New Book Reveals the Queen’s Deep ‘Sympathy’ for William — and Her Sage Advice He Still Lives By
Queen Elizabeth had a word of advice for Prince William before becoming a full-time working royal.
Queen Elizabeth had been the royal family’s strongest pillar for the seven decades that she was on the throne. She had brought much-needed stability to the monarchy through various turbulent times. However, the longest-reigning British monarch was also once a content Princess of York, living a relatively peaceful life with her Royal Navy officer husband and two children in Malta. It was perhaps because of her cherished memories from Gwardamanga that the Queen empathized with her grandson and future king, Prince William’s desire to live a quieter life before becoming a full-time working royal.
Royal expert Russell Myers talked about the bond between the Queen and William in his new book, William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story. “The Queen felt there were deep parallels between her cherished time in Malta and William's determination to live in Wales for longer," he wrote.
William had lived in Wales when he was training on the Sea King, a search and rescue helicopter. Myers further quoted a former courtier, as he added, “The Queen certainly had sympathy with (William's) situation. Her direction was very much 'go and live your life,' but also to have one eye on the future, as you never know when things will change.”
William married Kate Middleton in 2011 in a dreamy wedding. The Queen made him the Duke of Cambridge and Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, that year. At the time, he was still working in the RAF. Despite not being full-time working royals, the young couple had already been navigating intense media scrutiny, which was bound to get worse once William took office. During this period, he seemed to have found strength in his grandmother’s advice on enjoying his present life.
“William drew much comfort from his grandmother's words and felt emboldened to make the most of the opportunity that lay in front of him and Catherine, for as long as they could make it last,” Myers wrote. William quit his job as a pilot in 2017 to assume his role as a full-time working royal. Along with being a senior member of the royal family and, in many ways, the face of the modern era, he was also a future king. A position that would essentially redefine his life.
The weight and responsibility of being a British monarch are perhaps only fully understood by a British monarch. It could be why the late Queen shared a special connection with William, who, during her lifetime, was third in the line of succession. After the Queen’s demise in 2022, her son and William’s father, Charles, succeeded to the throne. William’s title was officially changed from the Duke of Cambridge to the Prince of Wales, the traditional title bestowed upon the heir apparent.
