The news was encouraging. In Cape Town, South Africa, to present his fourth annual Earthshot Awards environmental solutions prize event on Nov. 6, Prince William, the Prince of Wales, provided a favorable report on Princess Kate's cancer recovery.
"She's doing really well," Prince William told reporters. "Hopefully she is watching tonight [and] cheering me on."
But underneath his cheery exterior, Prince William and the royals are confused. Recent bombshells could imperil the monarchy's future.
Two years into his reign, King Charles III is exerting every effort to modernize and sustain the monarchy; yet, this endeavor has proven challenging, according to a royal source cited by Star. The monarchy's popularity has diminished since the reign of Elizabeth II, particularly among the younger demographic. The 76-year-old's struggle with illness intensifies his sense of urgency.
The insider told Star Magazine that he is concerned about the duration of his remaining time. It is increasingly imperative to prepare William for ascension to the throne and to guarantee the continuity of the monarchy.
His heir has problems. He and Princess Kate, 42, recently revealed she'd finished chemotherapy after her cancer diagnosis last spring, although she hasn't returned to royal duties.
His Earthshot Prize hasn't turned out to be the big "Super Bowl moment" organizers expected, with critics calling it a "nothing burger" that "hardly generated any buzz."
He lost ratings with his Oct. 30 “We Can End Homelessness” documentary, part of a personal mission to end British homelessness. One reviewer called the document "an abject failure."
After admitting his privilege left him "feeling guilty," Others urged the future king to lodge the needy on his huge landholdings.
Britain's Sunday Times and Dispatches revealed the alarming conclusions of a five-month joint investigation into how the king and his heir amassed their considerable private wealth on Nov. 2 during a taxpayer-funded $490 million restoration of Buckingham Palace.
The royals are raking it between King Charles' expansive Duchy of Lancaster and William's Duchy of Cornwall, nearly 200K acres together.
According to the study, they make millions via contracts with public schools, hospitals, tenants, jails, the military, and the NHS, including a $14.7 million ambulance parking fee. Some charities pay them!
The money doesn't always go to good causes. Duchy earnings "land largely seized by medieval monarchs, per The Times - allegedly paid to settle a civil sexual assault case for disgraced Prince Andrew, 64, in 2022.”
The royals are commercial landlords yet exempt from corporate earnings tax, so many distrust the arrangement. Over the summer, Prince William neglected to disclose his tax bill on a $30 million Duchy of Cornwall haul for the 2023-2024 fiscal year; King Charles Duchy made $35 million.
In response to the reports, both duchies stressed the estates' privacy. Additionally, ecologically minded royals have been labeled "slumlords." The Mirror and Dispatches reported on Nov. 2 that renters live in black mold-ridden homes owned by Prince William's Duchy of Cornwall, benefiting King Charles as Prince of Wales.
One tenant said of his uninsulated abode, "You can see through the roof. " A Duchy spokesperson told The Mirror, in part, "We are a responsible Landlord committed to continuous improvement of our properties."
According to the source, the seeming hypocrisy is "causing a lot of grumbling inside and outside the palace. The monarchy is already in trouble, and this could serve to ignite even more anti-royal sentiment."
The pressure seems to have reached the once-stoic queen. During a 10-day overseas royal tour, Queen Camilla, 77, was photographed openly weeping during a ceremony in Samoa. Her breakdown came as the ailing King Charles told the crowd, "Hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you."
The monarch's mistress-turned-wife of 19 years could not contain herself, leading some to worry she was headed for a breakdown. According to the source, the burden has grown excessive. Despite their arduous journey to unite, their relationship may soon conclude.
A new book shows the royals' breakdown and severe tensions between the king, his brother Prince Andrew, and his estranged son Prince Harry, 40. New king, court in Charles III.
In The Inside Story, royals author Robert Hardman writes that the monarch has cut off the Duke of York's reported $1.3 million allowance and refused to pay for his security detail since the deeply unpopular duke has refused to downgrade Royal Lodge for Frogmore Cottage, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, 43, lived before moving to California nearly five years ago.
According to the source, Prince Andrew is unwilling to depart, asserting that his refusal serves as retribution for being compelled to relinquish royal responsibilities in 2019 due to several scandals. He executed a 75-year lease in 2003 and claims his entitlement to remain there.
The king's feud with Prince Harry is also complicated. According to the biography, Prince Harry's legal battle with the British government over removing security protections for him, Meghan, and their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, in the U.K. has left King Charles worried that his son might use any private conversation about Prince Harry's security against him in court. The book says it's hard to make peace with Prince Harry while Prince William and Prince Harry are estranged.
The source says the king is reluctant to rock the boat when the monarchy is at such a crossroads. According to the source, Charles is mentoring William and striving to facilitate a seamless transition when the time arrives. The fundamental objective is to sustain the monarchy.
Eight months after the Duchess of Sussex launched American Riviera Orchard, the lifestyle company faces obstacles. In September, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied her application, saying corporations can't trademark geographical areas. Santa Barbara, Calif., near her Montecito house, is called the American Riviera.
Harry & David filed a protest with the USPTO on Oct. 31, claiming Meghan's brand, which last spring gave celebrity friends homemade jams and is expected to offer tableware, drinkware, and kitchen linens, is too similar to its Royal Riviera product line, which sells Oregon-grown pear gift baskets.
An insider reported that she perceives continuous obstacles and feels unjustly targeted by others. While attorneys navigate the complexities, Meghan will continue to progress. She possesses a dream and remains resolute in pursuing it.
Business Times has reached out to Prince William and Princess Kate for comments.
