Despite Wanting to Make "Change For Good" as King, Prince William Is Simply Following in Dad King Charles's Footsteps, Says Royal Advisor
"That's what his grandmother did. That's what his father's been doing."
Prince William has made it clear that he's ready to put his own stamp on the monarchy when he becomes King. In his appearance on Eugene Levy's Apple TV+ series, The Reluctant Traveler, the Prince of Wales opened up about wanting to make "change for good" as he looks ahead to his future role. Although Prince William admitted he plans to modernize the monarchy, his Earthshot Prize CEO Jason Knauf, points out that William's approach mirrors that of his father, King Charles.
During his conversation with Levy, the Prince of Wales shared that it "excites" him to think about how he can update certain practices in the Royal Family. "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," William said. "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."
While his comments have raised questions about what these changes might be, Knauf explained that the Prince of Wales isn't going to necessarily reinvent the wheel. "He does care deeply about tradition, about his family's legacy of service, and I think Earthshot is a really good example of how you're going to see that maintained in the future, but done in a way that makes sense for the time," Knauf told Sky News after the 2025 environmental prize finalists were announced.
Prince William is seen giving a speech at the launch of the Global Humanitarian Memorial in London on October 1.
King Charles and Prince William are seen during the July 2025 French state visit.
Knauf said the Earthshot Prize—which honors people coming up with innovative solutions to save the planet—was an example of the "leader that Prince William wants to be, both now and in the future."
Elaborating on how the Prince of Wales is looking to switch things up when the time comes, Knauf added, "That's what his grandmother did. That's what his father's been doing. Updating the tradition for the generation that they serve."
Several royal insiders recently issued similar statements while speaking to the Telegraph, with one senior aide noting that when it comes to monarchs, "It’s a bit like Doctor Who. The next one that comes along has to be completely different but a bit the same. The institution regenerates itself."
“That’s how it survives," another source added. "Being both the same and different. The mistake some people made was to think that he [King Charles] could be, or would want to be, the same as his mother."
