Prince William's 'responsibility' of being king one day 'troubled' Princess Diana
The Prince of Wales is the heir to the British thronePrincess Diana felt “troubled” by the “weight of responsibility” on her son Prince William as a future king, a royal commentator has claimed.
The Prince of Wales, 43, is the heir to the British throne. His father, King Charles, became monarch in September 2022 upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
While there are no signs that William will become king anytime soon, it’s something he has been preparing for most of his life.
Princess Diana ‘troubled’ over Prince William’s future
Since his birth in June 1982, William’s royal path has been pretty clear. As the eldest son of Charles and Diana, he would eventually become king one day after his father.
William’s eldest son, Prince George, will be his heir and his royal future is set. There have already been small signs that William and his wife, Princess Catherine, are slowly preparing George for what his future will look like.
The prospect of being king weighed heavily on young William’s shoulders.
According to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, William’s late mother, Princess Diana, told her the prospect of being king “weighed heavily on young William’s shoulders”.
Jennie told the Mirror: “It makes me think back to my conversations with Diana, Princess of Wales, who was also troubled by the weight of responsibility, both on her and her eldest son. I remember her telling me how the prospect of being king weighed heavily on young William’s shoulders. But she was immensely proud of him and told me she thought the country was lucky to have William.
“It’s probably slightly easier for Catherine and William, in the secure and happy marriage they have, to prepare George for what lies ahead. And William must know exactly how he might be feeling.”
George’s royal future as king ‘set in concrete’ like William
Jennie said that George’s options for the future are “extremely limited” being second in line to the throne as the “eventual road ahead is set in concrete”.
Despite George’s royal destiny, William and Kate have ensured he has as much of a normal upbringing as possible.
Jennie said Catherine is doing a “fantastic job in keeping her children’s lives as normal as possible for as long as she can”.
William and Kate are also parents to Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.
Prince William previously spoke about the kind of monarchy he’d like to create in the future.
Prince of Wales plans ‘change’ for future monarchy
Since becoming monarch in 2022, King Charles has already made changes to have a more slimmed-down monarchy.
It seems William may keep with this, with many experts predicting he’ll be a much more modern king.
In October last year, the Prince of Wales opened up about his plans to change the royal family. He also spoke about his son George and how he wants to make him proud.
Read more: One key move Prince William encouraged to make when he becomes king
He told Eugene Levy on his show, The Reluctant Traveler: “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.”
He added: “I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do, a world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better.”
They’ll both make great kings one day!
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