Prince William’s Recent Move Suggests He’s Trying to Get on Americans’ Good Side: ‘He Is Very Serious’
Prince William might be one of the most famous people in the world, but there is one country where he isn’t quite as cared-about as others: the United States. While the US loved Princess Diana, many Americans are a bit out of touch with the British royal family — or they were, at least, until Prince Harry married Meghan Markle.
Now, William is reportedly making it his mission to get on the good side of the Americans as he continues to establish himself as the future king. He wants his role to be respected around the world — and especially in one of the world’s most powerful countries.
Why Prince William is trying to win over Americans
William understands that he will be king one day, and with that comes plenty of philanthropic work. And, apparently, the US is a big place to gain notoriety in the charitable space. William reportedly wants to have America rooting for him as king because it will help him on the “world stage,” according to royal expert Kate Mansey. His recent move of visiting New York City was also his second trip to the US in the past year.
“The issue of philanthropy is so developed in America … it’s more part of the setup of how American communities and businesses work,” Mansey recently said on The Royal Beat podcast, via Express. “So you do have to have a foothold in America if you are starting a big global initiative.”
Mansey continued, “[Prince William] realizes you have got to have America on side … He is very serious about the fact that his role is global. He is on the world stage, and he is going to make the most of it.”
Of course, Harry and Meghan live in the United States, which could either help William or hurt him. Harry and Meghan helped popularize the royal family in the US, which is a good thing for William, but they also might have an edge over William and his wife, Kate Middleton, due to Meghan being from the US.
Prince William has been making more trips to the United States
Before 2022, William had not visited the United States since 2014. He allowed eight years to pass before setting foot on US soil again. However, he’s made two visits in the past year. One with Kate Middleton in 2022, when the two visited Boston for the Earth Shot Prize, and once again in 2023, on a solo trip to New York City.
William visiting the US in back-to-back years is a far cry from his previous relationship with the country. Prior to 2014, he had made just one visit in 2011. The recent uptick in visits suggests that William is indeed trying to gain popularity among the US public.
As of August 2023, Prince William sat atop Gallup’s poll of Americans’ most-favored public figures. He had a favorable rating of 59%, which was much higher than either President Joe Biden or Donald Trump, who both sat at 41%. The poll suggests that William is having an impact on Americans, which could help set the stage for his future role as king.
