The royal family continues to make headlines, with King Charles, and heir to the throne, Prince William, being front and centre this season.
The father and son are rumoured to have experienced a disagreement this year over the future of the monarchy, with reports that they were barely speaking after a “tense and fraught” summer.
“Charles believes in tradition and continuity above all,” a royal insider reported to The Daily Beast earlier this year. “[While] William thinks many aspects of his father’s approach are outdated, preferring a more modern interpretation of monarchy.
“To William, continuing to run the monarchy as though it were still an Edwardian institution feels absurd,” the source added. “To Charles, his son’s more casual approach can feel like a lack of respect for duty and tradition.”
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Prince William himself weighed in on the subject this month, while appearing on new Apple TV+ series, The Reluctant Traveler, hosted by Eugene Levy.
During the episode, the future King, 43, hosted Levy at Windsor Castle, speaking candidly about his plans for change.
“I hope we don’t go back to some of the practices in the past that Harry and I had to grow up in,” the Prince of Wales revealed in a now viral statement. “And I’ll do everything I can to make sure we don’t regress in that situation.
“I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda – change for good,” he continued, later adding: “I think if you’re not careful, history can be a real weight and an anchor around you, and you can feel suffocated by it, and restricted by it too much. I think it’s important to live for the here and now.”
These comments however, are said to have sparked even bigger tensions behind Palace doors, with Rob Shuter’s ShuterScoop reporting, per royal insiders, that the father and son are not speaking as a result. In fact, according to the sources, their relationship has “collapsed into silence”, with a “peace walk” reportedly in the works.
“The King sees it as betrayal, not honesty,” another source reportedly noted. “It’s not just family tension – it’s about the Crown itself.”
William at 40: the Making of a Modern Monarch by Robert Jobson
Published in 2022 ahead of his 40th birthday, royal author Robert Jobson’s account on the life of William, the Prince of Wales and future King.
“It’s evident there’s an attempt to manufacture division between them, when in reality, no such rift exists,” a source has previously explained of the reports of tensions between the father and son, via the Daily Mail. “In truth, their relationship is as strong as ever, they are aligned in their work, with many areas of shared interest, and united in their vision for the role of the Royal Family.”
We will continue to update this story.