Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Winter Shoe Trends
    • Slick-Backed Buns
    • OleHenriksen
    • Holiday Candles
    • Statement Red Socks
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Queen Elizabeth Would "Very Much Approve" of One Change Prince William Has Made Within Royal Family

    The Prince of Wales is following in his late grandmother's footsteps.

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 24 January 2025 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    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)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    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.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    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.

    (Image credit: Aston Villa/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

    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."

    You may like
    • Prince William sitting in the stands at the Commonwealth Games talking to Prince Louis and Prince George Prince William Follows in One Unexpected Royal’s Parenting Footsteps
    • Prince William and Princess Kate stand behind King Charles while all three look serious and wear black How Kate and William Are Ditching "Institutional Secrecy"
    • Queen Elizabeth wears a turquoise suit and matching hat while Princess Kate points at the sky and wears a blue coat dress Princess Kate Gained One Skill From Queen Elizabeth

    queen elizabeth in green

    "I think his late grandmother would very much approve."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    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.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Explore More
    Prince William Queen Elizabeth II
    Amy Mackelden
    Amy Mackelden
    Social Links Navigation
    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.

    Read more
    Prince William and Princess Kate stand behind King Charles while all three look serious and wear black
    Royals How Kate and William Are Ditching "Institutional Secrecy"
    By Amy Mackelden
    Prince William holding a cricket bat
    Royals Prince William "Doesn't Rest on His Laurels as a Future King," Says Royal Expert
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Prince William wearing a blue blazer
    Royals Prince William's "Position Hasn't Changed" About One Tradition He Might Break
    By Kristin Contino
    Prince William has a beard and is wearing a suit jacket and shirt
    Royals Prince William "Won't Stay Silent" on One Particular Topic
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    The Royal Family stands on the Buckingham Palace balcony
    Royals Princess Kate's Ally Is Labeled "Most Well-Behaved Royal"
    Prince William and Princess Kate stand behind King Charles while all three look serious and wear black
    Royals How Kate and William Are Ditching "Institutional Secrecy"
     
     
    For Halloween, Prince Louis picks up a pumpkin at the patch in an adorable throwback snap, taken by mom Princess Kate
    Royals Prince Louis's Mischievous Side Is on Display in Throwback Snap
    The exterior of Anmer Hall on the Sandringham estate
    Royals Prince William Reacts to Some Terrifying News About His Country House
     
     
    Latest in News
    The Royal Family stands on the Buckingham Palace balcony
    Royals Princess Kate's Ally Is Labeled "Most Well-Behaved Royal"
    Prince William and Princess Kate stand behind King Charles while all three look serious and wear black
    Royals How Kate and William Are Ditching "Institutional Secrecy"
     
     
    Zoe Kravitz wears leopard print shoes and capri pants to film with Jamie Dornan in New York City
    Celebrity Style Zoë Kravitz Confirms Leopard Print Shoes Are a Neutral
    Charli XCX and Hailey Bieber attend Kendall Jenner's Halloween birthday party
    Celebrity Style Charli XCX Trials BDSM for Kendall Jenner's Birthday Party
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.