This is the current cover of Us Weekly: “William & Kate: A New Era of Power.” It feels like this was mostly written before King Charles announced that his health has improved and his cancer treatments will be reduced. The vibe of this piece is partially “any day now, William and Kate will be king and queen!” The evidence for that is dwindling – Charles is doing better, he’s still working at a steady pace, and he’s keeping the Waleses on a very short leash. Which isn’t difficult, to be fair – William & Kate are too lazy to actually challenge Charles in any real way. In any case, some highlights from Us Weekly’s cover story:

Kate & William’s state banquet appearances: “The message they are sending out is that the monarchy is healthy,” says a source, “regardless of what happens with [the king].”

Bringing George out to do royal work: “Kate and William are allowing George to take on more responsibilities,” says the source, adding that they are making it clear “the next generation is already in view.”

Andrew’s ousting: “William was very decisive about how matters should be handled and resolved swiftly,” says the source, noting that the prince and Charles, 77, held their annual meeting at Balmoral this summer, where William “pressed the issue.” A second source says it was Camilla, 78, who pushed her husband to have Andrew ousted, adding, “Charles obviously briefed William and Kate, but it was fully his decision. They were fine with it; they weren’t planning on working with Andrew anyway. Kate and William have a lot of influence and a voice at the table, but the decision-making is the king.”

Charles hates the narrative that William is pulling strings: According to the first source, Charles is “not thrilled” about the narrative that William is secretly pulling strings. “He doesn’t feel great about it, as he has finally attained the position he has waited for his whole life. Now that he’s king, everyone is focused on who will come next.”

Charles isn’t relinquishing power: Despite some reports, Charles and William appear to have a peaceful working relationship — for now, at least. (In late August, The Daily Beast reported that there’s significant tension between the father and son over who’s in charge.) “Charles wants William to succeed, but William can be strong-minded and stubborn,” shares the first source, adding that the future king has also apparently become more assertive with his father. The second insists Charles is still in control. “No power has been relinquished to William,” says the second source, noting that the passing of the baton is a collaborative effort. “William has his own office and staff separate from the king, and he and Charles work closely together. Charles believes William will do an incredible job as king, and he’s very supportive. [When] they don’t agree, [William] respects his father’s decisions.”

William’s Brazilian trip: He appeared “very presidential” in an image of him hard at work on a plane en route to Brazil. “William is becoming more serious, and we’re all starting to see what kind of monarch he will be,” adds the source. “The palace is consciously elevating and presenting him in an authoritative manner, anticipating what’s to come.”

The Waleses & the new monarchy: “They are basically creating their version of what a new monarchy will look like,” says the second source, adding, “they are completely modernizing it. There will be changes in terms of how The Firm is run, and antiquated rules will change. There will be more freedom.”

Lazy & keen: Unlike previous generations, William and Kate prefer to take on fewer causes, hoping to make a bigger impact on the issues they really care about. (William’s focus is mainly mental health, homelessness and the environment; Kate is dedicated to early childhood education.) Explains the first source, “Rather than spreading themselves too thin, they have distilled their efforts down to a concise list.” They will continue to downsize. “The idea is: less people, less drama,” says the second source. Adds royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams: “William’s style is totally different from Charles’. He will undoubtedly reassess the use of palaces and the monarchy’s property portfolio. Cost is always an issue.”

A transition of power? “They don’t know how much time Charles has left,” says the second source, “and his [cancer] doesn’t look curable.” While he doesn’t want to step down — “Charles is committed to working tirelessly; duty comes first,” says the first source — a contingency plan is in place. “They have been preparing for a while,” says the second source. Adds Fitzwilliams: “There is an awareness that not only are the Waleses and their family the obvious future of the monarchy, but that William’s time may come sooner than originally expected.”

Kate’s schedule. “Kate is doing much better, fortunately,” says Meinzer. (Kate announced she’s in remission from cancer in January.) “We’ve seen her out and about a bit more than we did last year. Once she reaches her one-year anniversary of being in remission, perhaps we’ll see her working more.” Adds the second source: “Kate’s still cautious about pacing herself with her schedule and the kids’ schedule. She knows she will have to take on more when she’s queen.”

[From Us Weekly]

The way the tabloids infantilize the Waleses, you’d never suspect that William and Kate are in their 40s and that they’ve supposedly been preparing for these major transitions for years. The fact that 43-year-old William is described as “becoming more serious” by posing for “I can read” photos on a private plane is pretty wild. “The idea is: less people, less drama.” First of all, it’s “fewer” people, not “less.” Second of all, they haven’t thought that through at all – once everything is on their shoulders, it will be more drama because they’ve alienated everyone else and everyone will see how incredibly lazy they are.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images. Cover courtesy of Us Weekly.