Inside Prince William’s ‘modern’ monarchy: How things would be different when he's king
Things are expected to change...
Prince William is the next in line to be king after his father, King Charles.
The Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and one thing is undoubtedly certain – one day he will be the head of the British monarchy.
One thing that is very uncertain is if and how William will change the monarchy.
Keep reading for what we should expect…
Prince William’s ‘modern’ monarchy
It is impossible to say when Prince William will accede the throne, but some royal experts have discussed their thoughts with Harper’s Bazaar.
According to royal author Tom Quinn, the monarchy underneath William and Kate will be drastically different to what we are experiencing with Charles and Camilla.
Quinn claims it “will look much less formal, less stiff than it has been under [King] Charles”.
He goes on to say: “What we can expect to see when William and Kate take the throne is a much more emotionally engaged couple. And it’s partly because I think they want to be a king and queen who are seen to engage much more with ordinary people in a very relaxed way.”
He goes on to say “the emphasis has been on ceremony, on dignity, all that kind of old-fashioned stuff”. He added that he thinks William and Kate will be “doing the opposite”.
Despite the reasoning behind Quinn’s claims, it seems not all royal experts agree.
Royal biographer Robert Hardman believes that “just as it hasn’t changed with King Charles,” the monarchy will remain the same.
What we can expect to see when William and Kate take the throne is a much more emotionally engaged couple.
Although Hardman reckons there won’t be much change to the monarchy, William’s coronation may be very different.
He predicts Prince William’s coronation “will be a very different affair,” compared to that of King Charles.
Prince William set to ‘modernise’ coronation when he becomes king
The author said: “It’ll be less ceremony. It’ll be shorter. I think he’ll try to – I wouldn’t say modernise, but maybe some of the elements will feel more contemporary.”
Hardman goes on to predict that William will be “very practical” as king and will represent a “natural modernisation”.
Hardman, who is the author of Charles III: New King, New Court, The Inside Story, also reckons that William has been learning from Charles along.
Majesty Magazine’s editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward agrees that William may dial down his coronation, just like Charles did compared to his mother.
Seward does note that there is limitations to the scaling down of such an event though. She said: “There is a limit to how small you can make these ceremonies. If you make them too small, then they’re pointless.”
Biographer Hardman also speculates that William’s focus will be ensuring the monarchy is appealing to the younger generations.
However, he will not be piling the pressure onto his own children.
Royal Insider has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
Will Prince William be called king?
“Just how modern will the monarchy be,” you may wonder, and how could this impact William’s title?
Although modernisation may be on the cards, the title of king passed down to Prince William is expected to stay the same.
If Prince William decides to keep his given name, he will officially be known as King William V.
But what about Kate?
What will Kate be called when William becomes king?
Princess Kate will become William’s Queen Consort and will likely be known as Queen Catherine. Princess Kate is not regnant, so will not have a number after her name.
Read more: King Charles and Queen Camilla face protests as they attend Maundy Thursday service
What do you think William’s monarchy will be like? Do you think Prince William will be a good king? Let us know by leaving a comment on our Facebook page.
