The process of preparing Prince William for his eventual job as King started when the Prince of Wales was a young boy, but in recent years, he's been taking on more and more of a leadership role in the monarchy.
William has taken on an increasingly hands-on role in The Firm in recent years, particularly since the death of his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, and he was recently referred to as his father's "right-hand man" in a new Channel 5 documentary called William and The King: Like Father, Like Son.
In the documentary, several royal experts were asked to weigh in on both William's current role in the royal family and how prepared he is for his future role as King.
According to The Mirror, royal experts in the documentary pointed to Will's hands-on role in meetings with other world leaders, including Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron, as a sign of just how much King Charles values and trusts him, not just as a son, but as a representative of the monarchy.
Referring to William's recent meetings with Trump, who praised the Prince of Wales after his second state visit to the U.K., journalist and royal commentator Afua Hagan pointed out that making visiting politicians and world leaders feel welcome is part of the job as a representative of the monarchy, regardless of what William's personal feelings about the person might be.
"Prince William has to play up to that role," Hagan said. "Donald Trump likes him, he may or may not like Donald Trump, we will never know, but it is really up to Prince William to ensure that Donald Trump leaves the United Kingdom feeling valued and having had a wonderful time."
As royal author and expert Katie Nicholl explained in the documentary (per The Mirror), the fact that William is tasked with entertaining people like Trump and Macron speaks volumes about how much the King trusts him.
"He wouldn't have William handling these important meetings, with Trump, Macron, or other world leaders, if Charles didn't believe he was absolutely capable," Nicholl explained. "William has proven himself to be a very capable international statesman."
In addition to being "absolutely capable" as an international statesman, William is also "absolutely ready" to step into the role of King, Nicholl insisted in the documentary.
"I asked an aide if William is ready should his time as King come sooner than expected," Nicholl said. "Their response was immediate. This person has known William for decades and said, 'He's absolutely ready.'"
As for what William's reign as King will look like, royal biographer Ingrid Seward predicts he will "keep the pomp and circumstance" associated with the royal family, even as he modernizes the monarchy and shifts toward a "slimmed-down monarchy, a more empathetic and in touch with the people monarchy."
