How Prince William Is Reportedly Completely Reinventing His Image
Queen Elizabeth is still alive and well, but her heirs have been in planning mode for what happens when she is no longer with us. It started with Duchess Camilla — also known by her former married name Camilla Parker Bowles – receiving the queen's approval to become queen consort once Prince Charles ascends to the throne. Now, more details about what Charles' reign will look like are beginning to emerge.
According to Us Weekly, the biggest change that may come when Charles ascends the throne is that we'll see a smaller number of working royals. This may be something the Prince of Wales has already discussed with Elizabeth, who — in 2020 — was reported to have agreed to just eight senior working members of the royal family, per The Sun. This includes Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Edward and his wife, Countess Sophie, Princess Anne, and the queen.
Some worry how a slimmed-down number of working royals will affect things like charities and patronages. Royal expert Camilla Tominey told The Telegraph's Royal Insight podcast that a slimmed down monarchy "means by association that you're going to have fewer royals taking on fewer patronages." So far, it's unclear whether if — like with Prince Harry, Prince Andrew, and Meghan Markle's charities and patronages — these will be reassigned to other members or be dropped altogether.
As he prepares to take on the role of Prince of Wales, William also envisions something different for his position that will have a direct impact on the charities he supports.
How Prince William will reportedly change the role of Prince of Wales
Just like Prince Charles plans on changing up how the British monarchy runs, Prince William has reportedly been coming up with a plan on how to rebrand the role of Prince of Wales, per the Daily Mail.
In what's being described as "The Cambridge Way," people can expect William — in his future role as Prince of Wales — to be more influenced by Prince Philip and become more active, offering "hope and solutions," one royal source told the Daily Mail. This means less stage-managed photo-ops and more meeting with and listening to what people have to say.
These reports come after the multiple public relations disasters William and Kate Middleton faced during their recent tour of the Caribbean. Pauline Maclaran, professor of marketing and consumer research at Royal Holloway, told Express that she believes William "recognizes that there is a need to change because it's a public relations game these days," even more so than when Queen Elizabeth ascended.
According to the Daily Mail, part of William's plan is to shift the focus of the Prince of Wales role to only a handful of charities, prioritizing mental health, environmentalism, and early education. William's reported goal is to be able to take an active role in the charities he supports. This will be a departure from what Charles has done, including cutting down the number of charities Charles currently supports.