Prince William is breaking away from the mold and paving his own path as he prepares to be king!
Last week, the Prince of Wales appeared in an episode of Eugene Levy‘s AppleTV+ show, The Reluctant Traveler, opening up about his career, his family, and Princess Catherine and King Charles III‘s cancer battles. The rare TV appearance wasn’t just a fun cameo — it was a strategic move to slowly rebuild William’s public reputation and prepare for his day as king!
Related: Are Catherine & William Shading Prince Harry?? LOOK!
Speaking to People on Tuesday, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith praised William for getting so personal in public, saying:
“It was a savvy move by William. By choosing a Canadian comedian as his interlocutor, William seems to be signaling that he wants to break out of the conventional mold.”
The 43-year-old made a point to discuss how he enjoys “change” rather than fears it and that he wants to ensure the monarchy is making “the most impact we could be.” While he’s obviously separating himself from his father’s way of running things, historian Robert Lacey urged:
“This shouldn’t be seen as criticism of King Charles. He is very close to his father and has been his most important supporter.”
Good! But royal biographer Andrew Morton still found the reveal about William’s desire for change “fascinating,” explaining:
“The two words ‘change’ and ‘monarchy’ don’t naturally go together. Monarchy is about continuity. To predicate your future life on the change you’re going to make to it…well, that’s a delicate mechanism.”
Meanwhile, an insider with connections to the place banger back at any notion that William’s new ideas would drastically change the royal institution, sharing:
“Prince William’s been quite vocal about what he wants to do when the time comes. [To be] more accessible, more approachable.”
AKA to modernize The Firm rather than completely change it!
At one point in the filmed convo, William explained that his immediate family has frequent heart-to-heart conversations about all aspects of life, including his wife’s medical scare. While it might seem small, this is a huge break from tradition for the royal family, which usually works by “ostriching,” as Sally called it, or by “avoiding discussions of emotional problems in hopes that they would go away.” A necessary step to avoid some of the pitfalls he and Prince Harry experienced.
Taking that one step further by bringing the whole work more into his personal and professional life is a key part of his lead-up to king that is already paying off! After watching the episode, Andrew expressed:
“He struck me as one of the lads. That’s different from previous generations. He seems very much one of us, even though he is the future King.”
Getting on a popular TV show was a clever branding opportunity for the future monarch! Bet we’ll be seeing more of this in the future!
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