Royal with a small ‘r’– Prince of Wales lays out more modern approach to monarchy
The Prince of Wales has revealed that he is trying to take a more modern approach to royal duties with “a smaller R in the royal”.
The Prince said the world needed “more empathetic leadership”, suggesting that he had made a deliberate decision to focus less on the pomp and pageantry and more on “helping people”.
Speaking shortly before he returned home from his four-day visit to Cape Town last week for the fourth edition of the Earthshot Prize awards, he also said he was “hopeful” that his wife, the Princess of Wales, would join him on overseas trips next year as she begins a phased return to work.
When the Prince’s grandmother, then Princess Elizabeth, was heir to the throne, she too travelled to South Africa, delivering a landmark radio address in 1947 in which she pledged to serve for her whole life, be it long or short.
Almost eight decades on, the Prince followed in her footsteps but with a notably different message. Dressed down in trainers and open-necked shirts, he aimed to connect with young people, to inspire them to protect the planet and to instigate change.
He said: “I can only describe what I’m trying to do, and that is, I’m trying to do it differently and I’m trying to do it for my generation.
“And to give you more of an understanding around it, I’m doing it with maybe a smaller R in the royal, if you like – that’s maybe a better way of saying it.”
The Prince said that both he and his wife wanted to use their roles to be the empathetic leaders they felt the world was lacking.
While he did not directly refer to either his grandmother or his father’s reign, he is understood to consider certain protocols and strategies previously adopted by the Royal family no longer reflective of the modern world.
“It’s more about impact, philanthropy, collaboration, convening and helping people,” he said of his own approach.
“And I’m also going to throw empathy in there as well, because I really care about what I do. It helps and impacts people’s lives. And I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world.
“So that’s what I’m trying to bring – that’s what Catherine is trying to bring as well.”
The Prince has sought to focus on a handful of key issues that he feels passionate about, launching the Earthshot Prize to save the environment, Homewards, to eradicate homelessness, and various initiatives on mental health.
“Who knows what’s going to come next, but it all centres around those values of trying to help deliver change and make those lives better,” he added.
The Prince appeared relaxed throughout the trip, despite still feeling the pressure of the “brutal” past year, which he admitted had probably been the worst of his life.
Sources close to him confirmed that the outlook was more positive now that both his wife and his father have moved into the next phase of their cancer journeys. As such, the Prince is relishing the chance to get his teeth back into his work.
Having not been on an overseas tour with his wife since March 2022, he expressed a hope that they might soon undertake some short foreign visits together.
“I think hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year, so we’ll have some more trips, maybe, lined up,” he said.
It was during their ill-fated visit to the Caribbean two-and-half years ago that the Prince’s determination to take a different approach first became apparent.
Even then, as Duke of Cambridge, his reaction to a slew of criticism about the tour’s “colonial” overtones, protests about slavery and the demand for reparations, was telling.
William acknowledged that he might not succeed his grandmother and father as head of the Commonwealth and vowed not to “tell people what to do”.
Aides let it be known that he considered the family’s “never complain, never explain” mantra to be outdated.
Sources said the Prince had done “a lot of thinking” about what kind of King he wanted to be, when the time came, and how certain traditions would need to evolve.
The lessons learnt on that tour proved pivotal. Just eight months later, shortly after the death of Elizabeth II, Kensington Palace revealed that the Prince and Princess intended to break with the classic mould of royal engagement.
Rather than ribbon cutting, they wanted to focus on generating money for local communities, creating change. Legacy and impact became their oft-repeated buzzwords.
Similarly, the Waleses have opted to focus on a smaller number of key organisations than their predecessors.
Earlier this year, following a major review of royal charitable affiliations, the King adopted about 300 new patronages, taking his total to 669.
As Prince of Wales, he held 441 but his son is believed to have about 22 and his wife, a similar number.
They are likely to take on only a handful of new charities, if any, in the coming months.
The Prince has said that he intended to go “a step further” than his family has done previously by creating change rather than simply raising awareness about good causes.
His visit to Cape Town was perhaps indicative of his future reign.
He had ditched his tie, wore trainers and second-hand jackets and accessorised with a beaded bracelet made by Princess Charlotte.
He spent the majority of the week talking to people; young environmentalists, conservationists, fishermen, lifeboat crews and of course, Earthshot finalists past and present.
He travelled with a relatively small entourage and was relatable, chatty and engaged.
The two speeches he delivered focused on the legacy he hoped to leave behind, including a “game changing” package of financial support for the wildlife rangers who put their lives on the line to protect the planet.
And he issued a rallying cry to all nations, to people from all walks of life, to join his “movement for change”, and help alter the trajectory of climate change.
As he ploughs on with his mission to help people and planet, it is a message he hopes to echo for many years to come.
