Why The Late Queen Had So Much "Sympathy" for Prince William

Queen Elizabeth wears a light pink coat and matching hat and carries a black leather handbag, while her grandson Prince William wears his Royal Air Force uniform and guides her around — (Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth II played an important role as the head of the Royal Family, serving as monarch for seven decades. During that time, she reportedly found commonality with her grandson, Prince William and the future he faced as King of England.

In his new book, William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, royal expert Russell Myers discussed the special bond Queen Elizabeth II had with her grandson. As the Prince of Wales will one day inherit the throne, the late Queen reportedly felt connected to him and his life choices.

"The Queen felt there were deep parallels between her cherished time in Malta and William's determination to live in Wales for longer," Myers wrote. Basically, Elizabeth reportedly understood why William might want to live a quieter life with Princess Kate for a period of time, especially as he had such an important destiny ahead of him.

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Myers continued, "The Queen certainly had sympathy with [William's] situation. Her direction was very much 'go and live your life,' but also to have one eye on the future, as you never know when things will change,' one former courtier said."

Russell Myers

'William and Catherine'

Queen Elizabeth wearing a black dress and pearls sitting next to Prince William, who is pointing at something and smiling — "The Queen felt there were deep parallels between" them.

According to Myers, "William drew much comfort from his grandmother's words and felt emboldened to make the most of the opportunity that lay in front of him and Catherine, for as long as they could make it last." It would seem that, before responsibility truly set in, Prince William wanted to enjoy some normalcy with his wife.

Queen Elizabeth, Prince William and Kate Middleton looking at a garden — "The Queen certainly had sympathy with [William's] situation."

Sadly, Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022; William's father, King Charles, subsequently took the throne. Now the heir apparent, Prince William has stepped into a more central role within the Royal Family. Still, it's clear that Queen Elizabeth's influence on Prince William helped steer his trajectory.

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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.