What to Know
Some people are calling Prince William out for being too old-fashioned and perpetuating gender stereotypes. During a recent appearance at a youth center in Wales, William spoke about how important it is to have support when things get tough. And while some people agreed with his take, others called his perspective “patriarchal” and “misogynistic.”
At Youth Shedz, William spoke to the founders, Scott Jenkinson, 52, and his wife, Sian, the Daily Mail reported. According to the publication, William learned about Scott experiencing homelessness and struggling with addition. William told Scott’s wife that Scott “has done well to turn his life around.” He also asked, “Were you there with Scott when he turned his life around?”
Sian agreed that her husband has ‘turned his life around.’
Scott chimed in to add that he couldn’t have done it without his wife’s support. “With my wife behind me,” he said. “You know that.” William then made the comment that has since gone viral: “This is it. Behind every average man there is an even better wife.”
The comment was surprisingly divisive. Some saw it as a sign that William really respects his wife, Kate Middleton. Others found it to be extremely “cringe” and sexist.
On Reddit, one critic called William out for relying on “a centuries old trope about great men and the women behind the scenes that keep their lives going” in 2025. The critic called the comment “disgraceful” and “damaging,” adding that average men’s “more talented wives … are stuck picking up their underwear.”
Another person added, “Enough with the misogyny. The tides have already started to turn on this one. Women aren’t always behind men and it’s totally okay for a man to be behind a woman.”
Others accused William of having no ‘self-respect.’
“Why you gotta put men down like this….” someone else wrote. “Just say you and ya partner take on the world together or bring out the best in each other.”
Others commented on how the royal family seems to be “behind the times” in this regard. Of course, having a partner who supports you is important, but as many pointed out, that support should be reciprocal. Basically, some people argued that what Prince William said is one way of saying your wife is too good for you — but then doing nothing about that. One person wrote, “So many men – Prince or otherwise -seems to want this strong supportive partner; but fail to consider what it might take to be worthy of such a person.”
But some people defended William.
Clearly, lots of people feel like he missed the mark with this one. But some people didn’t read into the comment all that much and just found it “sweet.” Royal commentator Jennie Bond argued that the comment showed how William and Kate actually have an “equal partnership.”
“I thought it was a sweet comment, which showed just how equal their partnership is, and how much William values Catherine’s support and advice in everything he does,” Jennie said.
An equal partnership is great, but there’s nothing romantic about women doing the bulk of the emotional and mental labor. A lot of women are tired of having so much on their plates, and also want to do more than just make life easier for men. In a critique of William’s comment published in The Independent, writer Sophie Heawood sort of defended the men who want support from a wife — because she would love that level of support too.
Sophie wrote, “I just want to be able to constantly use the classic excuse, ‘You didn’t ask me to do that!’ along with a surprised face, when there’s something that needs to be done that hasn’t been done. Thereby putting my wife in the role of household manager, with the further role of organizing and nagging about the work, as well as doing most of it. Unpaid, of course!”
