Kate Middleton and Prince William Are Ready to Revamp the Monarchy

Life in the palace has been anything but dull, and no one knows that better than Prince William. During the pandemic, Prince Harry’s bombshell tell-all television interview in early March and the sad passing of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth, the beleaguered royal has been hit hard. Burt if anyone was up to the challenge, it was William.

At 41, the stoic heir to the throne has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has what it takes to wear the crown. "There’s been a huge learning curve," noted a royal insider. But William, with the help and steadfast support of his wife, Kate Middleton, also 41, "has taken on more responsibility and clearly mastered the art of crisis control, continued the insider.

In January 2020, the Wales were forced to pick up the slack after Harry and Meghan Markle decided to step back from their royal duties. To those around them, it’s clear William and Kate have grown and evolved. “There’s no question that he will make a great king,” the insider says, noting that the father of three — Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — is next in line after his dad, King Charles. "William is already thinking about the future of the monarchy and all the changes he plans on making."

He’s been in training since birth. According to a second source, William was educated from the very earliest age about the crucial role he would play within the monarchy: "He’s always known what is expected of him when he’s eventually crowned king." While William wasn’t always comfortable being in the spotlight, life in the public eye has gotten easier for him. "He found the [attention] difficult to deal with when he was younger," explains the insider. But now, "William accepts that it’s part of the job, and he’s fine with it."

During Harry’s explosive sit-down, the Duke of Sussex, 38, claimed his older brother and father were both "trapped" by the monarchy. However, the source says William is totally at peace with his fate. "He’s human, and of course, he has moments of self-doubt," shared the source. "And he has times where he and Kate want to drop out of sight, so they’ll escape to Cornwall to recharge their batteries. But overall, William has always taken the view that it’s an "unbelievable privilege" to serve the monarch and King Charles, insisted the source. "He’s never struggled with that fact."

William has been preparing for his future by watching and learning from his father, 74, and his late grandmother. According to the source, he’s had a lot of informal discussions with the pair about everything that’s required of him. “[The queen and Charles] kept William closely informed of bif decisions,” explained the source, adding that he’s "aware of how they’ve dealt with staff, courtiers and communications teams."

The source said William and Charles share a similar vision of a pared-down palace with a more streamlined household. "There will be more accountability," the source explained. "They want to be in tune with what the public wants and also build on the immense volume of work the queen did during her reign. The hope is to build on her legacy and then fine-tune things to reflect modern times."

There was talk before Elizabeth’s death that William would be sitting on the throne sooner rather than later. "William is aware of the rumors that his grandmother may skip over Charles and hand the crown directly to him," the source said before Elizabeth’s departure. "Though the idea is flattering, he thought it was highly unlikely."

According to the source, the notion of handing the crown straight to William may have stemmed from whispers that Her Majesty wasn’t thrilled with how Charles handled his rift with Harry. "He hasn’t forgiven Harry for dragging the royal family through the mud during his TV interview," said the insider. "But the queen feels he’s putting his pride before the best interest of the monarchy."

Meanwhile, the relationship between William and Harry remains strained, and it doesn’t look like the future king will be welcoming his brother back into the royal fold. "From William’s perspective, it’s best for everyone’s sake if Harry stays in America," said the source, "and keeps away from the royals until the drama dies down."

For now, William is focused on the present and feels like he can handle anything with Kate at his side. "Thinking about wearing the crown and juggling family life can be nerve-racking," says the palace insider. "But he’s confident he’ll make a good king, and it’s not like he’s going at it alone — Kate is his rock, and they make a great team."