What Prince William and King Charles Did at the Platinum Jubilee Concert Emphasized Their True Roles in the Royal Family — Book
King Charles III and Prince William’s parts in 2022’s Platinum Jubilee concert weren’t a “coincidence,” according to Omid Scobie’s Endgame. In the newly-released book about the British royal family’s future, the author painted a picture of the Prince of Wales as what’s coming. Meanwhile, his father, King Charles, is seen simply as the one who will “pave the way.”
William and the king’s Platinum Jubilee concert remarks were indicative of their ‘true next stage’ and ‘bridge’ status
June 2022’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend celebrated the late Queen Elizabeth II’s landmark 70 years on the throne. While she was the one being honored over four days of festivities, the weekend’s star-studded concert hinted at what’s next.
Namely, King Charles’s reign followed by William’s. As such, the two were very much in the spotlight during the celebration, with their respective roles of “transitional king” (King Charles) and “true next stage” (William) made clear.
“During June 2022’s Platinum Jubilee concert, it was William who had the biggest moment during the televised event in addressing the public and promoting his own efforts on finding solutions to environmental issues,” Scobie wrote (via Newsweek).
Meanwhile, “Charles merely followed up with a short speech dedicated to his mother and the introduction of a comedy sketch starring the late monarch and Paddington Bear. As a Palace aide later remarked, “Nothing is ever a coincidence.’”
Elsewhere in Endgame, a source told the author that “William [doesn’t] think his father is competent enough, quite frankly.” Additionally, he sees King Charles as the one who will “pave the way” for his own reign (via Express).
The royal correspondent also looked to the king’s coronation as an example, with a source close to William pointing out how William and Kate Middleton’s coronation video centered around them and their three children.
“The prince is aware of the huge amount of popularity and good favor that he and the princess receive,” they said. “For them to take advantage of that only benefits the entire institution.”
King Charles and William’s offices are now ‘hives of competing agendas and different ideas’
It seems King Charles and William are growing apart. At least where their views on running the monarchy are concerned. “William’s Kensington Palace and King Charles’s Buckingham Palace are now hives of competing agendas and different ideas about how to modernize,” Scobie wrote.
“Behind closed doors, the king and the Prince of Wales are embracing very different approaches,” he explained before noting “friction” surfaced amid Lady Susan Hussey’s racist line of questioning at a December 2022 Buckingham Palace reception.
Scobie recapped how William’s spokesperson, Lee Thompson, released a statement soon after the scandal erupted involving the 41-year-old’s godmother and Queen Elizabeth II’s former lady-in-waiting.
“This father-son relationship was beginning to bristle with tension and one-upmanship, so William’s solo maneuverings around the Hussey trouble added force to the friction,” he explained.
The ‘tussle for the spotlight’ has intensified since King Charles took the throne
The undercurrent of competition between King Charles and William has, per Endgame, only gotten stronger since the king took the throne in September 2022. According to the book, William stole the spotlight from his father at a major moment in the first year of his reign, 2023’s Trooping the Colour.
“The tussle for the spotlight has only heightened since Charles became King, including the moment William chose to sit down for a rare interview with The Sunday Times scheduled for publication the day after King Charles’ first Trooping the Colour parade, essentially wiping any coverage of the special moment off the front page,” Scobie wrote.
In the interview, not only did William defend his royal role, but he also discussed using Duchy of Cornwall land to combat homelessness by building public housing.
“It’s also why joint appearances or engagements have been few and far between during the King’s first year on the throne,” the author went on.
Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival hit shelves on Nov. 28, 2023.
