How Prince William Reacted When a Journalist Called Him “Work Shy”

Prince William wearing camo — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Journalist Emily Andrews opened up about Princess Kate’s “great sense of humor” in the new episode of her “Catching Up With the Royals” podcast, and the royal expert also weighed in on Prince William’s personality in a new Instagram Reel. In a video captioned “What is Prince William REALLY like behind palace doors?” the veteran royal writer shared some of her observations from working with the Prince of Wales over the years.

Andrews noted the future King is “very clever, very curious” and has a “cheeky grin and twinkle in his eye.” However, she added, “I have always really liked him, actually—but you also get the sense that you don’t want to cross him.”

The Prince of Wales has been criticized for his low number of public engagements over the years, lagging behind much older royals like Princess Anne and his father, The King. Andrews, in turn, wrote a story calling him “work shy” when she working for the Sun in 2016, and in her Instagram Reel, she shared how the Prince of Wales called her out on it.

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Prince William wearing a sport coat and sunglasses — Prince William spoke to Andrews about her "work shy" allegations during his 2016 tour of India with Princess Kate.

Prince William giving fans a thumbs up at a soccer match — Andrews says the Prince of Wales, pictured celebrating with fans at an Aston Villa match, usually has a "cheeky grin."

“I remember when I wrote the article ‘Work Shy Wills,’ that was me, I’m afraid,” she said. “Then when we were on tour to India, William wanted to talk to me, which he did.” Andrews, who said she would elaborate more on the situation in a future video, added, “He’s very human.”

Speaking to Sky News about the story in 2022, Andrews said that William “took it on the chin, at least publicly with me. And he said that it was fair enough, but there were a lot of things we hadn't seen behind the scenes.” She added, “And actually fast forward to 2019/2020 and we heard a bit more about the stuff that he'd been doing with the air ambulance, the children's lives he'd been saving.”

In her Reel, Andrews said that while the Prince of Wales “is funny and charming, clever, witty,” he “also likes to get stuff done.”

“Don’t cross him, don’t upset him…memo to Harry,” she concluded.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.