He’s heir to the British throne, is married to Catherine, Princess of Wales and is the father of a crowd-pleasing trio. But how much do you really know about the man who now holds the title of Prince of Wales?
Nine months after being elevated to the role, the royal – who celebrated his 41st birthday on Wednesday – sat down with the UK’s Sunday Times for a rare interview, opening up about what motivates him and the evolving direction of his royal duties. It was the first time since becoming heir to the throne that William had talked to the press, his first sit-down with a newspaper, and he didn’t shy away from some of the harder questions thrown at him.
The crux of the interview was his efforts to combat homelessness in the United Kingdom – an issue to which he’s long devoted himself, and one that was perhaps rooted in his childhood by his late mother.
William’s take is that there is a lot of misunderstanding and judgment over how an individual can end up sleeping rough. In fairly plain-spoken remarks, he makes it clear that he doesn’t think the current approach of managing the issue works and that focus should be on prevention.
“It’s not insurmountable, this challenge. If anyone does become homeless (we can say), ‘OK, here’s the way back, here’s the pathway’. We can visualise that and we can show people that there is a way to do it,” he says.
Some may argue it’s easy for a person of privilege to spout ideas and criticisms. But over the years, William has committed to helping tackle the homeless crisis in whatever way he can.
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We’ve seen first-hand the numerous times he has used his platform in a genuine and meaningful way to raise awareness about the challenges faced by homeless people. In 2009, he even spent a night sleeping rough on London’s streets to experience the realities for himself. He’s supported various charities and often tries to volunteer (even if it’s not always possible to go under the radar).
In the Sunday Times piece, William teased an upcoming major project multiple times. Without getting into the specifics, he said, “it’s bringing all wonderful people and pieces together of the puzzle” and “from that, we can then get other councils in other parts of the country to copy. It’s about momentum.”
He said he wasn’t trying to interfere with government policy, arguing “my plan is an additive to what is already being done.” There was even a suggestion that royal land could be used for affordable accommodation in the future – a criticism the family has often faced given the vast amount of land they own, including numerous properties. When asked if there were any plans for housing using his Duchy of Cornwall land, the heir showed an openness to the idea but wouldn’t be drawn on a timeframe.
“Absolutely. Social housing. You’ll see that when it’s ready. I’m no policy expert, but I push it where I can,” William said.
When you speak to people surrounding the Waleses these days, they often point out that the couple’s more recent campaigns are heavily focused on making a lasting impact, and it’s likely William’s upcoming project will have that in mind, too. What we’re seeing is the future King and Queen evolving royal duties beyond simply ensuring they are visible, in order for causes to resonate with the public.
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One takeaway from William’s rare newspaper interview is how confident he is in the direction of his work. It’s clear that he has mapped out a vision for making the Prince of Wales role his own after inheriting it from his father, and he’s eager to get going, now that the ceremonial events, like last weekend’s Trooping the Color and this week’s annual Order of the Garter ceremony are in the rear-view mirror.
He also didn’t sidestep more potentially awkward topics, such as his family. Instead, he showed he was well aware that the perception of the Windsors had taken a hit in recent years.
“We’re all very busy and I think it’s hard sometimes to see what the family bring and what we do,” he said in the interview. “But the amount of causes, the interests, the dinners, the meetings, the visits, whatever it is, that we do day in, day out, throughout the year, we’ve always been involved in that. It’s part of what we do. It’s trying to spotlight other causes, other people, other interests, and help people where we can. We’ll continue to do that.”
His forthright remarks will go down well with royal-watchers, but for many in Britain, who continue to battle a cost of living crisis, they’ll want to see action as well as words. Nonetheless, it was a strong start for the future King to remind people that the monarchy is more than pomp and pageantry.
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Before we send felicitations to Prince William following his 41st birthday this week, here are a few fun facts about the first in line to the British throne you may not know.
He’s got quite a few titles now: In addition to the Prince of Wales, William inherited other titles from his father when King Charles III acceded the throne. He is also now the 25th Duke of Cornwall, which, as we mentioned above, makes him the new owner of the Duchy of Cornwall in southwest England.
For all of us ordinary folk, a duchy is territory belonging to a duke or duchess, and in this instance comprises livestock farms and residential and commercial properties. The impressive portfolio also includes some of England’s most scenic countryside, with forests, rivers and spectacular coastline.
William also inherited the Scottish title of Duke of Rothesay. And he still holds the titles given to him by the late Queen when he married Kate in 2011 – Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus.
He’s mad about football: Like many Brits, he’s a big fan of football (or soccer if you really insist) and has a favorite team: English Premier League side Aston Villa. With its home, Villa Park, in the central English city of Birmingham, Aston Villa isn’t perhaps the most obvious choice for Prince William, who grew up in London. “All my friends at school were either Man U (Manchester United) fans or Chelsea fans,” he told BBC Sport host Gary Lineker in 2015. “I didn't really want to sort of follow the run-of-the-mill teams and I wanted to have a team that was more middle-of-the-table that could give me the more emotional roller-coaster moments,” he explained.
As president of the Football Association (FA), William has been able to mix work with pleasure, even being lucky enough to watch his side play in their most recent FA Cup final in 2015. Unfortunately, it ended with a Villa loss – and with the prince awarding the trophy to the north London champions, Arsenal. Having made appearances with his father on Villa match days at Villa Park, it’s probably safe to assume that Prince George follows in his footsteps in claret and blue, the team colors.
William has a similar scar to a certain boy wizard: Royal-watchers may have noticed that Prince William has a small “Harry Potter scar” on his forehead. “I call it that because it glows sometimes and some people notice it – other times they don’t notice it at all,” he told BBC children’s news show Newsround in 2009.
The prince said the scar was the remnants of an operation he had when he was hit by a golf club while playing golf with a friend. “We were on a putting green and the next thing you know there was a seven iron and it came out of nowhere and hit me in the head,” he explained.
He enjoys binge watching shows like the rest of us: Ever wondered how a future King kicks back and relaxes? With TV and takeout. When asked what he and Kate watched on television by BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills back in 2017, William answered: “We’re both actually quite keen on boxsets … When we get the time in the evenings.”
“We’ve watched ‘Homeland’ - big fans of ‘Homeland.’ ‘Game of Thrones’ we’ve watched as well,” the Prince said during the live interview.
In fact, the Waleses were such big fans of the fantasy show that they’ve been known to attempt – and fail – to coax spoilers from actors while visiting the “Game of Thrones” set back in the day.
Kate confirmed her choice for takeout would be a curry but William admitted that it was a real “conundrum” as he’s “not so good with spicy food.”
(From CNN’s Hafsa Khalil)
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Kate reopens London’s National Portrait Gallery. |
The Princess of Wales unveiled the newly refurbished National Portrait Gallery in the British capital on Tuesday after its extensive three-year overhaul. The gallery’s transformation was the biggest redevelopment project that the building had seen since 1896. The engagement would have no doubt been a delight for the royal, who majored in art history at college alongside her future husband, Prince William. As patron, Kate was greeted in the forecourt by project architect Jamie Fobert and award-winning artist Tracey Emin, who was commissioned to create work for the gallery’s new doors which incorporate 45 carved brass panels representing “every woman, throughout time.” In addition to the building revamp, the gallery has also acquired more than 50 new pieces. Kate got to see some of the new purchases, including Joshua Reynolds’ “Portrait of Mai (Omai).” The gallery will open to the public from Thursday. Read more about its reopening on CNN Style.
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Spotify executive calls Sussexes 'grifters.' |
Popular podcaster Bill Simmons hit out at Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, labeling them "grifters," after their multi-year partnership with Spotify ended. "I wish I had been involved in the 'Meghan and Harry leave Spotify' negotiation," Simmons said on his self-titled podcast last Friday. "'The F**king Grifters.' That's the podcast we should have launched with them. I have got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It's one of my best stories ... F**k them. The grifters." The partnership between Archewell Audio, the couple's production company, and Spotify was intended to include numerous programs but, ultimately, only one series and a holiday special were produced. Archewell Audio and Spotify announced that they had "mutually agreed to part ways" just two weeks after the audio streaming company said it had cut 200 jobs within its podcast unit, amounting to 2% of its global workforce, in a "strategic realignment." CNN reached out to both Archewell and Spotify for comment on Simmons' remarks.
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Royal Ascot returned this week for the first racing festival since the Queen’s death. The horse racing spectacle became synonymous with the late monarch, with her deep passion for the sport a hook on which the festival hung its hat.
Thousands would flock to watch her and the royal entourage make their way in horse-drawn carriages up the Straight Mile in front of packed grandstands each day before racing got underway. Her presence was not purely ceremonial, though. She loved racing and saw 24 horses she owned win at the festival.
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This week, King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, have been the focus of much pomp and circumstance as Royal Ascot looks to usher in a new era – with the couple leading the royal procession on Tuesday. By Thursday, the King got the chance to celebrate his first win at the festival.
Organizers are also determined to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and have permanently renamed one of the races in her honor. There will also be a photo exhibition dedicated to her influence on the sport.
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Catherine, Princess of Wales, center left, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, center right, watch their husbands, Prince William and Prince Edward, arrive at St. George's Chapel to attend the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle on Monday. The photo went viral on social platforms, with many royal fans gushing over the “look of love” in Kate’s eyes as her husband of 12 years walked past her. |
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King Charles revived a royal tradition last weekend by being the first sovereign in nearly 40 years to ride on horseback in the Trooping the Colour ceremony, the first of his reign. Charles donned a Welsh Guard uniform, with leek emblem on the collar and green and white plum on his bearskin, for the occasion.
He was followed by several royal colonels, including Prince William, also wearing a uniform of the Welsh Guard, the regiment he inherited from his father in December. He rode alongside Princess Anne, Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of the Blues and Royals, and Prince Edward, who is Colonel of the London Guards. Read more on the military spectacle here.
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"Though drawn from different parts of the world, they collectively enrich the fabric of our national life and the remarkable tapestry of the Commonwealth."
– King Charles III
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The monarch celebrated the “profound and permanent” contributions that the Windrush generation of migrants has provided to Britain. His remarks were part of a foreword of a book that goes with a portrait display celebrating the generation of Commonwealth migrants who came to Britain to help rebuild the country after World War II. This week marks the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush in Tilbury Docks near London.
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