The British monarchy can anticipate change when Prince William is King. The Prince of Wales has made no secret of this. In a 2025 episode of Apple TV’s The Reluctant Traveler, William revealed to Eugene Levy: “I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda. Change for good. And I embrace that and I enjoy that change. I don’t fear it.”
“That’s the bit that excites me, is the idea of being able to bring some change,” the future King added.
While William clarified that he’s not planning “overly radical change,” there are changes that he believes need to happen, but he didn’t elaborate. Although change may be on the horizon, it’s important to William that traditions, which he remarked have had “a huge part in all of this,” stay.
“But there’s also points where you look at tradition and go, ‘Is that still fit for purpose today? Is that still the right thing to do? Are we still doing and having the most impact we could be having?'” the Prince said. “So, I like to question things is what I’m really getting at.” It’s something he’d admittedly like to do more of.
‘Critical’ to the running of the monarchy
Some things, however, require no questioning, like his wife’s readiness to become queen consort. It’s a role the Princess of Wales has proven she was born for. Since marrying into the royal family in 2011, Kate has established herself as the “jewel in the Crown”.
“What I found time and time again was how interesting and critical she is to the running of the monarchy, and how she really does understand the vision of the future,” Russell Myers, author of William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, said on HELLO!‘s A Right Royal Podcast.
And when it comes to her husband’s disgraced uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Russell believes Kate is on the same page as William. It was understood last year that King Charles had the support of his wider family, including son Prince William, when he made the decision to strip Andrew of his titles, style and honours.
Russell said of the Princess: “I think she’s very aligned with William, around the issue of Andrew, that his continued association would have been very, very damaging to the monarchy. And they’ve been proved right.”
© Aaron Chown – Pool/Getty ImagesAccording to Russell, the Prince and Princess of Wales have “no time for” Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who like her former husband had a friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Russell said: “I speak to a lot of people about [William and Catherine’s] vision. What does their vision mean? What does a modern monarchy represent? Well, it certainly doesn’t represent the entitlement and the sense of privilege that those two members of the family [Andrew and Sarah] have in abundance.”
Royal with a smaller ‘r’
Instead, more empathy can be expected from a monarchy with William at the helm. “It’s hard to describe what that is all about, but I can only describe what I’m trying to do, and that I’m trying to do it differently and I’m trying to do it for my generation,” the Prince of Wales said in November 2024. “And to give you more an understanding around it, I’m doing it with maybe a smaller ‘r’ in the royal, if you like, that’s maybe a better way of saying it.”
“It’s more about impact philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people,” he continued. “And I’m also going to throw empathy in there as well, because I really care about what I do. It helps impact people’s lives. And I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world.”
© Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty ImagesWilliam and Kate’s strong union
HELLO!’s Royal Editor Emily Nash believes that type of leadership will be a “key approach” in William’s reign. “We’ve seen him and Kate connect with people who have experienced adversity and bring their stories to the forefront, ensuring they feel heard and understood. They take time to really listen to people, which influences their public work, for example through William’s Homewards initiative and Kate’s Early Years projects. Kate, meanwhile, has talked at length about the importance of connection,” Emily said.
“As King and Queen they need to be able to unify people in good times and bad and I think their authentic way of interacting with the public and more relatable approach will really help to bring that sense of inclusion and community at a time when the world is so divided.”
Emily added: “Kate’s ordinary, middle-class upbringing means she fully understands life beyond palace walls, and William knows it too, having visited homeless shelters from a young age with his mother Diana and through the work his father the King has done with disadvantaged young people over half a century.
“Key to their success will be the strength of their own partnership. They complement each other’s characters and are crucially providing their children with a loving and happy childhood which will hopefully give the royal family stability long into the future.”
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