Royal Expert Urges Prince William to Step Up Royal Duties Amid ‘Work-Shy’ Label
Prince William is one of the most popular royals, but one particular critique has refused to leave his back.
Prince William is easily at the zenith of the totem pole in terms of popularity. However, despite the love and appreciation he consistently earns from the public, one particular critique refuses to leave his back. And that is of him being “work-shy.” He and his wife, Kate Middleton, have repeatedly recorded lower counts of public engagements compared to senior royals like King Charles and Princess Anne, who consistently rank among the most hardworking members of the family.
William became a full-time working royal years after his wedding to Middleton. However, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams believes that the Prince of Wales now needs to take on “more” duties, considering his father’s health and the role he will step into one day. “It was totally understandable that he should have prioritised his family in the early years, and his insistence on privacy for them was essential, especially considering the extraordinary scrutiny they will face in later life,” he told the Daily Mail.
“Yet considering the magnitude of the job he one day will be asked to take on, with King Charles still battling cancer, it is surely important that he takes on more,” Fitzwilliams added. Before committing full-time to royal duties, the Prince of Wales served with RAF Search and Rescue and later the East Anglian Air Ambulance. As the royal expert noted, “But his reluctance to take on public duties led to the accusatory nickname ‘Work Shy Wills,’ implying he only took on what he wanted to do.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales understandably took a back seat from official royal duties following Catherine's cancer diagnosis. While the public has certainly rejoiced “in her recovery” and in her triumphant “trip to Italy,” Fitzwilliam said, “Yet the last royal tour they undertook as a couple was to the Caribbean in 2022. A trip to capitalise on the support for the monarchy in the Antipodes would be a splendid idea and should be arranged as should, in time, trips elsewhere in the Commonwealth and visits to our European allies, following in King Charles's footsteps.”
William and Middleton are two of the most popular royals in the palace at the moment, and Fitzwilliams believes their positive public image will be a massive asset to the monarchy. “This would be a brilliant use of our soft power, bearing in mind the Waleses have ratings Britain of over 70 percent, which is superb and should be maximised,” he added.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are set to travel to Mumbai, India, later this year for the Earthshot Prize ceremony. The visit will mark their first major joint international work trip in quite some time. As they step back onto the international stage, the Wales couple is well-positioned to leverage their public support and help redefine the modern face of the British monarchy.
