Prince William Lays Out His Plan for the Monarchy and It’s Exactly What Harry Wants: ‘I’m Trying...'

Prince William reportedly wants to be ‘his own man’ and distance himself from King Charles' legacy. As the heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales aims to modernize the monarchy. In line with this vision, William has expressed his commitment to practicing empathetic leadership. Interestingly, his approach mirrors his estranged brother Prince Harry's stance, who recently advocated for a more ‘empathetic’ world.

William spoke to reporters in late 2024, shortly after his trip to South Africa. As reported by the Telegraph, he said, “I can only describe what I'm trying to do, and that's I'm trying to do it differently and I'm trying to do it for my generation... to give you more understanding around it, I'm doing it with maybe a smaller R in the royal, if you like, that's maybe a better way of saying it.” William explained that the pomp and protocol associated with royal ways do not agree with his values. He stressed, “I’m going to throw empathy in there… And I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world.”

The Prince of Wales believes that some of the royal family’s traditional protocols no longer align with the modern world. He said of his approach, “It’s more about impact, philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people.” Sources also told the outlet that William has done “a lot of thinking” about what kind of King he wants to be and how he wishes to reform certain traditions. The insider explained that rather than ribbon-cutting, he wants to focus on raising money for local communities and creating change. Reportedly, the Waleses have also opted to focus on a smaller number of key organizations than their predecessors.

William’s approach to a more empathetic leadership is likely to make Harry quietly proud. After all, in his recent appearance on 6 May at The Diana Award, the Duke of Sussex praised the young award winners for showing empathy. As reported by the Mirror, he said, “From a younger generation standpoint, in an apathetic world, there’s more empathy in this generation than I’ve ever seen before…It’s the empathy, the authenticity, the truth, the honesty, and the fearlessness…” The charity set up as an homage to the late Princess Diana aims to encourage businesses to invest in youth leadership.

In yet another comment aligning with his older brother’s approach, Harry added, “This generation isn’t waiting for permission to lead – they are already doing it…What sets them apart is…their refusal to settle for the status quo… If we’re serious about a better future, we need to stop underestimating them and start listening.” While the royal brothers have echoed similar sentiments about future leadership, they have not been on speaking terms for years now. It is also speculated that William is not planning to invite Harry to his coronation when he becomes King.