Royal Expert Reveals Why King Charles Is Struggling With "Delayed" Prince William and Princess Kate Milestone

"They have to go through all sorts of stringent tests."

Prince William and King Charles wear red military uniform and Kate Middleton wears a white dress with navy accents and a matching hat on the Buckingham Palace balcony
(Image credit: BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images))

Earlier this month, it was revealed that King Charles had decided to "postpone" a major milestone for Kate Middleton and Prince William. Now, a royal expert has opened up about the monarch's decision, elaborating on why Charles has yet to make Kate and William grantors of royal warrants.

Certain members of the Royal Family are given the power to award royal warrants, essentially giving their seal of approval to brands and services. "A Royal Warrant of Appointment is a document that permits a company to use the Royal Arms in connection with its business," the Royal Family's official website explains. "It is granted for up to five years at a time as a mark of recognition for the ongoing supply of goods or services traded with and used by the Households of HM The King and HM The Queen."

As for why Charles hasn't given Kate and William permission to award royal warrants, royal expert and author Robert Jobson said during an appearance on Hello! magazine's "A Right Royal" podcast, "There's been a delay. There's always a bit of a delay."

Kate Middleton wears a royal blue dress and matching hat, while Prince William and King Charles wear regal royal outfits

"There's been a delay," a royal expert explained.

(Image credit: Jane Barlow - Pool/Getty Images)

Jobson continued, "Remember that we haven't seen a transition in the Crown for some time, so we've had to deal with The King and The Queen first. That's taken some time because they have to go through all sorts of stringent tests and I think that it will happen in due course, but it's just that we're going through The King and Queen first, and you don't just get awarded a royal warrant, it's a lot involved."

Kate Middleton walking in a navy and white coat with Prince William

"Remember that we haven't seen a transition in the Crown for some time."

(Image credit: Alamy)

Hello! magazine's royal editor, Emily Nash, said on the podcast, "There hasn't been a Princess of Wales who's been able to issue warrants for about a century, really. So it will be quite a change just from that respect anyway, as and when it happens."

While the eventual appointment will be an important step for Prince William and Princess Kate, it's unlikely a "priority" for the couple right now, according to Hello! magazine's royal experts.

Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

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.