King Charles is 'building a bridge' to Kate and William's monarchy

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published 6 October 2023

King Charles will introduce the Prince and Princess of Wales to more public engagements as he "builds a bridge" to their future monarchy, according to a royal insider.

Former royal butler Paul Burrell has revealed how the King is slowly relying on Kate and William more and more before William "shakes things up".

"The King’s monarchy is very civil service top heavy. It’s very administrative. I think William will slash that and cut it all back when he eventually becomes King himself. Speaking on behalf of Slingo, Paul said.

"I think the King and Queen are going to rely on William and Kate more and more as time goes by. I think they will be introduced to more public engagements, representing the King and Queen on more overseas tours."

Paul added that whilst the King was building "a bridge between his mother’s monarchy and his", in essence, "he was building a bridge to William and Kate’s monarchy."

King Charles III meets members of the public - King Charles is 'building a bridge' to Kate and William's monarchy

He explained, "Over the years we will see them become more high profile and doing more when the King and Queen don’t want to. It’s a natural progression, it’s a learning curve for William and Kate to get a hold of the reins of monarchy before they become King and Queen.

"They are apprentices in the firm who need to learn how to handle this when it comes their way. It’s an almighty responsibility when it does come their way."

It's also thought that when Prince William does take the throne, he may do things differently to his father. Paul revealed how William will "shake things up", saying, "The King’s monarchy is very civil service top heavy. It’s very administrative. I think William will slash that and cut it all back."

Prince William himself recently admitted that he'd like to see some change, as he confessed he'd like to look at making royal residences more eco-friendly.

"It’s older buildings, that’s where the biggest problem is," William said. "They were built a long time ago. Insulation is a big challenge." He suggested that was something the Royal Household needed to look seriously at in the future. “But amazing that you guys can map it and give solutions,” he added.

Queen's Jubilee - King Charles is 'building a bridge' to Kate and William's monarchy

King Charles has also made certain changes to the monarchy since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died on 8 September last year. The King is reportedly putting a 'twist' on some of Queen Elizabeth II's traditions in the royal family and updating some of their routines and customs according to his preferences.

Former royal butler Grant Harrold revealed, "When I watch him it’s very much in his style and his way of doing things. The most obvious thing I've noticed is the Royal Family's trip to Balmoral Castle in the summer," he said.

"The Queen would famously go up there around the 21st July, she would spend a few weeks at her lodge and just disappear for a short while before we see her take up official residence towards the end of July to the end of September. The interesting thing was that he moved into Balmoral much later than the Queen would have done it and was only officially there for about two weeks."

Grant added, "This is him carrying on the Queen’s tradition and getting the family together at the castle but it is also his twist because he has his own homes and things he likes to do."

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Robyn is a celebrity and entertainment journalist and editor with over eight years experience in the industry. As well as contributing regular to woman&home, she also often writes for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman's Weekly and The Sun.