For Prince William, who called the past year “brutal” and “the hardest of my life” while dealing with his wife’s and father’s cancer diagnoses, this time has been especially meaningful. With his wife now in remission and his father continuing treatment, William has spent the year thinking deeply about his future as king and how he wants to shape the monarchy. Those close to William say his reign will be more of a gradual change than a sudden overhaul, but they admit there will still be major changes at Buckingham Palace.
Per The Sunday Times a friend of the Prince said, “He’s definitely been thinking a lot about how things will evolve over time. When the moment comes, he’ll want to do it his way: genuinely, not just following a script. He’s not afraid to dig into the details, ask the tough questions, and figure out what actually works today. He wants to make sure the whole thing has even more impact and remains relevant.”
Prince William wants to review how the monarchy is structured to make sure it suits the modern world. He’s aware of its cost—£86.3 million a year, or about £1.29 per person—and plans to take a more active role in streamlining operations. Unlike King Charles, who relies heavily on staff, William intends to be more hands-on. One of his key advisers, Jason Knauf, has worked closely with him for over a decade in various leadership roles and said:
“He has been thinking about the future for years, and he knows that what his grandmother did and what his father does is an evolution,” says Knauf per The Sunday Times. “There are traditions and things that won’t change, but this thinking about the next [role] is how is this going to be reflective of him? That’s the way he thinks about the future. It’s all an evolution, making it work for what people expect of him and leaders of his generation. The late Queen didn’t keep doing the same thing for 70 years, and it won’t ever feel like it’s done. It will feel different but not jarring — he’ll want it to feel like a natural progression that people expect of him. If it feels like that, it will be a success.”
Prince William has already signaled that his reign will bring more changes. While King Charles shortened Queen Elizabeth’s three-hour coronation to one hour in 2023, William plans to simplify it even further.
Some close to him believe he should also skip the tradition of wearing the heavy Imperial State Crown, calling it outdated and overly theatrical.
The Sunday Times article described how those close to Prince William say he’s had a noticeable change in how he deals with the fallout from Prince Harry. While he was once deeply upset and angry—especially after Harry’s memoir Spare—he’s now moved on and rarely talks about it. One friend said the drama used to weigh heavily on him, but now he’s in a healthier place by letting it go.
Meanwhile, royal insiders were surprised by reports that Harry wants to keep HRH titles for his children, Archie and Lilibet, so they can choose to be working royals later. Under William’s future reign, however, it’s unlikely they will have official roles in the monarchy.
