William the Quiet Disruptor - Future of the Monarchy

[PrettyFlyforaMaiTai]

I just read this Sky News article “My Week with Prince William: The Quiet Disruptor” and found it really interesting.

The article paints a picture of someone who’s trying to do things differently, more of a “quiet disruptor” than a traditional royal. He seems to want to modernise the monarchy, focusing less on ribbon-cutting and more on community projects and real social impact. It might not be flashy, but it feels more in touch with what people care about today. He wants to be seen as a trustworthy global leader who uses his influence for good in a time when there is a lot of distrust in leadership worldwide.

It talks about how, although some still label him “work-shy” because he schedules his engagements around his children, most of the people interviewed actually saw that as a positive. They praised him for putting his family first and being a present dad.

It acknowledges that not everyone will be happy with this new version of monarchy, and some people will criticise the change in ethos.

I suppose time will tell whether this new approach will change anything long term. Charles also said he wanted to modernise, so let’s see it sticks this time. But it’s an interesting read if you’re curious about how William’s trying to shape his role.

William the Quiet Disruptor

I think the Royal PR machine is working overtime to convince the population about how important they still are whilst allowing them to do as little as possible.

Their prime concern is keeping the public on side whilst increasing their wealth by any means possible including charging the public to store ambulances on ‘their’ land.

I'm thinking of writing an article titled: My Week with Prince William: The Backyard Dog Breeder.
It might not be quite as positive as this load of old spinned nonsense.

I mean William is already one of the most popular members of the family regardless of this article. I don’t think that’s going to change regardless unless he is involved in a massive scandal.

It will be interesting to see where that goes when he is King and if he is still committed to modernising the monarchy, like Charles said he would.

That sounds more like James Middleton to be honest 🤭

This is William's preferred take on himself - the global leader who is simultaneously doing behind the scenes community work and it only looks like he is idle because you don't know what he is up to.

Reality is nobody will care about meeting him as King in the way people used to care about meeting the Queen. Plus he isn't a global statesman, he's effectively a nepo baby.

As for focusing less on ribbon-cutting and more on community projects and real social impact this is exactly what the Prince's Trust does, probably the most successful royal charity project. But apparently he didn't want to take it on.

Because this has to last long term. Not just him but George and on and on. They need to continuously talk about all the secret hard work they are doing because scandal probably wont see the end of them (they have survived enough of them) but apathy. They don't want people to question what they actually are doing for others ( not just themselves, which is substantial) Charles saud he ws doing to modernise the Monarchy. He had enough time to think about how, but hasn't. Why not? He could have followed what the other RF's of Europe did. If William was on board with this, then why hasn't he pushed for this while his children were young enough for it to be prepared for? I suspect he doesn't want to modernise the Monarchy at all. Especially if it means his own grandkids not having titles, or the ridk that stripping Andrew or Harry of titles would set a precedent for his own kids to have it done to them if they go off the rails.

He’s really trying to justify himself, isn’t he? I believe he is just as arrogant and work-shy as people say he is.

Yes, he definitely doesn’t have the same gravitas as Henry VIII meeting Francis I, but the monarch is still important in soft diplomacy as you can see with Charles meeting Macron and will be hosting Trump. Trump in particular seems very fond of William which could prove beneficial for the country over the next four years.

I think he is considered a global leader. There was a poll not that long ago where Americans voted William the most favourable global leader over the likes of Biden, Charles and Zelenskyy. He unified both Democrats and Republicans in favourability ratings. Thats no small feat.
news.gallup.com/poll/509387/newsmakers-prince-william-popular-putin-least.aspx

I like that he didn’t want to continue the Prince’s Trust and focus on his own projects. The Prince’s Trust has now become the King’s Trust and is still going strong.

William the most favourable global leader over the likes of Biden, Charles and Zelenskyy Very easy to be popular when you don't have to govern or make any decisions!

I’ve seen many people call him work shy and won’t argue people on that because it’s personal opinion, but despite all of this complaint that he’s lazy and work shy he is still considered a favourite of the royal family in this country and others. I think the monarchy is very safe in his hands.

How he goes about as King will be interesting and where things might start to turn sour for him.

That’s the monarchy’s appeal. They are above politics and a unifying figure head. Charles doesn’t have to make big decisions but William is still more favoured than he is. And in a country where monarchy isn’t even a thing.

Well yes partly because it's nothing to do with them, so he just has the glamour of being a Prince, has an attractive wife and cute young kids. He's also ' not Harry' although I suspect they are very similar. None of that will last. He'll have to continue based on his own efforts once he's 60 year old man with a 60 year old wife and adult kids who are getting up to who knows what. Just as Charles is.

He's the favourite precisely because he doesn't do anything.

People are then free to project anything they like on to him as he has no responsibility (except to the family firm) so has precious little impact on their lives.

Would you say that about Charles? Both now as King and when he was Prince of Wales?

This is just a blatant lie. I'm not even going to say what he's doing—you can look it up yourself.

And of course, he will be doing it differently. He won't have as many people to do the work the way it's being done now when he becomes King.

Apparently, William and Catherine are doing well, since they're consistently number 1 and 2 in the polls.

Charles had made a measure able difference to peoples lives. He didnt need PR articles about how much he's going to dovall the time. He'd already done it by the time he was Williams age. He did use a huge amount of PR to rescue his reputation after Diana died, but his work was always measurable and effective.

An interesting article and some very interesting posts on here.

I am not a Royalist by any stretch, but I am prepared to discuss the role of the Monarchy and I hope this thread stays informative and balanced and doesn't turn into what most royal threads do (banging on about Harry & Meghan)

My thoughts...
Global Leader - give me a break! He is not a global leader and I find it bizarre him saying he wants to shift the dial on global leadership where others may be failing. This is as ridiculous as his vow to bring peace to the Middle East. He really does himself a disservice coming out with nonsense like this. He is not a unifying figure either. There are too many people out there who really are not Royalists and wonder why we pay £186million a year for the privilege of them going to concerts, football matches, Wimbledon and horse racing.

I am afraid this is all just an excuse to be non-visible when he takes the top job and there's only so many more years he can use the children as an excuse. There are two of them, Kate and William... they both do not need to 'be there' for the children, it's a pathetic excuse to live the life of a rich aristocrat. When one is there for the children, the other should be working non stop. And let's not forget they have a nanny/nannies too. The children excuse is worn so thin, there's a hole in it! And it's hugely embarrassing to use it as an excuse when mums and dads may have two jobs and juggle childcare between them.

I was very disappointed he didn't take on the Princes Trust. It was tried and tested, it was Charles's notable achievement and unless he finds his own notable achievement I fear he is going to be a lame King. He could have expanded the Princes Trust, made it even more successful that it is... there are a helluva lot of UK citizens who know someone that the Princes Trust has helped. We can't say that about Earthshot worthy though it may be.

William can talk about big projects all he likes, but they need to be fruitful not just talk.

Apparently, William and Catherine are doing well, since they're consistently number 1 and 2 in the polls

I don't care a fig about polls. If you dig down you often find the questions are framed in such a way as to give an answer, and the sample taken is barely above 1,000.

William has also made measure able difference to peoples lives.

For example:

1. Earthshot Prize
2. United for Wildlife
3. Homewards Initiative

And don't make me laugh that Prince Charles didn't need PR. Every public figure has and needs PR including Charles.

I don’t disagree that Charles has made a measurable difference. The Prince’s Trust alone is a massive legacy, and he was definitely ahead of his time on issues like the environment and sustainability. But I think it’s also worth acknowledging that Charles had the freedom to define his role over decades as the longest-serving heir. William’s operating in a completely different media and political landscape.

Yet despite all this, William is still deemed the more popular royal and has for a long time. He is relevant on a national and global level. It’s worth noting that the British royal family have a more global brand and impact compared to the Dutch/Danish/Swedish etc Royal families. How he builds his own version of monarchy will be very impactful on the whole institution of royalty for a long time.

In regards to global leader, please see the poll above on the favourability of global leaders with a US audience. He is a global leader whether you like it or not, and he is deemed very popular.

Also, the Prince’s Trust is Charles legacy that he built up over decades and still helps people to this day. I’d prefer William to find his own cause and make a difference else where rather than ride in on the coat tails of others. He is championing mental health and Earthshot is still an ongoing project. But that’s just personal opinion and you are entitled to your disappointment.

Sure, but that’s literally what the RF is — a bloodline of nepo babies. It’s mildly hilarious how negative people about celebrity nepo babies and yet are thrilled to be the ‘subjects’ of a series of anachronistic misfits whose only qualification for the role of HoS is who their parents are, and who then hand on that status to their own offspring.

Yes, I am entitled to my disappointment, I'm just expressing an opinion!

I wonder when William will find his own cause and make a difference?

As far as a global leader... here is the definition, I don't see William in this category!
Global leaders are individuals who navigate complex environments, lead diverse teams, and drive positive change on a global scale, often involving international collaboration and addressing global challenges. They possess a global mindset and the skills to manage cultural differences, communication across time zones, and complex organizational structures

That’s literally what he is doing with Earthshot 🤷🏼‍♀️

And no need to be snarky with your exclamation marks. I am saying you are entitled to have your opinions, you seem to be getting very worked up on the issue. No need to get so defensive.

His main cause is mental health (particularly male mental health and mental health in rural communities).

I think he is postioning himself to future-proof his already obvious lack of visibility.

Anyone hoping for the long promised modernisation of the monarchy is in for a disappointment IMO.

This heir is just as entitled as his father but with the stated intention of being less hands-on and even less transparent on his finances.

Proper feudal throwback.