In August, the Prince and Princess of Wales were too lazy to attend the V-J Day 80th anniversary events. There was a huge service at the National Memorial Arboretum, attended by King Charles, Camilla and the last living WWII veterans who fought in the Pacific theater. And William and Kate just skipped it because they were on vacation. Well, Charles and Camilla hosted many of those same veterans at the palace yesterday for an Armistice Day reception. William must have been ordered to show up, because he actually left Forest Lodge for this. This reception was William’s sole public event for the day. His wife was tasked with leaving a wreath at the Arboretum in the morning. All of this happened after William was too lazy to attend the Festival of Remembrance on Saturday as well. Speaking of, Amanda Platell at the Daily Mail decided to hit pause on her anti-Sussex campaign and she absolutely ripped into William in her column this week.
Prince William’s no-show at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War was bewildering – and enough to make many of us worry about our future King’s priorities. Was it really more important for him to make a speech at the discredited COP30 UN climate change summit and visit a remote island in Brazil than be here on this island, this Britain, honouring our war dead and marking one of the most important days in history?
Yes, he was back in time to lay a wreath at The Cenotaph the next day, but his absence in the Royal Box was all too conspicuous on Saturday night. His place alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla and Princess Catherine was taken up nobly by his son George, just 12.
No one will have missed the fact that William is dedicated to solving the world’s climate problems, to save the planet for his children and his children’s children. Yet was anyone captivated by his ‘impassioned’ speech or his worthy yet underwhelming Earthshot Prize awards on TV? An article in the India Times had a point when it highlighted the fact that the Prince flew 5,500 miles to Brazil to lecture the world on climate change.
COP is a talking shop for the self-aggrandising rich, the puffed-up and powerful, pontificating about how to save the world as they arrive in their gas-guzzling private jets. Since the Conference of the Parties (COP) climate gatherings started 30 years ago in 1995, greenhouse gas emissions worldwide have increased by 65 per cent. Hardly a successful record!
Far better than that hand-wringing speech and the week of photo opportunities in Brazil – playing beach volleyball, hugging babies, taking selfies with the locals and visiting indigenous tribes – would have been for William to have gone to the Royal Albert Hall here in Blighty.
It should have been an unmissable event in his diary and his absence is a worrying indication of what royal duties now take precedence in his life. He and his family were also a no-show for the traditional annual Easter church service and walkabout at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in April, choosing instead to spend family time in Norfolk with Kate and the kids. It’s an understandable sentiment, but Easter is seen as the most important date in the Christian calendar and whether he likes it or not, William will one day be Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Attendance at such events comes with the job description.
My fear is that William, rushing around the world to lecture us on climate change, comes across as turning his focus away from people’s everyday concerns. At a time when a recent Ipsos poll revealed national pride has plummeted and British society is now more divided than ever, he should be seizing every opportunity to restore a sense of patriotism and belief in Britain, to rekindle the magic of the monarchy.
…Yet the answer is not to shrink away from royal duties here in Britain; it is to take heed of the ordinary people who truly want the monarchy to succeed in an increasingly fragile world where republicans are on the march. As his wise grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, once said: ‘When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead they are more determined to struggle for a better future.’ Another of her great sayings was: ‘I have to be seen to be believed.’ And I’m sure she didn’t mean being seen at a COP summit on the other side of the world.
This is the most I’ve ever enjoyed a Platell column. Whack him again! William is such a sad, pitiful figure as well – he’s been handed that extraordinary platform, and he’s just a 40-something self-aggrandizing loser who is too lazy to actually DO something, anything at all. I wondered if his absence at the Festival of Remembrance would become a bigger story, and I’m glad at least one Mail columnist dedicated a piece to it. And yes, he skipped Easter. And he’s the BAFTA president and he skipped the BAFTAs this year too, because he was on vacation in Mustique. And he and his staff couldn’t even spell “veterans” correctly (that misspelled tweet is still up, btw). Lazy and half-assed doesn’t even cover it.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- The Prince of Wales and veteran George Durrant at a reception for veterans who served in the Pacific during the Second World War, part of the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, at Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Picture date: Tuesday November 11, 2025.,Image: 1051874355, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jonathan Brady/Avalon
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- King Charles III and the Prince of Wales at a reception for veterans who served in the Pacific during the Second World War, part of the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, at Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Picture date: Tuesday November 11, 2025.,Image: 1051874448, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Matthews/Avalon
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- (back row left to right) the Duke of Edinburgh, Charlie Richards, Pat Owtram, Edwin Habberley, the Prince of Wales, George Durrant, Sid Machin and the Duchess of Gloucester (front row left to right) Stan Gates, Ron Gumbley, Sylvia Manasseh, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Yavar Abbas, Bill Jones, Ron Quested and Henry Rice at a reception for veterans who served in the Pacific during the Second World War, part of the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, at Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Picture date: Tuesday November 11, 2025.,Image: 1051874526, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jonathan Brady/Avalon
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- The Prince of Wales and veteran Ron Gumbley at a reception for veterans who served in the Pacific during the Second World War, part of the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, at Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Picture date: Tuesday November 11, 2025.,Image: 1051874605, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Matthews/Avalon
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- The Prince of Wales and veteran George Durrant at a reception for veterans who served in the Pacific during the Second World War, part of the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, at Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Picture date: Tuesday November 11, 2025.,Image: 1051874626, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jonathan Brady/Avalon
” to rekindle the magic of the monarchy” William can’t rekindle the magic of the monarchy he doesn’t have any magic. Now Harry could do it, with Meghan if the newspapers hadn’t spent the last 5 years running a hate campaign against Meghan.
There is no magic in the monarchy and never was — just a thieving, scheming family that cut deals with the church and grabbed as much land as riches as it could under the guise of being the chosen one.
Willy doesn’t care about anything but himself. He doesn’t even really care about how he looks because he’s deceived himself into thinking that being the king one day is his shield.
I’m sure he thinks his own father “got away” with adultery AND marrying his mistress then of course he can get away with appearing to care about causes that the world at large care about ie: climate change and the homelessness crisis.
But he’s so spoiled, lazy and jealous of his brother he only cares about one upping Harry and he fails at that Every. Single. Time.
Spot on Sunnyside. Harry got Diana’s gift with people and Meghan has a shine that matches it.
His concern and affection for the VETERAN is as phony as his medals. I get so angry when I see them wearing a full chest of medals they don’t deserve and did not earn.
I would love it if one of the real Veterans asked William where he got his medals from and why he received them. William with no shame announcing his medals for his grandmother’s Jubilee and all the other ridiculous reasons.
Ha! See this medal here on the left? I got that for standing on a balcony and watching planes fly over with decorative smoke. Oh and that one too. And this. I got this one for my grandmother turning 80.
Is there a medal for doing the school run?
It’s perplexing – he has everything and yet he’s nothing.
What he’s being asked to do isn’t rocket science. All he has to do is roll out of bed and show up. It’s like he’s so incredibly lazy and stubborn that everyone around him has given up, like “Fine, don’t take advice, just go out and do what ever you want and see what happens.”
He has everything because it’s been handed to him on a silver platter — sometimes literally. He’s never worked for, nor earned, anything at all. It’s a shame, and also proof that too much at an early age stunts your emotional and intellectual growth. I’d feel sorry for him, but he’s such a horse’s patootie that I can’t find it in me to care.
The BM and royal watchers love to talk about missteps. Apparently Harry going to a party was a misstep. Despite the fact that he spent days in Canada honoring veterans and he is no longer a working royal. However, William is a working royal. He is paid insanely well to be one. He was in the country, albeit tired from travel. There was no good reason for him not to attend the remembrance concert. One might say that this is the true misstep.
If the Prime Minister can attend and the King, who is still undergoing cancer treatment, can attend, then William has no excuse.
It’s especially bad because the elderly Duke of Kent (who served for decades) was absent and Anne and Tim Laurence (who served for decades) were overseas on a tour. It was pretty sparse so the heir, who did at least serve a few years, definitely should’ve been there.
They talk about “missteps” so much that the term loses meaning. To me, a misstep is something that might be well meaning but falls flat, or is just the result of thoughtlessness, not necessarily malice. I’m trying to think of an example where the royals are concerned but am drawing a blank.
But missing the Festival of Remembrance wasn’t a misstep. that was just laziness. he didn’t want to go, so he didn’t. Keir Starmer managed to make it. Lazy Katie managed to make it. But William just said nope. I think its clear too that he had to be dragged to the reception at the palace – he and Kate could have done both the ceremony earlier in the day and then the reception. Camilla managed to make it to multiple events that day.
missing Easter service as the future head of the church of england isn’t a misstep. Skipping the BAFTAs to go to Mustique isn’t a misstep. etc.
I am not saying this to be glib, but I honestly think William could do with an intensive dose of therapy and mental health treatment. I think it would help him process the trauma of his mother’s death (something I don’t think he’s ever dealt with), his relationship with his father and brother, his anger at both of them as well as his anger at his own life choices, his insecurity, etc. We always ask “wtf is wrong with him” and I think he is a deeply angry man and a deeply disappointed one, and he needs to figure it the eff out.
Fair enough. Rather than a misstep, it was an intentionally lazy step. Or a step caused by personal choices bc, while I’m not entirely sure, William may be suffering from some addictions, idk. It’s one of those things where yeah I do wish William would get therapy and maybe feel successful or happy or something bc, while it can be somewhat entertaining to watch him blunder about, for me, it starts feeling ick. But then he briefs or does something asinine and I’m like, yeah no, reap those consequences.
@Jais I know what you mean lol. It would be nice if he figured his ish out because watching him crash out over….anything ….is exhausting. But I do enjoy watching him screw up the easy things and get called out for it (like skipping this event.)
Carnival of so called experts:
“See Harry and Meghan aren’t the only ones on American television”
I remember when the Palace launched its smear campaign against Harry and Meghan the press said that William and Kate’s focus was on the UK. Well it would since Harry and Meghan have left that William is more interested in being a global statesman than with anything that’s going on the UK. He had enough time since his arrival from Brazil to go to the Festival of Remembrance.
This article should be alarming for William and his minions. Platell’s criticisms of William are not just that he’s “too woke” (lol) as demonstrated by… caring about climate change and visiting indigenous people. Charles is woke by those metrics!
It’s that William is a phony, flying around in a private jet and doing superficial photo ops around the world instead of what the conservative royalists want him to be doing, which seems to be making England great again. It seems that all this group really wants is for the Wales to do a few events a week in the U.K. and show up to the big ceremonies. I personally think that’s the bare minimum to ask in return for inhabiting all of those palaces, but they can’t even be bothered to do it.
People have been wanting the UK to be great again ever since the end of WWII. I think the most they expect now, if they want a monarchy at all, is that it not be a lazy laughing stock – and, perhaps, have a bit of personal dignity to go along with all the medals, feathers and ermine. What people have now is a very expensive reality show without the glamorous wardrobe.
@Jay and @Eurydice, I agree so hard with both of these comments (and I’m laughing at the mention of feathers and ermine!).
That said, I really hate it when I agree with a columnist in the Fail. But @Jay is right…William should take this one seriously. The most recent Earthshot event was an absolute joke, and he REALLY messed up by not going with Kate and George to the Remembrance event. His judgment is just terrible! Always!
I agree. My reaction was “Wow!”
This is how they normally write about Harry, dismissive, disrespectful, giving no credit and mocking his efforts. the tide has turned
When even the likes of Platell are going for you, you really are in deep trouble. And it’s about time.
Platell’s a notorious rightwinger and doesn’t believe in climate change. It’s a hoax! LOL
He skipped Easter, the BAFTAs, and now this. Incredible run.
It’s almost as if he’s trying to piss as many people off as possible at every turn.
And VJ Day 80th anniversary…
Did he go to the Commonwealth Service this year, or did he skip that again as well? Was he doing his duty for once, or was he skiing and dad dancing with strange women again?
But he made time for Eugene Levy and Dancing With the Stars.
Well like a certain orange menace Peg does things for PR for himself period. He doesn’t care about others unless he has brought a camera crew and he acts like he cares but in reality it’s just for show. This will never change.
Bill is doing a fantastic job! I hope he skips more Veterans, religious and government events! He might just become my fave!
The Maya Angelou quote is, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”. William’s choices on “work ” priorities show exactly who he is as does his treatment of his close family. He falls short both publicly and privately. There is no there, there and this year it has become glaringly obvious how little Will intends to work from now on. Quite possibly one event a month as he proposed to daddy last year and then Earthshot will be the sum total of his commitment to being King.
Well, the British public is getting a preview of the Scooter King’s upcoming reign. Anyone who honestly believes that he will miraculously do a u-turn and start earning his keep is sadly deluded. What you see is what you’re gonna get. Good luck with that.
There are millions of international business travelers across the world who nap on planes and go straight to all day meetings. William couldn’t nap on his private jet and attend the Remembrance event?
It’s almost like he wants to see what he can get away with.
Yes@KC This year Will has blatantly gone for broke: endless luxury holidays, land grab around Forest Lodge, leisure focused “work events”, TV slots, snubbing VJ day!!!, Saturday ‘s service he was repped by his 12 year old son, openly talking about kinging better and smarter than his cancer stricken dad, trying to deep six Harry seeing their dad, openly squiring Jason around in Brazil instead of his own wife, reducing his workload to one event per week and taking 5 months off to enjoy the kids school holidays as a family?
While Peg IS lazy, I don’t think he skipped the Festival of Remembrance out of laziness. I think he skipped it out of rage at Charles, who “stole” his Brazilian thunder twice.
1) The Beckham investiture; and
2) Knowing but not diclosing that Harry would be doing events in Canada.
Perhaps he was due to fly back on Friday (all the events were over by Friday afternoon) but stayed an extra day in Brazil to wallow in self-pity.
Hmm. I could see that. If that was the case, holy childishness.
Prince William needs to concentrate on the UK and commonwealth. That’s his job and where his position and rank come from. He should be working for UK not putting his whims first.
And focus on earning his £23m a year. Things may get interesting now the British Prime Minister has got the lazy hound in his sights.
Unfortunately, when you spent 15 years cultivating your relationships with the right wing gutter press to wield against your father and then your brother, and demand their services to destroy the mental health of your sister in law through racism and xenophobia, they dislike it when you step out of line with your own “woke” thoughts. When you deliberately bring over a high ranking Tory civil servant to run the campaign to either bring your sister in law and brother under your thumb or leave the country, the right wing expects you to be one of their own, and you own them.
If he had an ounce of shame, he’d be embarrassed to be sitting there, holding that veteran’s hand, while wearing a chestful of unearned medals.
It’s good he practiced his concerned face at least.
Nota bene: the author of the article is – like the Daily Mail – a rightwinger who doesn’t believe in climate change. So Earthshot and COP20 are devils destroying the oil industry. LOL
It’s so absolutely disrespectful to Veterans. I would shake hands and thank each one of those soldiers. And remember their names from the previous visit which I would have been at. To the earlier comment about his life choices, I’d at least say, he’s one of the few in the world who doesn’t GET a choice. That’s most of his problem. But then I think, yeah but he’s a billionaire, so he should GTF over it.