Kate Middleton, Prince William’s Star Power May Present Problems for King Charles: ‘He’s Been Through This Before’ Says Royal Commentator
King Charles III may face competition from his son, Prince William, and wife, Kate Middleton, regarding star power. However, the king of the United Kingdom experienced this type of popularity shift when he married Princess Diana. A royal commentator explains what King Charles may face as William and Kate’s popularity grows in the public eye.
What happens to Prince William and Kate Middleton now that Charles is king?
Charles became king upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in September 2022. The eldest of the late monarch’s four children, Charles assumed the roles left by his mother as the monarch of the United Kingdom and other provinces and the Church of England.
As Charles moved up in the royal family’s ranks, so did Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton. William is the firstborn son of Charles and his late wife, Princess Diana.
When Charles became king after Queen Elizabeth’s death, William inherited the Duke of Cornwall and Prince of Wales titles. However, William’s role will change significantly throughout his father’s reign due to Charles’ age. 74. In preparing to assume the king’s duties, William will become very involved in all matters of the crown.
William’s wife, Kate Middleton, had a title change to Princess of Wales. This position was last held by William’s mother, Princess Diana, upon Charles’ ascension. She is also the Duchess of Cambridge, The Countess of Strathearn, Lady Carrickfergus, and the Duchess of Cornwall and Rothesay. When William assumes the throne, Kate will become the Queen Consort, a title now held by Camilla Parker Bowles.
It appears that Kate and William are the most-liked senior royals. “Prince Charles is from a different generation so he might be seen as old-fashioned,” Charles’ former butler, Grant Harrold, tells Slingo. “While he is old-fashioned, he’s also quite modern, but William and Kate show more of their personalities, so people like them more. They’re drawn to them more.”
Charles last experienced this type of popularity contest during his marriage to Princess Diana, historically more beloved by royalists than her husband. However, Kate and William’s popularity may not dampen Charles’ reign. A royal commentator says, “He’s been through this before.”
King Charles III may find himself in a popularity contest with Prince William and Kate Middleton
Upon marrying Princess Diana in 1981, Charles, once the most popular royal family member, took a backseat to his superstar wife. Diana’s popularity became a sticking point for Charles.
In 1995, Diana spoke to the BBC, explaining how this shift affected Charles. “We’d be going round Australia, for instance, and all you could hear was, ‘Oh, she’s on the other side.'” She continued, “They weren’t on the right side to wave at or touch me.”
Therefore, this power dynamic upset her husband. “Now, if you’re a man like my husband, a proud man, you mind about that if you hear it every day for four weeks. And you feel low about it instead of feeling happy and sharing it.”
As Charles moves into a new season of life as king, could he be upstaged again by the star power of his son and daughter-in-law? Hugo Vickers, a royal commentator who knew the queen for over five decades, weighs in.
“It shouldn’t be. I hope it isn’t. It should be a benefit. But he may not see it like that,” Vickers said of King Charles. “He’s been through this before.”
In his first address to Britain as the king, saying he was “proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty.” Charles said William and Kate would “continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground, where vital help can be given.”
King Charles’ Coronation 2023 will prominently feature Prince William
On May 6, 2023, Charles will be crowned king of the United Kingdom. A religious ceremony at Westminister Abbey confirms his role alongside his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, who becomes queen consort.
Prince William is the only senior royal involved in the ceremony. He will perform one particular role.
According to The Sunday Times, Charles has scrapped the act of the royal dukes kneeling to “pay homage” before touching the crown and kissing the monarch’s right cheek. William is the one to perform the tradition.
The solemn religious service kicks off a three-day celebration of the new king and queen consort in the United Kingdom. Events include a concert, a Big Lunch event, and a bank holiday, where people are encouraged to help in their communities on that day.
