Though the British monarchy is an institute built on centuries of tradition, Prince William has made it clear that he’s not afraid to break the mold. After his strikingly personal conversation with Eugene Levy on The Reluctant Traveler premiered last week, royal experts claim that this is proof that William is ready to show just how “savvy” he can be as king — even if it means doing things differently from father King Charles.
William shared he’s ready to shake things up in the monarchy.
@skynews Levy said he felt there could be 'massive changes' when William becomes king, after speaking to the prince. The revelations come during a discussion with Hollywood actor Eugene Levy as they were filming at Windsor Castle for Levy's travel series The Reluctant Traveller. #SkyNews #PrinceWilliam #RoyalFamily
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As William spent a day with Eugene for his appearance on the Apple TV+ show, he said that “change for good” is part of his plan for the monarchy when it’s his turn to reign someday.
“I want to question things more,” he said. “Are we still doing and having the most impact we could be having? If you’re not careful, history can be a real weight and an anchor around you, and you can feel suffocated by it. I think it’s important to live for the here and now.”
The choice to participate in the interview itself said a lot about William.
Of course, nothing that members of the royal family do happens without plenty of thought and planning, and in this case, royal expert Sally Bedell Smith told People that William going on the show was his way of making a bigger statement.
“It was a savvy move by William,” she said. “By choosing a Canadian comedian as his interlocutor, William seems to be signaling that he wants to break out of the conventional mold.”
His goal is to make the monarchy more “accessible” to those it serves.
A source close to the royal family told the magazine that William’s main goal for the future of the monarchy is to make sure it makes sense for today’s world.
“Prince William’s been quite vocal about what he wants to do when the time comes,” the insider said. “[To be] more accessible, more approachable.”
Doing things differently isn’t a slight against Charles, though.
Even though William plans to do things differently than his father has, royal historian Robert Lacey told People that it doesn’t mean anything negative about their relationship.
“This shouldn’t be seen as criticism of King Charles,” he said. “He is very close to his father and has been his most important supporter.”
