Royal Expert Says Prince William Refuses to Take Part in One Tradition Despite King Charles Doing So "At the Drop of a Hat"

Prince William has shared his desire for a more modern, approachable monarchy while still maintaining some of the rich traditions of the past. Exactly what will be scrapped remains to be seen, and while he hasn’t always looked thrilled wearing his Order of the Garter robe and plumed hat over the years, the Prince of Wales dutifully takes part in the historic ceremony. However, there’s one piece of clothing where he draws the line.

Royal expert Phil Dampier told the Daily Mail about the Prince of Wales’s stubborn streak, noting that he’ll call shots when he becomes King, even when it comes to something as minor as wearing a kilt.

While King Charles is nearly always pictured wearing a kilt when he’s in Scotland, royal fans have asked numerous times over the years why Prince William doesn’t do the same. Dampier explained it was as simple as the Prince of Wales “doesn’t like wearing them.”

“He doesn’t want to and has never been seen wearing a kilt in Scotland, whereas King Charles will don a kilt at the drop of a hat,” Dampier said. The royal commentator added that once the Prince of Wales has “made his mind up, he tends to stick to it.”

“If he doesn’t want to wear a kilt, he won’t,” Dampier continued.

While visiting Scotland's Isle of Bute earlier this month, Prince William wore navy trousers with a casual green jacket, whereas his father donned a blazer and traditional tartan kilt with knee socks (called kilt hose) during a trip to Aberdeenshire a week later.

Even though it seems like the Prince of Wales might never follow in his father's footsteps in some ways, his former aide Jason Knauf told 60 Minutes Australia that William—like every monarch before him—will have "to reinvent the role for the generation that they serve."