King Charles, who recently had a one-on-one meeting with his heir to the throne at Balmoral last month, has been delegating some crucial responsibilities to Prince William.
Palace had announced in February 2024 that the King had been diagnosed with cancer, not disclosing the specifics of its type. Charles, despite his ongoing treatment for cancer, has continued to take on public facing duties.
During this time, Prince William has notably been taking on more prominent roles, which has been establishing his image as a global leader.
Even though there are speculations about tensions between the father and son over how they want to shape the monarchy’s future, royal experts suggest that it is not the whole truth.
Given William’s current role, Kate Nicholl, of Vanity Fair, suggested that the King has a high level of trust on his heir.
“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. William has proven himself to be a very capable international statesman,” she said.
The expert also cited a royal aide, who further endorsed the confidence Palace has in William despite concerns about his relatively brief tenure as heir apparent.
“I asked an aide if William is ready should his time as King come sooner than expected,” she said. “Their response was immediate. This person has known William for decades and said, ‘He's absolutely ready’.”
The Palace had reportedly been training William for his destined role but had amped up the training after Charles’s diagnosis. He understood to be urged by the Palace to stay prepared at a moment’s notice.