LONDON — The "r" in royal will soon exclusively be lowercase — in spirit, at least.
That's if Prince William gets his way.
The older son of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana, and the heir to the British throne, has revealed he wants to approach official duties with “a smaller r in the royal,” perhaps the clearest hint yet of how he thinks the British monarchy should evolve as it seeks to navigate its place in the world after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“I can only describe what I’m trying to do and that’s trying to do it differently and I’m trying to do it for my generation,” William, 42, told Sky News on Saturday as he wrapped up a weeklong tour of South Africa in the legislative capital, Cape Town.
Elaborating on what that meant to him, he said that “it’s more about impact philanthropy, collaboration, convening and helping people."
William added: “And I’m also going to throw empathy in there as well, because I really care about what I do. It helps impact people’s lives. And I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world.”
William has thought about how he might make his mark and approach things differently in both his current role as the Prince of Wales and, one day, as king, NBC News royal commentator Daisy McAndrew said.
“He will be all too aware of how dangerous it is for the royal family to be seen to be out of touch or aloof and hence the emphasis on empathy and emotional intelligence,” she said.
British tabloids offered positive coverage, with The Mirror describing William's comments as a "huge royal shake-up" and The Sun splashing: "MONARCHY WITH EMPATHY."
But the comments have not received a universally warm response.
Graham Smith, CEO of the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, told NBC News of the heir to the throne: “His ‘r’ couldn’t get any smaller, to be honest. He barely does anything at all. He’s an incredibly lazy man who manages to get a pretty small splashing of engagements to look like he is busy.”
Prince Harry’s decision to step away from royal duties and his subsequent move to the United States has fueled a public conversation about the monarchy's relevance and future in Britain.
“What Harry has done is shown that royals can walk away and do the right thing under their own steam. They can fund their own lifestyles and get celebrity endorsements and do just fine,” Smith said.
“So why his brother feels that he needs to hang on to the titles and the status and the public money, I think, is a question that is only highlighted by Harry’s departure,” he added.
Kensington Palace did not respond to a request for comment.
Dressing down
William’s effort to appear less formal even extends to his choice of clothes, McAndrew suggested.
He sparked a debate on social media during his South Africa trip when he wore white trainers and an open-necked shirt.
Royal fashion is a subject of intense scrutiny, so “being out of touch also extends to actions as well as words and even to what clothes the royals wear,” McAndrew said.
“Dressing down ticks two boxes — less extravagant and more ‘normal’. But, some members of the public actively want their royals to be as glamorous as possible, so it’s a fine line,” she added.
But for Smith, this highlights a broader contradiction.
Because their status comes from the institution itself, the public’s interest in the royals isn’t about seeing them as regular people, he said.
“I guess what he’s trying to say is he wants to look less royal. But, you know, if you look less royal, then what’s the point of being a royal?” Smith said.
William's comments about changing the royals' approach follow a particularly difficult time for the family.
He also spoke last week about how “brutal” the past year has been, with his wife and his father diagnosed with cancer.
“It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life,” he told Sky News.
Charles led Remembrance Day commemorations in London on Sunday as the United Kingdom remembered British and Commonwealth service members who have lost their lives in conflicts.
He was joined by William and Princess Kate, who has slowly returned to public duties following her treatment for cancer.
Queen Camilla missed the occasion after falling ill with a chest infection that forced her to withdraw from public duties. She was set to return to duties Tuesday, though with a slightly reduced schedule.
