Prince William may be preparing to follow in his father’s footsteps with a modernized approach to the monarchy, but he’s got his eyes wide open when it comes to one evolving royal dilemma.
As heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales has remained fairly quiet on what his reign might look like. But during a visit to South Africa last year, William offered a subtle clue, revealing that he plans to do royal life with a “small r”, focusing on meaningful action over pomp and pageantry.
Insiders say he’s also fully on board with King Charles’s vision of a “slimmed-down monarchy”, one that eases the financial burden on British taxpayers by limiting the number of senior working royals.
But now, sources close to the royal household say William is “increasingly aware” of the pressures created by that approach, especially as the monarchy’s inner circle has shrunk since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down in 2020.
“Although Prince William still believes in a ‘slimmed-down monarchy,’ he is increasingly aware of the hard work of his extended family,” a palace insider told The Daily Mail’s Richard Eden.
That extended family includes non-working royals like Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and Zara Tindall, all of whom maintain private careers but frequently step in to support the Firm at charity events, family functions, and public appearances.
While it remains unclear whether William plans to officially elevate his cousins into senior working royal roles once he becomes king, insiders believe he may take steps to publicly recognize their contributions and further embrace their support.