The Queen Would Approve of Prince William's New Down-to-Earth Approach

Prince William wears military uniform and smiles at Queen Elizabeth on the Buckingham Palace balcony, she wears a bright pink hat

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Prince William has been taking on a larger role within the Royal Family over the past year. And according to a royal expert, the late Queen Elizabeth II would've been proud of her grandson's new approach to the monarchy.

"For a while now, William has been putting into action the way that he intends to do the job," former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! magazine. "And that, as he now made clear, is royal with a small 'r.' You could say that the small 'r' also stands for relatable, because that is what he is showing himself to be."

Bond also suggested that Prince William is enjoying the opportunity to put his own mark on what it means to be royal. "I think he gets quite a kick out of surprising people—by taking calls in a restaurant, serving people from burger stalls, or dropping into a pub to buy a round of drinks," Bond told the outlet.

The former royal correspondent suggested that the Prince of Wales "finds it refreshing to be able to interact without all the fuss that generally goes with a royal visit," noting that his new approach is also "extremely effective" from a PR point of view.

Prince William watches Aston Villa play football in Monaco with a group of friends — Prince William headed to Monaco for a soccer match in January 2024.

Bond noted that Prince William's decision to be a down-to-earth royal was the best way to connect with the general public. "It’s important for the Royal Family to be in touch as much as possible with the way ordinary people feel," she told the outlet. Bond continued, "I think by deliberately cutting down on the need for deference, William is finding a clearer path to understanding public opinion. And I think his late grandmother would very much approve."

queen elizabeth in green — "I think his late grandmother would very much approve."

Meanwhile, another royal expert recently pointed out that William is dealing with a huge amount of pressure as the heir apparent. "Prince William is dedicated to duty, as imbued in him by Queen Elizabeth II, who tutored him every Sunday regarding his royal duties," Fordwich told Fox News Digital. "He's also under huge generational pressure since the increasing public popularity of the monarchy ranks highest for both him and Princess Catherine," Fordwich continued.

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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.