Royal Staff Undergo Major 'Change' Under Prince William as He Teases Monarchy Shake-Up
Prince William, as heir to the throne, has started stepping into his father’s shoes, and the winds of change are no longer a distant forecast. William has made no secret of his wishes to modernize the monarchy when the time comes, with subtle but telling shifts already beginning to show under his watch as the Prince of Wales.
William opened up about the same recently in his interview with Eugene Levy for The Relectunant Traveller. He shared, “I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda.” He stressed that he embraces 'change for good,' but not the kind that shakes the foundations, but rather strengthens them.
During the segment, Levy asked William, “You’ll one day be King of England. Do you ever think about that?” The Prince responded with calm assurance, saying it isn’t something he dwells on daily. “I don’t wake up thinking about it,” he said. “For me, it’s about being authentic, genuine, and true to myself. You can add titles and roles to that, but if I’m not grounded in who I am and what I stand for, none of it really means anything.”
And this spirit seems to be filtering through to the people who are working closely with him. According to The Telegraph’s Melissa Twigg, even the dress code at the Duchy of Cornwall has evolved. Staff, once expected to wear ties in the presence of then-Prince Charles, are now allowed a more relaxed look when William visits.
A small adjustment, nonetheless, one that speaks volumes about what William's reign as King would look like. Insiders have noted that William prefers things a little less stiff, a little more human. Royal expert, Ingrid Seward, has argued that the Prince has never been one for frills. “I think William finds some of the pomp and circumstance, and particularly some of the more elaborate outfits, slightly embarrassing.” She further explained, "[The King] even has his paper napkins stamped with his royal cypher. I don’t think William is going to want to do that. Maybe he would just keep his father’s cypher, but I can’t see him getting all the uniforms changed, and I think he might get rid of a lot of the unnecessary decorations on plates and glasses."
She added that he’ll likely be “relieved to tone it down” when the Crown eventually lands on his head. Charles’s reign so far has been mostly about steadying the Institution, whereas William’s might be about reshaping it.
As he inches closer to kingship, William has been gradually entrusted with responsibilities that once rested solely on his father’s shoulders. From representing Britain at the late Pope Francis’ funeral to meeting with figures like Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron, his international portfolio has grown considerably. Royal commentator Katie Nicholl for Vanity Fair also noted that Charles wouldn’t hand over such high-stakes responsibilities unless he believed his son was ready. “William has proven himself to be a very capable international statesman,” she said, adding that Palace aides describe him as ‘absolutely ready’ should his time come sooner than expected.
As royal watchers have pointed out in the Channel 5 documentary William and The King: Like Father, Like Son, the similarities between Charles and William are undeniable. But where Charles sought to modernize through message, William is doing it through method.