“THE FUTURE KING SPEAKS OUT” — Prince William DROPS Biggest Hint Yet About MONARCHY REFORM as He Boldly Declares: “Change Is On My Agenda”

Prince William has made clear he will not be afraid to make difficult decisions as king, declaring: ‘Change is on my agenda’.

The heir to the throne has offered a fascinating insight into his future plans as monarch, making clear that while he won’t be ‘overly radical’, he does also want to ‘own’ the role – and reform of the institution is likely to be at the top of his in-tray.

‘I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda. Change for good. And I embrace that and I enjoy that change – I don’t fear it,’ he says.

‘That’s the bit that excites me, is the idea of being able to bring some change. Not overly radical change, but changes that I think that need to happen.’

His comments come in a new travel programme for the streaming service Apple TV+ which sees William, 43, star alongside Canadian actor Eugene Levy, best known for his role in the racy American Pie films and comedy series Schitt’s Creek.

The Reluctant Traveller sees the star come to England where he receives a personal invitation for a guided tour of Windsor Castle by none other than the Prince of Wales himself.

William sets the scene that this won’t be the usual kind of royal documentary by turning up on the electric scooter he uses to get around the Berkshire Estate.

And while it is not an interview in the traditional sense, the conversation that unfolds while they are walking and talking – even stopping for a pint in the pub – is nonetheless revelatory in many ways.

The prince refers to the cancer diagnoses of his wife, the Princess of Wales and father, King Charles, describing 2024 as ‘the hardest year of my life’.

He makes clear how ‘tricky’ it was to balance his instinctive desire to protect his family, particularly his children, given the intense public interest in their lives and at times prurient nature of speculation around them.

William describes himself as being ‘so proud’ of how Catherine and the King handled everything that was thrown at them – but admits the experience also took him to some ‘pretty…not great places’.

Turning to the issue of family, William candidly says he has learnt from the ‘mistakes’ that his parents made when he was a child and now knows where to ‘draw the line’ in protecting his own family.

However it is his comments on the future of the monarchy that are likely to spark the most surprise and speculation.

And William makes clear that he is not afraid to embrace – and instigate – change both as Prince of Wales and, one day, monarch.

While this is something we have heard frequently from friends and aides over the years, it is significant to hear it from the future king himself.

He says that ‘being authentic and being myself’ is what drives him, adding: ‘I take my roles and my responsibilities seriously but, it’s important…you don’t feel they own you – you have to own them.’

What is particularly clear is that William will not be afraid to challenge what has gone before, and assess whether the more traditional way of doing things is still ‘fit for purpose’.

‘I think if you’re too intrinsically attached to the history, you can’t possibly have any flexibility because you worry that the chess pieces move too much and therefore no change will happen – and I like a little bit of change,’ he says firmly.

‘I want to question things more.

‘I think it’s very important that tradition stays, and tradition has a huge part in all of this but there’s also points where you look at tradition and go is that still fit for purpose today? Is that still the right thing to do? Are we still doing and having the most impact we could be having?

‘So, I like to question things is what I’m really getting at.’

A source close to the prince last night insisted that he does still ‘very much believe in tradition and in the magic of the monarchy’.

They maintain the more familiar aspects of the job such as garden parties, Trooping the Colour and even his own coronation will still be ‘very much be part of the picture’.

But they also acknowledge that William will not shy away from questioning how these things are done, and whether there could be more modern and relevant ways of approaching the role.

This is something he has also done recently with the royal Duchy of Cornwall estate, where a number of housing projects have been designated for the homeless and marginalised in society.

As a young man, William frequently made no secret of how he felt slightly daunted by the future.

However it is clear that this is not his view now.

‘In terms of.. doing the job and things like that, I don’t feel too overwhelmed by that. Not now anyway,’ he says.

‘When I was younger, yeah, there are bits that overwhelm you….but with time and age, I think you feel a bit more settled in that side of things and you go, actually I can do that.

‘And even if a few curve balls come in, that doesn’t necessarily overwhelm me.’

Hardest year of my life

Referring to the devastating cancer diagnoses of his wife and father, William admits: ‘I’d say 2024 was the hardest year that I’ve ever had.’

Trying to juggle supporting Kate and protecting their children in the face of overwhelming public interest and speculation was particularly challenging, he adds.

The Prince explains: ‘We’re a very open family, so we talk about things that trouble us, but you never quite know the knock-on effects that it can have. So it’s just important to be there for each other and to kind of reassure the children that everything is OK.’

He adds: ‘You know life is sent to test us as well and it definitely can be challenging at times, and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are. I’m so proud of my wife and my father, for how they’ve handled all of last year. My children have managed brilliantly as well.’

While he admits the Royal Family has been lucky to be blessed by good health, his experiences over the last 18 months have made him realise the ‘rug can be pulled from under your feet’ at any time. And it is clear that the experience has taken him to some dark places.

‘We’ve been very lucky – we hadn’t had many illnesses in the family for a very long time,’ he says. ‘My grandparents lived until they were in the high 90s.

‘But when it does happen to you, then yeah, it takes you into some pretty, you know, not great places.’ Happily, he adds of his wife’s news that she is in remission from cancer: ‘Everything is progressing in the right way, which is all good news.’

Family first

In a particularly candid moment William admits that his own childhood experiences – particularly his parents’ divorce and what he views as the oppressive media interest in them at the time – have shaped the way he approaches his own family life.

He also says he has learnt from the ‘mistakes’ both his parents made and is determined not to repeat them with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The prince admits: ‘Stuff to do with family overwhelms me, quite a bit.’

He continues: ‘I just want to do what’s best for my children, but I know that the drama and the stress when you’re small really affects you when you’re older.’

William reveals that none of his three children are allowed to have a mobile phone – and he and Kate insist on sitting down to a family dinner every night.

Outlining what his children do for fun, it’s clear that sport and being outdoors plays a large part in their lives.

‘Louis loves the trampoline, so he’s obsessed with trampolining and actually Charlotte does a lot as well. As far as I can tell they just end up jumping up and down on the trampoline, beating each other up, most of the time. Apparently, there is an art to it,’ William jokes.

‘Charlotte does her netball as well and her ballet and so keeping them busy with sports and being outdoors is really important. They’re trying to learn musical instruments. I’m not sure how successful we’re being with that. George loves his football and his hockey.’ His own biggest indulgence at home? Sleep, he laughs.

Becoming King

As a young man William made no secret of the fact that he dreaded the idea of becoming king – and railed against the restrictions placed on him. But it is clear that this has changed.

Asked whether he thinks about becoming King at all, he says: ‘It’s not something I wake up in the morning and think about, because to me, being authentic and being myself and being genuine is what drives me.’

Asked how he feels about George, 12, becoming monarch one day too, he remarks that it is a ‘big question’ and adds: ‘Obviously I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do, a world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better.’

Change is on my agenda

William makes clear that he is not afraid to embrace – and instigate – change, both as Prince of Wales and, one day in future, as monarch. While this is something we have heard frequently from friends and aides over the years it is, nevertheless, significant to hear it from the future king himself.

When Levy suggests the monarchy will be ‘shifting in a slightly different direction’, William replies firmly: ‘I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda.

‘Change for good. And I embrace that and I enjoy that change – I don’t fear it. That’s the bit that excites me, is the idea of being able to bring some change. Not overly radical change, but changes that I think that need to happen.’

History doesn’t scare me

William insists he doesn’t feel ‘overwhelmed’ by the history of his family and what it means for his own future.

‘Other things overwhelm me, but not history no,’ he says. ‘If you’re not careful, history can be a real weight … and you can feel suffocated by it, and restricted by it too much. I think it’s important to live, for the here and now.’

Significantly, the prince insists that he will not be afraid as monarch to challenge what has gone before and assess whether the more traditional way of doing things is still ‘fit for purpose’.

‘If you’re too intrinsically attached to the history, you can’t possibly have any flexibility because you worry that the chess pieces move too much and therefore no change will happen – and I like a little bit of change,’ he says.

‘I want to question things more. Tradition has a huge part in all of this but there’s also points where you look at tradition and go is that still fit for purpose today?’

He admits that as a young man he felt daunted at times by the future – but not any more. ‘In terms of… doing the job and things like that, I don’t feel too overwhelmed by that. Not now anyway,’ he says.

Missing granny

Standing in the King’s Drawing Room inside Windsor Castle, William speaks with obvious emotion about his late grandparents.

He tells how he would regularly pop over from nearby Eton College, where he studied until the age of 18, to have ‘a bit of tea’ with the Queen. ‘She had the best teas ever,’ he says.

‘My grandparents were of a different generation. I think when we were younger, it was harder to have that very close relationship because it was quite formal, but as they got older and I got older it got warmer and warmer.

‘I definitely think my relationship was best with my grandparents when they were more in their… 80s. When they’d sort of relaxed a little bit.

‘My grandfather was incredibly amusing, sometimes not deliberately, sometimes by accident. But we had a lot of laughs and he had a great sense of humour, as did my grandmother.’

It is clear William feels their loss keenly. He says: ‘I do miss my grandmother, and my grandfather… you think about them not being here any more and particularly being in Windsor, for me, Windsor is her.’

A Windsor childhood

William recalls racing up and down historic St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle with his cousins and how they would get ‘massive splinters’ because the wooden floor was so old. ‘My children don’t realise how lucky they are, they’ve got a big old carpet they can run down,’ he says.

Timekeeping

Levy is left open-mouthed as William turns up on his electric scooter. He admits, however, that his timekeeping leaves much to be desired. ‘I’m always late,’ he confesses. Despite offering to be a tour guide for the day, William admits: ‘Actually, George my son is way better in history than I am and I have to check with him now on my dates.’

■ The Reluctant Traveller With Eugene Levy Season 3 premieres on Apple TV+ today.

Want to know the one thing that really pushes Prince William‘s buttons?

It’s the suggestion, ‘Well, we’ve always done it this way’.

That’s not to say the future king is racing to turn his back on 1,000 years of pomp, pageantry and history when he accedes to the throne.

As one source tells me: ‘He very much believes in tradition and the magic of the monarchy.’

But there’s no doubt that he is aching to afford some serious change.

And he certainly won’t be afraid to question why things are done in the way they are – and whether they are still relevant to the institution today.

From the opening scenes of his starring role in Eugene Levy’s The Reluctant Traveller – racing up the iconic Long Walk to Windsor Castle and into its ancient quadrangle on his electric scooter – it is clear that the Prince of Wales is keen to show his hand as a royal moderniser.

Even his choice of programme is an eye-opener: a streamer travelogue (on Apple TV+) with an actor probably best known for starring in one of Hollywood’s most infamously filthy films, American Pie (reader, look it up!).

Indeed, William eye-poppingly admits his teen self was something of a fan.

But the programme’s gentle, conversational format works well. And while Levy isn’t a journalist asking the questions we would all dearly love to know the answers to (the only mention of Harry comes from William when he talks about the media pressures they were subjected to as boys), neither does the interviewer shy away from difficult subjects, including the Princess of Wales’ illness and what he feels about Prince George becoming king.

William comes across at times as really very vulnerable, possibly the most human we have ever seen him on camera (I was kindly given an exclusive preview of the entire show earlier this week).

He looks decidedly gaunt, it has to be said: a sign, I think, of the strain he has been under over the last year and a half supporting his wife, both practically and emotionally, and protecting their children.

His voice appears to crack at one point as he talks of how difficult this time has been.

This has, of course, been gravely complicated by his father’s cancer diagnosis.

While William says in the programme that the King is clearly a man who can take of himself, it’s obvious he also worries hugely about him. And his father’s illness has meant he has had to live with the fear – God forbid – that should Charles’ health take a turn for the worse, his own carefully constructed family unit will change irrevocably.

This hasn’t been helped by the repeated sniping he receives from California. It’s something William studiously ignores, but has not helped his general sense of wellbeing.

I think viewers will see him as authentic and down-to-earth as you are ever to get a member of the Royal Family to be.

However it’s also clear that William is firmly in charge of his own destiny, with a clear and confident vision for the future – one that is likely to look markedly different than anything we have seen before.

When Levy suggests that the monarchy will be ‘shifting in a slightly different direction’, William doesn’t shirk the question and replies firmly: ‘I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda. Change for good. And I embrace that… I don’t fear it. That’s the bit that excites me… the idea of being able to bring some change. Not overly radical change, but changes that I think need to happen. ‘

And that’s the bit that will get everyone talking.

The heir doesn’t flesh out what he means, and nor is anyone around him, although my sources stress that ‘all the things like garden parties and Trooping the Colour will very much still be part of the picture’. Suggestions he won’t have a coronation are strongly denied, although I think it’s safe to say it will be pared down from even his father’s more streamlined version.

‘I think when people say he doesn’t want a coronation it’s more of a statement of wishes than intent,’ one observer says.

‘When he thinks about change, it’s very much in the guise of questioning how things are done, much like he’s done with the Duchy of Cornwall since taking it over,’ they say. ‘If the answer is, ‘But we’ve always done it like that’, his answer will inevitably be, ‘But why?’ ‘

Of course there are those within royal circles who are very much hoping the prince won’t be tempted to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

While he clearly does not feel entirely comfortable with all the plumes and the ermine, it’s still what makes the British monarchy so special.

It’s why people turn out on The Mall, still, in their tens of thousands, and spend millions each year visiting royal residences such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor itself.

Our Prince of Wales will make a fine king, of that I have no doubt.

But there’s no doubt that the reign of William V will look markedly different from anything that has come before.

The Reluctant Traveller With Eugene Levy Season 3 premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday October 3.