During this year’s summer silly season, the British press decided to talk about Prince William’s hatred of kilts. William hasn’t worn a kilt since childhood. These days, whenever he’s in Scotland, he wears the same old clothes he wears in England – too tight trousers, slim-cut, single-breasted jacket, boring shirt. He doesn’t even make a point of wearing any Scottish designers or anything related to Scotland. Well, the Mail decided to go even further, because (again) we are in the summer silly season. Traditionally, this is the time of year when the Mail publishes some grumbling about the Prince and Princess of Wales. Last year’s summer storyline was all about their move to Forest Lodge, and how they needed 100 acres of public parkland for emotional support. This year, the story is “William is extremely lazy and the not-wearing-kilts thing is only the tip of the iceberg.”

In recent years, William has carved out a more progressive role in the Firm and bucked several traditions – including his famous reluctance to wear a kilt, fewer international tours and selecting Windsor’s Forest Lodge as his ‘forever home’. However, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams argues that while William’s ‘unconventional’ approach is certainly to be celebrated, it would also ‘benefit both Britain and the monarchy’ if he chose to embrace some celebrated traditions.

Mr Fitzwilliams told The Daily Mail: ‘It was totally understandable that he should have prioritised his family in the early years and his insistence on privacy for them was essential, especially considering the extraordinary scrutiny they will face in later life. Yet considering the magnitude of the job he one day will be asked to take on, with King Charles still battling cancer, it is surely important that he takes on more.’

The expert continued: ‘Earlier after his marriage he was with the RAF Search and Rescue and then the East Anglian Air Ambulance Service, but his reluctance to take on public duties led to the accusatory nickname “Work Shy Wills”, implying he only took on what he wanted to do.’

Last week, King Charles was photographed beaming as he planted the King’s Rose in the historic Gardens of Mey on his annual Scottish break – dressed in a traditional kilt. However, while donning Scottish attire has long been considered a royal tradition during visits and engagements north of the Border, William has not shown such a keen interest in continuing this unofficial dress code. While Mr Fitzwilliams acknowledged that ‘there is no reason any public figure should be forced to wear something they feel doesn’t suit them’, the kilt still serves a key purpose in Scotland.

‘It is the national dress of Scotland, once banned by the English after the Jacobite Uprising,’ he explained. ‘I don’t feel he should feel forced to wear it, but there are occasions where the Scots would undoubtedly appreciate it.’

Yet the Scottish kilt is not the first tradition William appears to have deviated from – with royal onlookers often noting that the Prince and Princess of Wales have taken on far less international royal tours than other couples.

‘Obviously, Catherine’s health has been a priority. We rejoice in her recovery and in the success of her recent trip to Italy. Yet the last royal tour they undertook as a couple was to the Caribbean in 2022,’ Mr Fitzwilliams said. He added: ‘A trip to capitalise on the support for the monarchy in the Antipodes would be a splendid idea and should be arranged as should, in time, trips elsewhere in the Commonwealth and visits to our European allies, following in King Charles’s footsteps. This would be a brilliant use of our soft power, bearing in mind the Waleses have ratings Britain of over 70 per cent which is superb and should be maximised.’

Mr Fitzwilliams further explained that the Prince of Wales’s ‘unconventional approach’ towards royal traditions extends towards his view on royal patronages.

‘Royal patronages are highly valued,’ explained the royal expert. ‘King Charles has nearly 700, Princess Anne over 300, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh over 70 each. The Waleses have only around 60, though they undoubtedly do more for those they support. Indeed their success is meteoric, which is why it would surely make sense to do more.’

[From The Daily Mail]

An “unconventional approach to working” is one of the best euphemisms for “lazy” I’ve ever seen from the Daily Fail. What’s sad is that I do not think Will and Kate even have 60 patronages put together. Kate has been forced to take on like two more patronages in the past five years, and she remains furious about it. Her long-time patronages barely see her once a decade. The rest of it is just funny, and all of this is the exact reason why royal commentary has remained singularly focused on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. If William and Kate were “stepping up” and regularly working and traveling, I guarantee that the commentary about the Sussexes would not be what it has been. Will and Kate created this vacuum with their laziness and refusal to work their “royal roles” in any way, shape or form. They are so obsessed with stalking Meghan and Harry’s every move, they literally cannot and will not do anything else.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.