William on the global stage

[PrettyFlyforaMaiTai]

The government have asked Prince William to attend the ceremony to mark the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. He is mixing with world leaders such as Trump, Macron, Zelensky and Meloni, as well as Elon Musk and First Lady Dr Jill Biden. He will also be having a private meeting with Trump to discuss Anglo-American relations.

Is this a sign of things to come for William? Is this preparing him for his future role as King?

news.sky.com/story/prince-william-and-donald-trump-meet-at-notre-dame-cathedral-ceremony-13269085

Yes, of course it is.

The working royals do this sort of soft diplomacy all the time. The more important you are in the pecking order, the more senior the interlocutors.

Macron will be in an arm sling tomorrow 😂Trump didn't try that move on William at least.

William's been on the global stage for a very long time! LOL at you listing Elon Musk as another person of note at that ceremony.

Sigh. He went to Paris. It's the other side of the channel. Who the f**k cares about a king to be from a backwater country that hasn't realised that it no longer matters?

I think someone forgot to tell that to the people he's meeting!

You think Donald Trump or Elon Musk (or anyone French) thinks British royalty are important? The Americans had a whole revolution to get rid of them and the French cut the heads off their relatives. Being "polite" to people who turn up to events is not the same thing as considering them of any value. The British royal family are an expensive anochronism in a developed world that has either dispensed with or downgraded their own monarchs.

Why? Just why?

Am sure they know

It's nothing to do with being "polite"

If senior US figures did not think the interlocutor important, then they simply wouldn't meet or greet at all.

To be fair, Trump seems to really like the British royal family. I imagine that William et al will be a great tool for British diplomacy over the next 4 years. And the US is a friend worth having!

Elon Musk? God help us. He is a billionaire who has been cosying up to Russia and Putin for two decades.

I don't think he's someone to revere. We're in deep shit whilst he is around.

So why do you think the Government asked Prince William to go? Who was more likely to have a " sit down" with Trump? William or Lammy!

Oh definitely not someone to revere. But someone who has become very influential and powerful in recent years.

Sadly, William.

But he Musk is someone to fear. Money talks.

I think Trumpy is getting pissed off with him though. That will be interesting when he pokes and prods at Trump's ego.

It’s his job - however boring, to do these things although he hasn’t exactly done much work lately.

Musk has a brand new government appointment, and right now no-one knows what it's going to mean in practice. Could be anything from a sinecure to a major political role.

Trump is quixotic, so it's difficult to even guess what to expect

I can't actually think of much William has done lately. I kind of forgot he existed.

A backwater country 😂😂

Backwater countries are not usually ranked as the 6th largest economy in the world.

Somebody got out of bed the wrong side this morning

Let's hope it's not a major political role. A new department called 'DOGE' .. but only Congress can create a new department. Two billionaires creating a new department doesn't sit easy with me.

I wonder why this married man with three young children has worked a little less lately (if that's even true)?

Well Donald Trump does. He’s having a private meeting with him to discuss Anglo-American relations. And he has also spoke of his respect of the British royal family in the past, so…

David Lammy has had dinner with Trump.

I doubt Trump holds that much a grudge against him - he did pick a VP who once called him "America's Hitler" after all.

A lot of people might not like Trump and Musk, but they are the future for at least the next 4 years. And if they want to talk/mix with William and the royal family that can only be a good thing for the economy and trade relations. Soft power cannot be underestimated.

I’d rather be at a state banquet in a palace being hosted by the royal family than having afternoon tea with Keir Starmer in 10 Downing Street.

Not everyone feels like you.

But that's fine. Everyone is entitled to an opinion..