Royal Biographer Claims Prince William Has Pledged Not to Repeat "Mistakes His Father Has Made," as He's Labeled "Very Different From" King Charles

"No-one spells out the difference between prince and king."

Prince William and King Charles wear red military uniforms as they stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony
(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

It was recently suggested that King Charles is a little "irritated" with his son Prince William, believing the Prince of Wales's "dedication" to parenting is actually "tacit criticism." Now, a royal biographer has opened up about the alleged "mistakes" Prince William hopes to avoid when he takes over from his father as king.

While promoting the new book Power and the Palace, royal biographer Valentine Low told GB News, "William is very different from his father, and I think essentially, William is very aware of what he regards as mistakes his father has made, and he's not going to repeat them."

Low continued, "And you can see that in the way that when William launched his homelessness initiative, he went out of his way to clear it with ministers beforehand, to make sure that he wasn't treading on any political toes."

Prince William and King Charles wearing ceremonial robes and military medals

"William is very aware of what he regards as mistakes his father has made."

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

Conversely, King Charles seemingly annoyed a multitude of politicians throughout his time as a senior royal. "No-one spells out or defines in this context the difference between prince and king," Low told the outlet. "And I think Charles has tried to make it up as he went along."

The royal biographer further alleged, "He wanted to see what he could get away with, and he used to really annoy ministers." According to Low, Prince William is already operating very differently from his father.

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry attend the opening ceremony for the Invictus Games, presented by Jaguar Land Rover at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on September 10, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Thomas/Getty Images for Jaguar Land Rover)

"No-one spells out or defines in this context the difference between prince and king."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In November 2024, a source told Us Weekly, "Charles has wanted to be the monarch for decades...Even though he's battling cancer, he's not letting that get in the way of his desire to be successful on the throne or a dynamic leader."

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales is allegedly "preparing behind the scenes for when his ascension happens," according to the outlet's source. But it appears as though William plans to rule in a very different way compared to his father.

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.