Prince William and Princess Kate Are Challenging Royal Norms In an Effort to Be "More Impactful," Says Royal Author

"What we’re seeing with the younger royals is a consolidation of their charitable efforts, and a call to action."

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Prince William and Princess Kate laughing sitting at a table next to each other
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Each year, attention turns to which member of the Royal Family was the "hardest working," with King Charles and Princess Anne usually topping the list for the most royal engagements. Princess Kate has made appearances in Scotland, Windsor and London this month as she prepares to increase her 2026 workload, but according to royal sources, there's not a huge push for Kate to match the numbers of older family members.

"What we’re seeing with the younger royals is a consolidation of their charitable efforts, and a call to action," royal author and journalist Katie Nicholl told the Mirror. "They’re spreading themselves less thinly because there are fewer working royals now, so their work has to be more impactful."

Prince William also falls into the "fewer but more impactful" category, and has spoken about wanting to make a real difference instead of just cutting ribbons, as Kate Mansey of the Times said in an episode of The Royal Beat last year.

Prince William and Princess Kate wearing blue jackets and laughing

Prince William and Princess Kate are pictured during a trip to Scotland on January 20.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Kate raising her arm in the air and cheering at a curling rink

The Princess of Wales celebrated her success at curling in Stirling, Scotland.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Mansey told the True Royalty TV program that the Prince of Wales "wants to come away and think, ‘I've made a difference there, there's money that's gone into that community center or there's something that's happened because I went there,' rather than just showing up and shaking some hands."

Focusing on passion projects—such as early childhood development for Kate and homelessness for William—is a part of the couple's overall strategy as they prepare to take the throne one day.

Speaking to journalists in South Africa during his visit for the 2024 Earthshot Prize, the Prince of Wales said he was "trying to do it differently" when it came to royal engagements.

"I’m doing it with maybe a smaller 'r' in the royal, if you like, that’s maybe a better way of saying it," the Prince of Wales added.

Kristin Contino
Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

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.