How Prince William’s Reluctance to Go on Overseas Tours Opens the Door for Harry’s Faux Royal Visits
Prince William's travel habits may be raising eyebrows within Palace walls, but they could be also playing into Prince Harry's hands.
Prince William has often faced criticism for being 'work-shy,' amid scrutiny of the number of engagements he undertakes as heir to the throne. His approach, as pointed out by Newsweek's royal correspondent Jack Royston, significantly differs from King Charles', who favors a traditional model of monarchy built on visibility, diplomacy, and frequent overseas trips. Against that backdrop, Roysten argues that William's alleged reluctance to travel abroad could present a golden opportunity for Prince Harry, whose international tours continue to demonstrate the value he could bring to the monarchy.
Speaking on Newsweek's YouTube Channel, Roysten analyzed an article by the Daily Mail's Barbara Davies, which lifted the lid on the King and the heir's ongoing tug of war. In it, Davies claimed that the British government had been trying to get the Prince of Wales to take on more overseas duties, but to no avail. Moreover, she alleged that even Charles had to basically force his eldest son to go to the Pope's funeral after William skipped Jimmy Carter's funeral in America. Weighing in on The Mail's analogy, Roysten opined, "It's all really interesting because overseas visits are exactly what Harry and Meghan have been doing…so advertising their willingness to do something that William apparently will not do."
That being said, the royal expert highlighted Harry and Meghan Markle's multiple international trips to Ukraine, Colombia, Jordan, and Australia, signalling their desire to do the very same thing William tends to avoid. He continued, "Harry is basically showing Charles that this is something I can give you." He also spoke about the parallels between Charles' and Harry's approaches to duties, noting that the pair have spoken out against antisemitism and expressed support for Ukraine within days, or sometimes hours, of one another.
In contrast to Charles's approach, Roysten believes William does not care for ribbon-cutting ceremonies and instead focuses on taking on smaller engagements with greater impact. This, he suggests, leaves the Duke of Sussex with an 'open goal': to regain his father's trust and propel the monarchy's visibility with international engagements. He stressed, "Harry can just keep traveling overseas…Just keep doing whatever Buckingham Palace might ask of him, whatever the King might ask of him, and keep demonstrating that he can provide value that William isn't providing." It's safe to say that if overseas travel remains low on William's priority list, his brother might just swoop in for a place the future King seems reluctant to fill.
