Longtime royal gossips are well-aware that in the pre-Sussex era, Prince William and Kate used to get regular tabloid lashings for being lazy as hell. Some of the major royal reporters and royalists were saying horrible things about Will and Kate’s lack of work ethic and their pitiful public schedules circa 2013-2017. Those same people would never speak a word against the Waleses now, which is pretty sh-tty for the royal-media ecosystem. It didn’t help matters that William and Kate spent the first six-plus years of their marriage hiding out in Wales and Norfolk. In Norfolk, William “worked part-time” as a helicopter (co)pilot, only it turned out that he barely worked even part-time hours and he took blocks of weeks and months off for vacations. By the summer of 2017, William and Kate finally moved to London and committed themselves to becoming “full-time working royals” at the ripe old age of 35. Kate got pregnant with Louis soon afterwards, and then Meghan Markle happened and the rest is history. Anyway, in Russell Myers’ biography of William and Kate, he got people to reflect upon the Cambridges’ Norfolk years and how everyone in the palace thought they were lazy AF.
As the future King, Prince William has a huge amount of influence within the Royal Family. According to a royal biographer, the Prince of Wales developed “protective instincts” early on, and remains “determined to break the cycle of misery” he experienced as a child. But William’s royal role hasn’t always been obvious.
In the new book, William and Catherine: The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story, royal expert Russell Myers suggested that the prince experienced some growing pains when it came to finding a place for himself within the family. After leaving his RAF search and rescue pilot role in 2013, Prince William reportedly struggled to find a new direction.
“Courtiers dressed the announcement up as William entering a ‘transitional year,’ while carefully explaining that the prince would not necessarily take on any more royal duties,” Myers explained. “But, behind the scenes, William’s attitude had begun to frustrate his staff, with senior aides challenging him over the risk that he might be seen as lazy, given The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were still carrying out royal duties into their tenth decade.”
Myers spoke to one former royal aide, who explained, “William seemed to have the attitude that his grandmother had given him a free pass to take his time in deciding what he wanted to do, which was not the reading of the situation from anyone else involved in trying to map out his affairs.”
The former staff member continued, “We would gently ask him to consider taking on more duties or specific engagements, but he would immediately push back.”
According to the royal aide, everyone was concerned about Prince William’s lack of direction—except for the prince himself.
“There was an intense worry in the camp that he had no strategy for his long-term future and was continually putting off decisions over what direction he should take,” the former royal aide explained. “When the annual list of engagements completed by members of the family would be published at the end of the year, it was pretty embarrassing, but it didn’t seem to affect him one bit.”
All of this is true, and I’m actually surprised that Myers didn’t cover this work-shy era with rose-tinted glasses. The Norfolk era was all about Will and Kate avoiding work as much as possible and William in particular putting off any and all responsibilities. The sad truth is that William only became “keen” about being a working royal and/or the future king around 2018-2019. His keenness coincided with Harry’s marriage to Meghan, and coincided with the Sussexes overshadowing William and Kate (and the entire institution). Instead of working harder and developing an issue portfolio suitable for a future king, William was allowed to launch a massive smear campaign against his brother and sister-in-law with the intention of exiling them from the UK.
Photos courtesy of Instar, Avalon Red.
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- North America Rights Only – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates -20220210- The Duke of Cambridge talks to Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, during his visit to Abu Dhabi’s wetlands at the Jubail Mangrove Park to learn more about the UAE’s efforts to protect the regional flora and fauna from human and environmental challenges, particularly as the country’s urban centres continue to grow and develop, as part of his tour of the United Arab Emirates. -PICTURED: Prince William and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan -PHOTO by: Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – London, UK -20220503- Prince William unveils a plaque during a visit to the new London centre of James’ Place to learn more about the charity’s work to save the lives of men experiencing a suicidal crisis. -PICTURED: Prince William -PHOTO by: PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Abaco, Bahamas -20220326- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during a visit to Daystar Evangelical Church Abaco in The Bahamas, to learn about the impact of Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and to see how communities are still being rebuilt, on day eight of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. Abaco, a chain of islands and barrier cays in the northern Bahamas, was hit by winds of up to 185mph during Hurricane Dorian in 2019 leaving 75% of homes across the chain of islands damaged and resulting in tragic loss of life. During a visit to Fish Fry in Abaco, a traditional Bahamian culinary/. During a visit to the Memorial Wall to remember victims of the 2019 hurricane at the Memorial Garden in Abaco. During a visit to Grand Bahama Children’s Home, which provides a home environment to vulnerable children who are not able to live with their families -PICTURED: Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated
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- ST MARTINS, ST MARTINS – SEPTEMBER 02: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge wave as they head back to the Royal helicopter after visiting the Island of St Martin’s in the Scilly Isles on September 2, 2016 in St Martins, England. The Duke and Duches’s visit to the Scilly Isles was delayed this morning due to bad weather.,Image: 533182898, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
He is still lazy and does what he wants when he wants so nothing has changed!
Surprised, but not surprised, that Myers was unafraid to publish this part. It’s definitely in sync with press rumblings in 2026 and what we know about Charles’ battles with William.
The parts about this that surprise me are that 1) it was published, 2) its very clearly calling william lazy and fine with being lazy, and 3) that it was not the expectation that he would be lazy or “figure things out” or whatever.
And honestly #3 is the most surprising to me. even now, we often hear from KP that W&K can’t be expected to work more because they’re parents and the “school run” and all of that. And then we had cancer for two years (sometimes even now.) and before that we had “the malta lie” where it was insisted that QEII wanted them to take time to be married without any responsibilities (I mean, what part of QEII made people think she thought her 30 year old grandson should not have responsibilities??)
And here Myers is very clearly saying that William thought he had a free pass to not work, but no one else saw it that way. And that his numbers were embarrassing but he was not bothered by them. Ouch.
So the Queen signed off on a prolonged honeymoon stage? Why does William always need more time than the average person to deal with things? I guess to be asked to be left alone as children,their mothers death and Uni is understandable. But just because of marriage…what exactly is this Malta lie?
The Malta lie is that people (William and Kate fans pushing back against the lazy accusations) have long claimed that the queen encouraged William and Kate to take two years off and delay becoming “working royals” because she (Elizabeth) and Prince Philip had taken a similar time to live “normal lives” in Malta after their marriage before stepping into the limelight. This is regurgitated every so often by one of the fake royal experts. Except it was not true at all.
No, that’s the point Myers is making here which I find so interesting. The Queen never signed off on an extended honeymoon period, KP just insisted that she did.
And yes like Magdalena says it was a lie because there was no two year span of time when QEII and Phillip were in Malta not working. I think he might have been stationed there after they were married but QEII didn’t live there for two years.
She visited him in Malta several times, totaling 3-4 months absence from the UK. Absolutely not a ‘no work at all, gone for two solid years’ as the derangers claim.
The funniest part though is when they talk about how the end of year numbers were so embarrassing and yet it didn’t bother him one bit. The lack of shame is frying me. William really clocked early on that he was the heir and, if he didn’t want to do more, he just wouldn’t. Bc who was gonna check him.
It’s wild how Meghan’s arrival really scared the Wales into finally picking up the workload. The press must have loved that short time period when both couples were working. And look at it now. The wales are back to barely doing anything. And they’re boring. The sussexit really didn’t work out for them.
And the thing is, even when they were “working more,” it really wasnt anything by royal standards. I don’t think Kate has cracked 200 in a year (or if she did it was like 210 or something), and I think the most William has ever done is maybe 250. he’s certainly never cracked 300.
They just work so little routinely that when they do two events in a week people think its a lot.
Thanks for the receipts!
It’s clear the standard has been lowered. They are never getting much more out of them.
Yes, and their high-impact, in depth, focused, blah, blah, blah projects turned out to be basically photo ops. When was the last time we heard anything about Early Years, other than “she’s keen”? And we only hear about Earthshot once a year when William makes an appearance at the awards. I still laugh at the photos of Kate in her “office.”
And many of William and Kate’s “engagements” in the Court Circular consist of things like taking phone calls with their own staff, e.g. Jason Knauff, unlike other members of the royal family. If Anne and Charles included such fluff, their engagement numbers would be in the thousands each year.
If they would have continued this type of reporting, they wouldn’t be in the predicament that they are now with the Wales’. And the interesting thing is that the Sussexes never asked that they be reported on the way the Wales’ generally are now, with complete sycophancy, just that it be fair. So if they would have kept the stories like this about William and Kate, and Harry and Meghan they probably wouldn’t largely be out of work, and writing books every couple of months hoping that they could drum up some cash.
The most interesting thing to me is that William and Kate seem like a perfectly matched pair when it comes to their laziness. Which makes me actually shocked that they didn’t try to have a fourth child, the way she was angling for in 2020-2021 once it became clear that Harry and Meghan weren’t returning.
Like I said yesterday though, all of this waiting and hoping that they would eventually get better, was their fatal flaw. It’s like waiting for the presidential pivot from Trump. It’s never going to happen. And they have nothing to force them to get better, because William’s already warming up in the bullpen.
“Which makes me actually shocked that they didn’t try to have a fourth child, the way she was angling for in 2020-2021”
William did not seem enthusiastic about a third child tbh, Kate’s public angling for a fourth always gave off a scent of desperation on her part.
It used to baffle me when I used to say they do next to nothing and most people would love to simply get dolled up,cut ribbons and make small take for a couple of hours a day. But so many people said infact they would HATE it .So I guess The Keens share the thoughts of many that that life actually sucks and they dont want to do it.
THIS!! I would pay to do some of the things they do. Like learning how to do silk screens or having a barista teach me how to make a perfect coffee. This isnt “work” ffs. And dont get me started on any tours. Thats getting to play dress up and go to fun beautiful places and enjoy activities and lavish dinners on someone elses dime. None of this is work!!!
Try working in a factory for 25 years. Ask me how I know.
Those trump-like hands of scooter are really irritating. Kaiser has the midas touch when selecting scooter photos.
To be honest, the press overplayed its hand with WanK before they overplayed their hand with Harry & Meghan. I remember reading these stories day in day out for years — how they were lazy, etc. — and I think at the time they made the right call, which was to disappear. Because — tbh — performing under pressure is not fulfilling a public duty. It’s caving to blackmail. I remember one time the Cambridges — as they were then — took their kids who were toddlers on a mini-break to ski in the Alps and they released their own photos when they got back as a gesture of goodwill and it totally backfired. The papers were screeching about how they had no right to go on holiday “abroad,” as if they were required to take the rota with them every time they left the island, to which the only response is, “why???” At the time I was team WanK. Have a family holiday. FFS. The press only wants a freebie ski break, that they can charge to the papers who employ them. They weren’t on any official business. Leave them in peace. The problem is, they never worked at home, ever. If they had done the usual round of ribbon cuttings and community visits in term time — if you like — no one would have bothered them on holiday. The late Queen holidayed most years in Scotland in summer and usually took a private trip to Kentucky to look up the Farishes’ horses and stopped in the Virgin Islands on the way home. No one ever mentioned it in the papers. They might have known, they might not have known. No one accused her of shirking.
You make excellent points especially “performing under pressure is not fulfilling a public duty. It’s caving to blackmail.” I believe that, and we are seeing now, that WandK aren’t really “concerned” or “passionate” about anyone or anything that doesn’t revolve around them personally. Also, it’s stunning how unprepared to 40+ yr old people are for their future roles, roles that William has know since birth would be his and Kate’s known for at least 2 decades. Decades to learn Welsh, to learn how to give speeches, to grow and strengthen relationships with other royals in similar positions, the list goes on. It’s flabbergasting how lazy and arrogant the BRF truly is.
I don’t get it. Why did he have no direction after leaving the RAF? He was supposed to do royal engagements like the rest of the royals.
Right?? Maybe he was looking for his “big cause” but the idea that he didnt have direction after leaving the RAF is kind of silly. There was a blueprint laid out for him by the others in his family – his grandparents, his father, his late mother, heck even his stepmother.
The former staff member continued, “We would gently ask him to consider taking on more duties or specific engagements, but he would immediately push back.”
That was the problem right there. William has been coddled since childhood. He didn’t need to be “gently” asked. He needed to have his ass kicked into gear.
Charles should have read him the riot act about needing to work to justify his luxurious life. Or at least to attempt to justify it. Instead, they handled William with kid gloves because he’s a walking ball of anger, ready to explode at the slightest provocation.
The endless coddling was annoying years ago, now it’s become toxic.
This. The way they had to “gently” speak to him about doing more work! The gentle approach clearly didn’t work.
What he needs (still) is a metaphorical kick in his royal arse.
Get up and earn your keep, angry Willy.
The Times Court Circular a couple of weeks ago listed five different events for the King meeting various named dignitaries and included a visit to an arts exhibition. For the same day they listed ONE event for Wilbur and said he was the Founder of Earthshot and held a meeting at St James Palace. No detail of what kind of meeting and who was present; he could have just had a Coldplay embrace with Jason Knauf for all we know!! Court Circular isn’t reassuring anyone that heir is finally finding his feet at 43 and getting to grips with being PoW.
Yeah this is the thing….when you look at the CC, you see how Charles and Anne get their numbers up. They rarely do one event in a day. They’ll do 3-5 (unless the one event is a big event that takes up a big chunk of the day.) Sophie and Edward tend to do fewer but even then its usually pretty consistent. Yesterday, for example, the king held an investiture, presented someone else with a medal in a different meeting, met with the president of Syria, then met with Keir Starmer.
When william holds an investiture, he’s done for the rest of the day.