King Charles and Camilla will travel to the US for their big state visit next week. I have the sense that it’s going to be a disaster, although I’m tempering my expectations in both directions. It’s likely that Buckingham Palace will declare the state visit a “success” if Charles and Camilla simply get through it without any major protests or international incidents. Well, it looks like Charles has one more thing to worry about next week: his heir is plotting a lazy coup. According to Rob Shuter’s Substack, William will spend all of next week in secret meetings, plotting his reign. Sure. I don’t doubt that William is “plotting.” What I doubt is that William can force himself out of bed before 1 pm for any kind of meeting, not to mention meetings on consecutive days.

As King Charles III heads to the United States for a high-stakes, headline-grabbing tour, palace insiders say Prince William is quietly preparing his next move back home. And the timing? Not accidental. With the King’s whirlwind itinerary — spanning Washington, D.C., New York City, and beyond — the world’s gaze will be firmly fixed overseas.

“This is one of the most consequential foreign tours of his reign,” a senior royal source tells Naughty But Nice. “For a few days, London isn’t the story — and that creates opportunity.”

Opportunity William is wasting no time seizing.

“He’s using the window to convene key figures privately,” the insider reveals. “These aren’t routine briefings — they’re strategic, future-facing conversations with real weight. And none of it is designed for public consumption.” No cameras. No leaks. No distractions. “Everything is being handled with total discretion,” the source adds. “But make no mistake — decisions are being shaped.”

According to those inside palace walls, this isn’t about stepping out of line. It’s about stepping up. “Since the King’s diagnosis, there’s been a noticeable acceleration,” the insider explains. “William isn’t just supporting the institution anymore — he’s actively steering parts of it.”

And now, the shift is unmistakable. “He’s not waiting for the crown to define his authority,” the source says. “He’s building that authority now, piece by piece, behind closed doors.”

The ripple effect is already being felt across the monarchy. “Even the most seasoned staffers have clocked the change,” another insider notes. “Meetings are sharper. Decisions are faster. William is far more hands-on — and far more in command.”

So while Charles projects stability on the world stage…

“William is engineering the monarchy’s next chapter at home,” the source says. The bottom line? “The King remains firmly on the throne,” the insider adds. “But the transition from heir to leader is no longer theoretical — it’s underway.”

[From Rob Shuter’s Substack]

I have a theory about this, actually. Given the diminished and decaying ranks of the slimmed-down monarchy, I bet the courtiers told William that he needs to stick close to London while the king is out of the country. It’s a continuity-of-monarchy issue, and I would guess that William is also being advised to not have any public events during Charles’s state visit (for fear of overshadowing Charles). So instead of just disappearing for another week, we’re being told in advance that William’s doing secret, important, future-scooter-king meetings. When the more likely reality is that William will be doing f–k all and just sleeping off his boozing from the night before.

Speaking of, a lot of you wanted to talk about William’s drink at the palace reception on Tuesday. He was the only royal clutching a drink in that way, and I agree that it looks like a Bloody Mary. Perhaps that’s the explanation for why William and Kate skipped the memorial service earlier in the day. I keep saying it – they’re pushing back royal events later and later in the day because William won’t or can’t work mornings. He’s too hungover or something. A Bloody Mary-looking cocktail mid-afternoon is giving “hair of the dog.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.