How Being a Millennial Guides Prince William, Per a Courtier

Prince William has a short beard and a bald head and wears a navy suit with a light blue shirt and a patterned tie — (Image credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

In recent years, Prince William has taken on a much larger role within the Royal Family. As the heir apparent, the Prince of Wales is likely already preparing for his own tenure on the throne after King Charles. And according to a former royal courtier, William is focused on "modernizing the monarchy," particularly as a "millennial."

Writing in his new royal biography William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, royal expert Russell Myers explained, "One former courtier gave an intriguing insight into the importance to the heir of modernizing the monarchy."

Per Myers, the courtier told him, "It has guided his principles, perhaps even before university. Look at most millennials, their world has changed more rapidly than any other generation, birth of the internet, social media, everyone rushing around, the world is literally on fire every way you turn."

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Prince William and Princess Kate smiling in front of a waterfront town — "It has guided his principles, perhaps even before university."

Russell Myers

'William and Catherine'

The former courtier continued, "In one way it's harder to be heard than ever and in another it's never been easier with everything at our disposal, so perhaps it's about balance. William and Catherine have been very good at that, taking their time, finding their feet on what matters to them."

Per the former palace employee, "They recognize their own foundations need to be rock solid before they can deliver for anyone else, much more so than anyone in the family before them."

Prince William and Prince George wear deep navy suits with blue ties, while Princess Kate, the Princess of Wales, wears a cream Self-Portrait dress and matching hat to attend the 2026 Easter Service — "Look at most millennials, their world has changed more rapidly than any other generation."

Ultimately, Prince William and Princess Kate are reportedly focused on one thing.

"The most important thing, for William as much as Catherine, has always been the welfare of their children," Myers shared.

Still, it's clear that Prince William is preparing to make some tough choices when he becomes King, while keeping his generation in mind throughout.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.