Inside Prince William’s blueprint for the monarchy beyond ‘custodian’ King Charles
Prince William has long faced criticism over his royal workload, with some commentators accusing him of being “work-shy” and relying on senior members of the family, including Princess Anne and King Charles, to carry out more public engagements.
The Prince and Princess of Wales adopted a quieter public schedule over the past two years, an approach largely accepted because of their young family and Kate’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment.
However, William’s workload is coming under renewed scrutiny. Some sections of the British media have questioned why King Charles continues to undertake significant royal duties while receiving cancer treatment, while his eldest son maintains a less demanding public schedule.
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard, however, believes such comparisons fail to consider the different roles performed by members of the Royal Family.
“Princess Anne will always do more engagements. That’s her job,” Chard told Fox News Digital. “But William has the monarch’s permission to prioritize his young family. And in 2026, that stability is part of the job.”
She argued that William is not necessarily doing less work but is instead developing a different approach as he prepares for his future role as monarch.
“Preparing to run the monarchy like a CEO doesn’t mean less work. It means different work,” Chard said. “Forget 400 meet-and-greets. We’re getting 10-year projects. We’re talking about big goals, big partnerships and measurable, real outcomes.”
Chard also highlighted what she sees as a key difference between King Charles and Prince William’s visions for the monarchy.
“King Charles is like the custodian. His mission is to preserve and consider a slimmed-down monarchy,” she said. “Prince William, the strategist, is making the monarchy indispensable for the next 50 years.”
Despite William’s focus on long-term projects and targeted initiatives, Chard insisted that traditional royal engagements will remain an important part of the monarchy’s work.
“The traditional charity work is not going anywhere,” she said. “Charities still need royal visits to raise money and profile. However, there will be more efficient, targeted visits.”
