor that "family overwhelms me quite a bit." His job, however, is not as stressful; he seems to have big ideas for the monarchy once he becomes king. "I want to question things more," he admitted. "I think it's very important that tradition stays... but there's also points where you look at tradition and go, 'Is that still fit for purpose today? Is that still the right thing to do?'"

According to British historian Robert Lacey, Prince William's intention to trim traditions at Buckingham Palace isn't a dig at his father's reign. "This shouldn't be seen as criticism of King Charles," Lacey told People after William's bombshell interview. "He is very close to his father and has been his most important supporter." As a possible signal to the public that William and Charles aren't locked in a freeze-out, the father and son stepped out in London together for a climate event at the city's Natural History Museum on October 9. If there's one thing the king and prince can agree on, it's the importance of environmental conservation, a common ground issue that fills Charles with great pride for William.

Indeed, William and Charles are reportedly aligned on many ideas for the monarchy, suggesting that the king isn't opposed to William's plans for the institution's future. Though the father and son aren't best friends and don't always see eye-to-eye on the specifics of ruling Great Britain, an insider told the Daily Mail, "[T]hey do speak regularly and they are in absolute lockstep about the future of the monarchy and the good it can do this country." Who's to say what really happens behind the palace doors, but for optimism's sake, let's hope it's William and Charles sipping tea together, talking over blueprints of global environmental reparations.