How Prince William’s ‘Ruthless’ Side Is Already Reshaping the Monarchy: 'He’s Much Tougher'
William reportedly took over enforcing his plan on the 'gentler' King Charles to protect the monarchy from scandals.
To the public, Prince William has always been a charming figure who takes his responsibilities very seriously and is actively working towards the upliftment of society, but behind palace doors, he has a different persona. Behind this carefully curated veneer of normalcy lies a fierce, sharp-eyed strategist. As per royal insiders, the Prince is determined to protect both his mother Princess Diana’s legacy and the future of the monarchy at any cost, and he might have already started working on his plan by taking a rather 'ruthless' approach towards Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Historian and royal biographer, Andrew Lownie, in his book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, revealed that while Charles had a different blueprint set to deal with the Epstein scandal, William took over enforcing his plan on the 'gentler' King. Shockingly, as per Lownie, William's merciless approach towards Andrew had a lot to do with his father's sentimental soft spot for their relatives. “William is calling the shots more now that we’re in this transitional phase towards him taking over,” said the biographer, as highlighted in iPaper.
Lownie detailed the King's dilemma, stating, “Charles is sentimental, he’s very compassionate, he’s a bit of a ditherer, and I believe he’ll have given guarantees to his mother, and indeed Andrew himself – guarantees that he will take care of Andrew, that he will ensure Andrew’s girls are OK." He continued, "William can’t speak out because he’s number two, and he won’t cross his father, but he’ll have had a big influence.”
With murmurs suggesting how William was the driving force, convincing his father to strip Mountbatten-Windsor of his title, it is a clear giveaway that the future heir is already working on his plan. Lownie also shed light on the fact that William was "annoyed and frustrated that the buck keeps being passed on the Andrew issue – that the Queen passed it to Charles, and Charles has had three years to address this, and hasn’t really done it. There’s some tension about that.” However, it is essential to understand that they both come from different schools of thought.
"Charles feels he is obligated to his relatives, but he also has various skeletons in his closet [his infidelity with Diana, the ‘Black Spider’ memos proving he lobbied the government], and has needed to keep Andrew and Fergie inside the tent, whereas William doesn’t care about any of that," explained Lownie. He further detailed that William is "cleaner than the others, and the tension is that he wants a clean stable when he moves into the role of king. William also has Kate, who is a really tough one, and behind that smiling exterior, she’s like the steely Queen Mum."
The difference between Charles and William is clear, and as per Robert Hardman, while one is 'a romantic at heart,' the other is 'a pragmatist rather than a romantic,' defining their clear boundaries. While Charles may now have the decision-making powers in his hands, William is still influencing them in his own way. And needless to say, a reflection of how Prince William's rule will look.
