The Prince and Princess of Wales's personal approach over the years had already dispelled any talk of the royals’ stiff upper lip, but Prince William just took things to another level of candidness in the highly-anticipated fourth episode of Eugene Levy’s The Reluctant Traveler season 3.
His insights in the Apple TV+ show were incredibly moving and he looked thoughtful as he opened up about Prince George’s future. The 12-year-old is second in the royal line of succession and Prince William is determined to make sure the Royal Family "don’t regress" towards some of the practices that he and Prince Harry grew up with.
"It’s an interesting question, it’s a big question, that one. Because there’s lots of things to think about with that. But, obviously, I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do," he explained. "A world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better."
The father-of-three continued, "That is caveated with, I hope we don’t go back to some of the practices of the past, that Harry and I had to grow up in. And I’ll do everything I can to make sure we don’t regress in that situation."
Growing up as a royal comes with a high level of scrutiny, which both William and Harry know all-too well. Whilst the Duke of Sussex has been very vocal about how challenging it could be, this is a rare instance of his older brother commenting on it.
So far, Prince William and Kate have managed to ensure that George is largely kept out of the royal spotlight. Of course, this can only happen for so long, but for now he and Princess Charlotte and Louis are only seen in public on specific occasions and for events they genuinely enjoy, like Wimbledon.
They’re being introduced to public life in a way that’s manageable and their parents are hands-on, dropping them off and picking them up from school. They’re free to enjoy privacy at Adelaide Cottage and have a relatively normal upbringing.
Tradition will always play a part in the Royal Family’s life, but the Prince isn’t afraid to step away from it to modernise the monarchy ahead of his son ascending the throne.
He declared, "I think it’s safe to say change is on my agenda. Change for good, And I embrace that, I enjoy that change I don’t fear it. That’s the bit that excites me, the idea of being able to bring change, not overly radical change, but changes that I think need to happen."
For years now it’s been suggested that the Prince of Wales’s vision for his own reign will be very different to what has come before. He’s keen to adapt the Royal Family to reflect the times we live in and William revealed that he’s "optimistic" for the future.
Being a self-described "very optimistic person" in general is much-needed for someone who makes headlines around the world constantly and whose every move - and those of his family - are forever analysed. The Waleses have been through a lot over the years, especially in 2024, and the Prince reflected upon how they’ve all handled it in his conversation with Eugene.
"Life is sent to test us, and definitely be challenging at times, but how you overcome that is what makes us who we are," Prince William said. "I’m so proud of my wife and my father for how they’ve handled all of last year, my children have managed brilliantly as well."
Watch The Reluctant Traveler season 3 on Apple TV+, with new episodes landing every Friday.
