How Queen Elizabeth II Prepared Prince William to Eventually Be King
Queen Elizabeth II didn’t get much time to prepare for her role as monarch. Becoming queen wasn’t even a thought until she turned 10 and her uncle abdicated the throne. Then, at the age of 25, she became the sovereign when her father unexpectedly died at the young age of 56.
Her lack of preparation and training led Her Majesty to make sure that her heir, King Charles III, and her grandson, Prince William, would be ready for the roles they were destined for. She put Charles in school instead of educating him with private tutors, and he started representing the crown via public appearances after his investiture as Prince of Wales back in 1969. But, how did Queen Elizabeth prepare Prince William to eventually become king?
Queen Elizabeth didn’t get many chances to have contact with her subjects
In her famous 1995 interview with BBC’s Panorama, William’s mother Princess Diana explained why it was so important for her to take her sons outside of the palace walls and visit hospitals, homeless shelters, and other places not connected to royalty.
She said that she would “like a monarchy that has more contact with its people…a more in-depth understanding.” And, she exposed William and Harry to these things because she wanted them “to have an understanding of people’s emotions, people’s insecurities, people’s distress, and people’s hopes and dreams.”
On William’s 40th birthday, it was clear that his mother’s influence was still a big part of his life. He felt his birthday was a “good opportunity” to sell magazines outside a supermarket in Victoria and highlight “something that matters” to him.
“Somebody said to me Prince William’s around the corner standing outside Sainsbury’s. I thought yeah, of course…” charity worker Tolu Desalu told The Big Issue. “Life is funny.” A young man named Khalid added, “It’s like meeting a normal person.”
How Queen Elizabeth prepared Prince William to be king
William explained to British GQ in 2017 that he wasn’t sitting in a class with his grandmother and his father, learning how to become a king. And to him, having differences among royal family members was important.
“You learn on the job. There is no rule book,” William explained, “Having that difference in how we do things makes the royal family more interesting and more flexible. If we all followed the same line, it would all be quite stifled. Our characters are different and the different opinions are important to have.”
Still, William’s life has been carefully shaped — from his days at Eton and St. Andrews and his time in the military, to now when he’s part of lavish royal ceremonies and events.
“William knows he’s going to be the king in due course, after his father, and I think that’s a process of preparation on his part in terms of being diplomatic, being considered sensible and magnanimous,” royals expert Jonathan Sacerdoti told E! News ahead of the queen’s Platinum Jubilee. “He just does everything he’s meant to.”
Prince William says it’s important to ‘look forward’ and have a plan
William considers himself “extremely lucky” to have a role that allows him to meet people from all walks of life, and understand their full story.
“I have always believed in using my platform to help tell those stories and to bring attention and action to those who are struggling. I plan to do that now I’m turning 40, even more than I have in the past,” he wrote in an essay for The Big Issue.
William also said that his grandmother did “a remarkable job leading the country.” He noted that her vision, sense of duty, loyalty, and steadfastness were always “unwavering.” The Prince of Wales told his readers that he thought the monarchy was doing well when it came to keeping up with the times. But, he knows that could easily change.
Prince William said that “you are only as good as your last gig.” And, he believes it’s “really important” that you “look forward, plan, have a vision.”
RELATED: Queen Elizabeth Prepared Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle Quite Differently for Life in The Firm
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