Prince William Declares Royal Life Is About ‘Strength’: ‘You Can’t Just Be Carrying Baggage and Throwing It out There’
Growing up within the royal family, Prince William has learned a thing or two about navigating public life. As the heir to the throne, he claims that the most critical aspect of royal life is “strength.” He once boldly commented about maintaining privacy, declaring, “You can’t just be carrying baggage and throwing it out there.”
Prince William always understood his destiny as king of the United Kingdom
The firstborn son of King Charles and the late Princess Diana always knew his fate. Prince William was trained to succeed his father as king of the United Kingdom from a young age.
Diana famously said in a 1995 interview that her son should become king instead of her former husband, Charles. She shared her thoughts with Martin Bashir, per her Panorama interview.
“Do you think it would make more sense in the light of the marital difficulties that you and the Prince of Wales have had if the position of monarch passed directly to your son Prince William?” he asked.
Diana replied, “Well, then you have to see that William’s very young at the moment. So do you want a burden like that to be put on his shoulders at such an age? So I can’t answer that question.”
Bashir rephrased the question. “Would it be your wish that when Prince William comes of age, he was to succeed the Queen? Rather than the current Prince of Wales?” Diana replied, “My wish is that my husband finds peace of mind. From that follows other things, yes.”
However, William understood that, in light of the very public issues between his parents and today, regarding his estrangement from Prince Harry, being a member of the royal family means projecting a specific public image. This meant that despite whatever issues occurred behind closed doors, royals must present a certain public face.
Prince William once declared, ‘You can’t just be carrying baggage and throwing it out there’
In an interview for GQ in 2017, Prince William spoke about life in the royal spotlight. He discussed how certain job elements require putting on a brave face.
William shared that part of his job meant having his private life scrutinized in a public forum. He revealed that private moments are meant to be kept within the family.
“You have to project the strength of the United Kingdom. That sounds ridiculous, but we have to do that,” William explained public life. “You can’t just be carrying baggage, throwing it out there, and putting it on display everywhere you go.”
He continued, “My mother put herself right out there, which is why people were so touched by her. But I am determined to protect myself and the children, which means preserving something for ourselves. I think I have a more developed sense of self-preservation.”
Prince William has remained stoic in light of surprising accusations from his estranged brother Prince Harry
We are excited to announce the remarkably personal and emotionally powerful story of Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.
— Penguin Random House ??? (@penguinrandom) October 27, 2022
SPARE, the highly anticipated #PrinceHarryMemoir, will be published on January 10, 2023. Learn more at https://t.co/mu9zlwYflf pic.twitter.com/Uq0Noch08C
Prince William has kept a stiff upper lip regarding accusations lobbed at him by his younger brother, Prince Harry, in his autobiography, Spare. In public, William remained silent after Harry spoke of several disturbing incidents between them.
Harry claimed that his older brother was often jealous of the freedom he was afforded as the “spare” in his family. He also claimed an angry William pushed him to the floor in 2019 after a disagreement over Meghan’s alleged treatment of palace staff.
On the other hand, Harry also repeats his “love” for William and looks forward to a future relationship with his only sibling. In interviews promoting his book, Harry says he looks forward to a day when they may come back together but concedes that “there has been a lot of pain between the two of us.”
Prince William will be the only senior royal to participate in King Charles’ coronation ceremony. He will be his liege man and pledge to “live and die” for his father during the royal event.
