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One day recently, a camouflage-clad Prince William sat in a tank as he visited British troops in Estonia, not so very far from the border with Russia.
A few days later and back home, word spread that saplings were being planted on land under William’s purview in a bid to expand one of the last remaining examples of temperate rainforest in southwestern England.
As vastly different as those moments are, they send signals about how the heir to the throne is settling into his role as Prince of Wales.
“William is having to be quite an active Prince of Wales early in his term in this position,” Carolyn Harris, a Toronto-based royal author and historian, said in an interview.
In that, there is a difference from the experience of his father, King Charles, who was only a few months past his third birthday when he became heir to the throne in 1952.
Charles “had a lot of time to grow into these roles and to decide what he was going to do with that,” Harris said.
“But in the case of William, by the time King Charles III succeeded to the throne [in 2022], William was already in his 40s and had had time to think about how he was going to present himself in this role.”
Charles’s health — with his cancer diagnosis last year and ongoing treatment — is also playing a role in William’s experience as Prince of Wales.
“It’s meant that William has taken on a larger role on the world stage,” Harris said.
“We saw that at the D-Day commemorations [in France last June] … Charles was there and he made a speech, but it was William who stayed on for all the various ceremonies.”
William was back on the world stage in Estonia for a visit that would have been at the behest of the U.K. Foreign Office, as the country’s defence spending is under greater focus and the U.K. looks to shore up support in Europe for Ukraine.
“I don’t think there’s any coincidence that we’re seeing members of the Royal Family in general in more military settings,” Craig Prescott, a constitutional expert and lecturer in law at Royal Holloway, University of London, said in an interview.
Estonia, Prescott noted, is a NATO member, and very close to Ukraine.
“It reflects again the U.K. stance on Ukraine, and the fact that the Royal Family were there and planned to be there just shows how fundamental that level of support is.”
William’s visit with British troops was part of a diplomatic tightrope the U.K. is trying to walk right now.
“Britain’s foreign policy is going in a number of different directions,” said Harris. “The Royal Family is part of this process of both trying to maintain a harmonious relationship with an increasingly unpredictable United States but also standing with the rest of Europe against Russian aggression in Ukraine.”
Back in the U.K., Prince William’s private estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, is touting its efforts to double the size of an ancient temperate rainforest in southwestern England.
Volunteers helped plant 450 saplings in the Wistman’s Wood National Nature Reserve.
“It has long been an iconic woodland, known not only for its biology, including some of the rarest species of mosses and lichens that are only found within two small, wooded areas on Dartmoor, but also for the folklore and mythology this charismatic woodland has generated,” the duchy said in a news release.
William has long had an interest in environmental conservation, but letting it be known the planting had happened might have served multiple purposes.
Controversy has surrounded both the Duchy of Cornwall, and King Charles’s private estate, the Duchy of Lancaster, in recent months, particularly in connection with finances and transparency.
“I don’t think it’s without accident that this is about the environment, to show that the duchy [of Cornwall] can be used for good,” Prescott said.
“It’s just one of those things where lots of things come together, where you’ve got the duchy, you’ve got William’s interest in the environment. It’s a natural synergy.”
The planting itself might have a limited environmental impact, at least in the short term.
“Prince William’s efforts to double the ancient temperate rainforest fragment Wistman’s Wood are symbolically significant but absurdly minuscule in scale,” said Joel Scott-Halkes, co-founder of U.K. campaign group Wild Card, via email.
Wild Card is urging the Royal Family to rewild its lands and bring thousands of hectares back to the way they were before humans imposed themselves on the natural landscape.
“Doubling a tiny woodland that measures just eight acres in size equates to the prince reforesting only a jaw-droppingly underwhelming 0.007 per cent of the vast landholdings owned by his Duchy of Cornwall estate,” said Scott-Halkes.
“Prince William’s heart is nearly in the right place, but wildlife still comes a distant second on his estate behind the lodestar of profit.”
Looking ahead, both Harris and Prescott wonder about the possibility of William appearing more on the Commonwealth and world stages.
There have been discussions regarding possible royal visits to Canada and the United States, Prescott said, “and I think that would be really interesting if Prince William did something like that, because that would be a move [in an indirect way] into a more political context.”
Harris is also interested in the approach William and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, will have to royal tours.
Might their whole family travel together, Harris wondered, something that she said can send a “very powerful message.”
“We think of 1970, for instance, in Canada when the United States was questioning Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic,” Harris said.
The Queen, her husband and two oldest children land in present-day Iqaluit for a visit to Canada’s North in 1970.
“The presence in 1970, for the 100th anniversary of the Northwest Territories, of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, all visiting Tuktoyaktuk and Iqaluit and other communities along the Arctic Circle — yes, they’re reinforcing historic ties with the Inuit and other Indigenous peoples who live there, but they were also sending a very clear message regarding Canadian sovereignty.”
Back to work for the King
King Charles was back at his official duties this week after being in hospital briefly on March 20 for side-effects from his cancer treatment.
Word that he had been in hospital for a short period came relatively late that evening, and was said to follow consultations carried out before his engagements for the following day were called off.
Charles was seen the next day in a car leaving Clarence House on his way to his Highgrove country residence, where he spent last weekend.
That visibility was in keeping with the King’s efforts to be seen publicly since his cancer diagnosis early last year.
“He doesn’t want to be out of the public eye for an extended period of time,” said Harris. “We saw last year when Catherine, the Princess of Wales, was out of the public eye, that attracted a feverish amount of popular speculation.”
Charles also seems committed to having a busy schedule.
“It seems that his drive and his purpose comes from work,” said Prescott.
“We saw that [when he was] Prince of Wales … And I think there’s a real sense that now he’s throwing himself into being King.”
Continued media attention on Charles’s situation could put more pressure on his elder son, Harris suggested.
“The press coverage of King Charles III’s health is also focusing attention on William and his public engagements both within the United Kingdom and on the world stage.”
Charles, however, plans to be on the world stage himself next week. He and Queen Camilla are scheduled to visit Italy. All indications are that the trip will continue.
But their itinerary is being altered by health concerns — in this case, the health of Pope Francis, who is recuperating after a lengthy hospital stay.
Charles and Camilla had been set to meet with the Pope at the Vatican, but doctors say he needs to rest. Their visit has been postponed.
Fascinator readers write
Our look in the last newsletter at the signals King Charles could be sending in support of Canada in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 51st state rhetoric prompted considerable response from Royal Fascinator readers. Here’s a selection of comments, edited for length and clarity.
Jim wrote:
“I was quite frustrated at reading your article about the symbolic gestures the Royals are using to show support for Canada during our existential crisis. This is more than just a political issue (which the Royals need to avoid). This is a threat to our continued existence, which needs a more forceful response from our head of state. A statement coming from the King condemning such talk would be a start and then a royal tour after the election would be very helpful.
“These little symbolic gestures they are doing are somewhat laughable in the current situation and will hurt the monarchy in Canada in the long run and lead to more republican talk. I have been quite the royal supporter in the past but now my attitudes are shifting unfortunately. Most people I have been chatting with over the past few weeks are similarly frustrated with the King.”
Alex wrote:
“As an LGBT person, I know first-hand how much visibility matters …. And while the monarchy may not have the political authority to legislate change, it wields a different kind of power — the power of symbolism, stability and generational continuity. These are not superficial. In fact, they’re what keep many of us grounded when the political winds shift.
“When I reflect on my childhood in the U.K. and my adulthood in Canada, I see the Crown as a throughline — nonpartisan, evolving, yet rooted … I find it quite beautiful that a constitutional monarch, someone who does not need to speak loudly, can nevertheless remind us — through colour, presence and stillness — of who we are. In an age when even democracies feel fragile, and when public trust can feel eroded, Charles’s commitment to the symbolic work of monarchy is not only dignified — it’s vital.”
Joseph wrote:
“As head of state of Canada, King Charles ought to do more than send just signals. Now is the time to visit Canada and by his presence and with a clear message assert the importance of Canada as a sovereign country. We must have a head of state that will stand up for our country.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney sits down with King Charles in London during his first foreign trip as Canada’s prime minister.
Dan wrote:
“I don’t understand why the King would invite Trump to Buckingham Palace. This is far from being subtle and strikes me as a sellout of Canada and insulting to us.”
Fiona wrote:
“[King Charles] presents a sword to a Canadian as a symbol of support, while he gives a state dinner to Trump. I realize that such recognition is initiated by the prime minister but so many of us are outraged at the whole lot of them in recognizing Trump.”
Sandra wrote:
“I am heartened by the symbolic gestures towards Canada they have been making recently. Now, wouldn’t it be wonderful if Kate and William cheered us up with a visit to Canada?”
King Charles and other members of the Royal Family are showing some subtle but notable signs of support for Canada amid its economic fight with the United States.
Royally quotable
“I implore you now, on behalf of the children of today and tomorrow, to redouble your efforts in prioritizing their safety.”
— Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, in Brussels addressing an international audience of government representatives, as well as those from the tech sector, on the subject of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Royal reads
Prince Harry says he hopes a watchdog investigation into a charity he founded will “unveil the truth,” amid a boardroom battle within the organization. [ITV]
Catherine, Princess of Wales, said nature has been her family’s “sanctuary” over the past year, in a special message for Mother’s Day in the U.K. [BBC]
In January, Princess Beatrice shared the news that she and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi had welcomed a baby girl, Athena. The announcement followed weeks of worry, after Beatrice learned her daughter was likely to arrive preterm. Beatrice reflects on her pregnancy journey — and how she’s redoubling her efforts to spotlight the importance of research to improve female health outcomes — in a personal essay for British Vogue.
Actor Michael Sheen has said he will star as Owain Glyndŵr, the last Welsh-born Prince of Wales, in a new theatre production. [BBC]
Was the second wife of Henry VIII really guilty of the crimes she was beheaded for? A new play takes a sideways look at Anne Boleyn’s downfall — by imagining its impact on everyday women. [The Guardian]
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