“The head that wears a crown becomes wise”, as the ancients said. He has been the living example of this saying since the day he was born. He felt the weight of the crown he would wear in the future when he was a small child, and he always lived accordingly. Today, with his father becoming king, his burden has become heavier than ever. We wanted to take a closer look at Prince William, whom both the British people and historians see as “the future of the Kingdom”.
The day he was born, he felt the gaze of not only the reporters of the tabloid newspapers in his country, but also the whole world. He was the first child of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
He was not the Queen’s first grandson, but he was her most special grandson because he was the one who would sit on the throne in the future, unless something extraordinary happened. His responsibilities began the day he was born, and he felt the weight of the future crown from the time he was a baby.
William Arthur Philip Louis Mountbatten-Windsor was born on 21 June 1982 at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. Looking back from today, it is possible to say that he revolutionised even his birth because he was the first heir to the throne born outside the palace walls.
Since that day, Prince William has been living his life in front of the eyes. The whole world witnessed him starting school with his red shorts and red flask, walking behind his mother’s coffin with all his seriousness when he was only 15 years old, going to Eton College and receiving flight training in the Royal Air Force.
William’s attendance at nursery school was another example of a change in tradition, as this was not the case for his predecessors. They received their first education from private nannies and teachers. His father Charles’ decision to send him to Gordonstoun boarding school in Scotland was equally unorthodox.
The wedding ceremony of Princess Catherine, or Kate Middleton as we all know her, has been one of the most watched events of recent years. Millions of people counted the minutes during the birth of her three children. We recently saw that blonde boy, whom we saw years ago on his way to his first lesson, taking his sons and daughter by the hand and taking them to school with fatherly discipline.
William, who is 40 years old today, was honoured with the title of Prince of Wales, which belonged to his father after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and rose to the first place in the line of succession.
ALWAYS WANTED TO BE “NORMAL”
Although he lived his life in the public eye, he managed to stay away from controversy and crisis to a great extent. In fact, he expressed at every opportunity that he tried to live as “normal” as possible. For example, in an interview he gave before starting university, he said, “I just want to go to university and have fun. I want to be an ordinary student. I’m just going to university, it’s not like I’m getting married…”
William has always managed to keep his distance in the scandals involving family members. As a result, he has always managed to be at the top of the popularity polls among the members of the Royal Family.
For this reason, commentators and historians specialising in the Royal Family believe that William and Catherine are the future of the monarchy. The couple, who successfully portrayed the image of perfection with the support of family members, is considered a symbol of the next generation.
Arianne Chernock, a professor of history at Boston University and an expert on the modern British monarchy, told the New York Times, describing the years that the 73-year-old King Charles III will spend on the throne as a “transitional period”, “I think we will have to wait until William and Kate to see more important updates. But those changes will always be carried out in accordance with tradition and in a sensitive manner.”
LEARNT A LOT FROM THE QUEEN
In the days following his grandmother’s death, William once again demonstrated both his respect for royal traditions and his instinct to project a positive image. For example, in his remembrance of the Queen, he emphasised the personal bond between them, as well as the role of Elizabeth II in shaping his and Kate’s view of the monarchy.
William has repeatedly emphasised in the past how important the Queen’s guidance has been for him. For example, in an interview, he said, “It was really incredible to have such a leader, such stability in front of me as a child. My grandmother was always very supportive and I am grateful for her guidance. But she never dictated what we should do. So I had the chance to try different things, to understand and to make my own path.”
On the same day, William and Kate, together with Harry and Meghan, took a walk around the palace and accepted condolences. This was interpreted as an olive branch between the siblings, whose relations had been strained for more than a year.
His book “Running the Family Firm: How the Monarchy Manages Its Image and Our Money” (Running the Family Firm: How the Monarchy Manages Its Image and Our Money”, Dr Laura Clancy told the New York Times that extensive work was being done in the palace to make the public see William and Kate as one of their own, especially focusing on the couple’s family life.
The future of the royalty is in their hands They also scored points from the scandal… William and Kate are the apple of the British eye…
Clancy, who also lectures at Lancaster University, said, “You see a much more intimate image than the one presented by Charles. They draw a complete nuclear family picture. Kate, the children and William as a father who takes care of everything for them,” Clancy said:
“We don’t know what kind of characters they really have. In fact, we don’t know much about Kate or William. But the public thinks they know them and that’s what matters…”
Prince William says he has an eclectic taste in music, listening to Coldplay and AC/DC with the same pleasure. It is known that he was a fan of Aston Villa at Eton, but in later years he favoured Birmingham because “he wanted a team that was mid-table in the league and could help him through emotional ups and downs”. William, who became President of the Football Association in 2006, frequently attends football matches but also makes time for high-class activities such as polo and pheasant shooting.
THEY ARE THE MOST LOVED AFTER THE QUEEN
A recent survey conducted by YouGov, a survey company operating in the UK, said very important things about the popularity of this young couple.
Within the scope of the research, citizens were asked how much they liked the members of the Royal Family and 66 per cent of the respondents expressed a positive opinion about William. William, who ranked third among the family members with this high percentage, was followed by his wife Kate with 68 per cent. The Queen herself was at the top with 75 per cent. Charles could only enter the list in seventh place with 42 per cent.
Prince William was only 15 years old when Princess Diana died. About a year after the funeral, a statement bearing the joint signatures of Prince William and Prince Harry was published. In this statement, the young princes addressed the media and the public, saying, in short, “Let us go on with our lives in peace”. This call was answered to a great extent. So much so that the Young Prince even thanked the journalists in his speech at the 10th anniversary of the Press Complaints Commission, which was his first official duty in February 2001.
FROM SCHOOL FRIENDSHIP TO A FAMILY WITH THREE CHILDREN
William, who realised that he was having some adaptation problems after 1.5 years at school, said in an interview before his 21st birthday, “It was a new environment, a new environment and I don’t know what to expect”. William, who was thinking of dropping out of school at that time and returned home, explained that he decided to continue his education thanks to the understanding attitude and advice of his father Charles.
One of the people who helped William overcome that difficult period was Kate Middleton. Friendship gradually turned into love. Kate, who spent her holidays with the Royal Family, also received the approval of Charles and Harry.
Although William said “There is no marriage on the horizon” for a while, royal commentators were sure that the end of this journey would be marriage.
The couple, who separated briefly in 2007, reunited after William completed his pilot training and served in search and rescue missions in the Air Force. In 2010, Middleton’s parents visited Birkhall, Charles’ personal residence at Balmoral, further fuelling rumours of marriage. And finally the expected happened. Clarence House announced that William proposed to Kate with the famous sapphire ring inherited from his mother. On 29 April 2011, the whole world watched the wedding.
Prince William has always spoken fondly of his mother, whom he lost at a late age, and even drew attention by looking very much like his mother in his early youth. In interviews, he told anecdotes such as their mother singing Tina Turner’s “(Simply) The Best” in the car on the way to school. In 2021, he was the first to defend his mother when an investigation revealed that the BBC had faked the famous interview in which Diana revealed that she had had an affair while married.
In this way, the couple, who reached a wide fan base all over the world, were appreciated a little more with everything they did, and were showered with love wherever they went.
18 months after their marriage, it was announced that William and Kate, then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were expecting their first baby. Prince George was born on 22 July 2013. In September 2014, when George was a little over 1 year old, the good news was given that Princess Charlotte would come this time. Then came the news of the third baby, Prince Louis, in September 2017. Each baby further reinforced the couple’s ideal nuclear family image.
Between 2015 and 2017, William also worked for a civilian organisation as an air ambulance pilot. However, he resigned from this position, stating that he wanted to devote all his time to royal duties.
THEY CONTROL THE RUMOUR ABOUT THEM WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
The best reflection of this image is their joint social media accounts. In their posts here, the couple gives important clues about what is going on in the background of their lives, while also controlling the discourse about them. Apart from this, William and Kate do not give direct interviews to the media and do not speak much except for planned events.
A significant portion of the photos on their social media accounts, where it is obvious that every detail has been carefully thought out, reflect the things they do as a family. For example, in the photos in the 2021 Christmas card, family members were sitting together in a desert in Jordan. William and Kate placed one hand on each other’s knees and the other on the backs of their children, creating a picture that every family can draw.
On the other hand, it is often underlined that most of the shots shared here were taken by Kate, who has been interested in photography for a long time.
While Harry is known as the “party prince”, William, even in his youth, presented a much more dignified image and was not involved in any scandals. There is only one exception: In 2012, while the couple were holidaying in the south of France at a chateau owned by the Queen’s nephew, Viscount David Linley, paparazzi took photos of Kate sunbathing topless and smoking a cigarette. After these photos were published in the Closer newspaper, the Royal Family sued the newspaper without caring about what was written about them and described the situation as “an invasion of Her Majesty’s privacy”. Kate’s calmness and composure during this process was highly appreciated. According to royal correspondent Camilla Tominey in The Telegraph, “William was furious when the paparazzi photos emerged, but Kate shrugged her shoulders. Unlike her news-addicted husband, the Duchess, who doesn’t care much for the media, was not impressed by the photographs”. This reinforced the belief that she would make a very good queen.
THEY WILL KEEP THE QUEEN’S LEGACY ALIVE IN THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE
“I think most people think William and Kate are a great team and would make a great king and queen,” royal researcher Phil Dampier told AFP.
Public comments also indicate that the portrait of the couple is hitting the bull’s eye. Pat Sellar, 71, one of the hundreds of thousands of people who laid flowers in Green Park last week, is a good example of this: “I admire the Royal Family because they all have such a strong sense of service. “The Queen is dead, but I’m pleased to see William and Kate passing it on to the younger generation.”
Until recently, this popularity meant that even the order of the throne could change. In a survey conducted by YouGov last May, 37 per cent answered the question “Who should succeed the Queen after she dies?” with “William”, while the rate of those who said “Charles” remained at 34 per cent.
The couple’s popularity increased even more during the pandemic period. For example, William’s statement that he and Kate gave the lessons during the period when George and Charlotte were home-schooled and that the children had difficulty in maths sent the message “We are like you” to millions of parents around the world.
FOR NOW, SHE WILL UNDERTAKE HER FATHER’S WORK
However, many experts believe that William’s accession to the throne will not fundamentally change the Royal Family. For example, Clancy said: “One of the things that members of the Royal Family do very well is to change constantly, to stay the same and to preserve what they have. I think William is the next generation of that.”
The transfer of the titles of “Prince of Wales” and “Duke of Cornwall”, which belonged to Charles when the Queen was alive, to William is not just a symbolic change. This means that the administration of the Duchy of Cornwall, which turned into a very profitable business during Charles’ reign and is estimated to be worth £ 1 billion today, will also pass to William.
It is also possible that William will take on some of the issues his father championed, such as the fight against climate change, which King Charles III will no longer be able to do as he is now head of state.
As a matter of fact, William has already signalled that climate change is on his agenda and has launched the Earthshot Award through the foundation he founded. Within the scope of the award, 5 people who work on stopping climate change every year for 10 years will be rewarded with £ 1 million.
WHO ELSE BUT WILLIAM COULD BE THE “SAFE HANDS”?
In his first speech after becoming king, Charles emphasised William’s changing role and gave clues about the Prince’s role in the eyes of the family.
“Of course my life will change when I take on my new responsibilities. I will no longer be able to devote so much time and energy to the charities and causes I care so much about. But I know that these important works will continue in the reliable hands of others.” It was commented that the person Charles meant was William.
In fact, Prince William is not too far away from environmental studies. After graduating from Eton College, he spent a year travelling in Chile, Kenya and New Zealand, engaging in humanitarian aid and environmental protection activities before starting his education at St. Andrews.
The couple have also been working on mental health issues for some time.
Robert Hazell, professor of political science and constitutionalism at University College London, said that William will spend this period preparing to become king and that William’s visibility will increase as Charles gets older.
Speaking to AFP, Hazell said: “I have no doubt that the burden on William will increase, the royal duties will increase.”
WILL HE ALSO APOLOGISE TO THE COLONIES?
Chernock also made the same point, saying, “I thought Charles’ message was aimed directly at William and Kate.”
Noting that there may be room for change in this area, Chernock said, “William and Kate could use this period to deal with modernisation before they become king and queen.”
“They could take steps to resolve problems within the Royal Family, even making formal apologies for slavery and imperialism,” Chernock said, adding that the couple could also address issues on the public agenda. They could follow the path opened by Charles in Barbados last year,” he said.
But Chernock’s points are not so easy to realise. Prince Andrew, who has faced serious allegations of sexual assault, has been kept out of the family for some time. William and Kate’s Caribbean tour in the spring of this year did not go as well as expected. Despite the warm welcome, the trip was marked by some missteps and criticisms of insensitivity.
THERE ARE SIGNS OF PEACE BETWEEN BROTHERS BUT…
As for the tension between William and Harry… The fact that the two brothers took part side by side in various events during the Queen’s funeral process is seen as an opportunity for the ice to melt.
As can be remembered, Harry and Meghan left the Royal Family in early 2020 and settled in the USA. In 2021, the couple gave a very vocal interview to Oprah Winfrey, explaining that palace life brought Meghan to the brink of suicide.
One of the most controversial parts of the interview was the revelation that a member of the family said that the couple had concerns about the skin colour of their baby. A few days after this interview, Prince William responded to a reporter’s question, “Is the Royal Family racist?” by saying, “We are definitely not a racist family.” This was Prince William’s only direct statement on the subject.
Another noteworthy detail in the Oprah interview was Harry’s words, “My brother and father are trapped by tradition”. William did not respond to this, but it is clear that he wants to show himself as the person who keeps the future of the monarchy in safe hands.
The images of the minutes when the brothers greeted the grieving Brits who came to Windsor Castle with their wives reminded those who closely followed the Royal Family a few years ago when these two couples were on good terms and were seen as the future of the Kingdom. However, according to the British press, this peace will only be valid for the mourning period and those who expect a permanent rapprochement will be disappointed.
