Prince William and Kate Middleton are now considered to be the face of the monarchy, as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles are now in self-isolation due to the coronavirus outbreak and the United Kingdom. However, there was a time when the Duke of Cambridge heartbreakingly told his late mom, Princess Diana, that he didn't want to be a king.
According to Daily Express, in the 2019 Channel 5 mini-series Paxman on the Queen's Children, the broadcaster Jeremy Paxman revealed the discussion he had with the People's Princess about Prince William during a private lunch. At the time, they were talking about their kids when the Princess of Wales unveiled that William told her that he didn't want to be the king. Prince Harry would then tell his mother that if his brother didn't like the job, he would have it.
However, just like his older brother, the Duke of Sussex eventually showed disinterest in reigning the whole monarchy. Princess Diana's former protection officer Ken Wharfe even claimed in Robert Jobson's 2018 Royal Podcast that Prince Harry mocked Prince William by saying that he could do everything because he would never be a king.
This might be the reason why the public accused Prince William of being a reluctant royal a few years ago after it was known that he, Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry only attended a few royal engagements compared to Queen Elizabeth. William even told BBC's royal correspondent Nicolas Witchell in 2016 that he didn't "lie awake at night waiting to be king." However, when the need arises, he assured that he would be the first to accept "greater royal responsibilities."
This seems to be true, as Prince William is now preparing to be the next king by taking more responsibilities in the monarchy, Daily Mail noted. He is now taking more roles amid the coronavirus outbreak. Queen Elizabeth has to leave Buckingham Palace for Windsor Castle to be in self-isolation. Prince Charles, alternatively, canceled his engagements to follow the Government's advice.
With this, royal experts are convinced that Prince William is going to have a more prominent role in the monarchy in the weeks to come. If the coronavirus crisis continues to get worse in the U.K., Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles are more likely to be isolated to avoid contracting the virus.
As Prince Andrew and Prince William both stepped back from their royal roles, the responsibility is now on Prince William's shoulders. He will be the face of the monarchy and likely be the "placeholder" for Queen Elizabeth in the coming months.
