This is the second piece in a week’s time to reference Prince William as “Diana’s silent son.” They’re still making a very big deal over the fact that William hasn’t said anything about his uncle Charles Spencer’s Diana book, nor has William been giving a daily briefing about his incandescent rage over the Sussexes’ UK return. All that being said, I feel strongly that the “William is the silent son” stuff IS coming from Kensington Palace. As in, this is KP’s clownish crisis management at work again: William is the perfect future king because he’s silent and he’s definitely not throwing tantrums right and left these days! Still, it’s notable (to me, at least) that William currently wants no part of the outrage cycles, and that he’s undergoing a rebrand which may or may not last two months.

Royal commentator Phil Dampier believes that [Kate’s cancer] experience has reinforced William and Catherine’s determination to keep their private lives firmly protected.

‘William and Kate have had a policy of never complain, never explain,’ he said. ‘We saw it earlier this week when a reporter asked him [about the book] and he didn’t reply, and that’s the way they’re going to play it. William had the worst year of his life, which he has talked about himself. He had all the problems of Harry and Prince Andrew swirling about, causing problems for the monarchy that he will be heading in not a very long time.’

William has broken with royal silence on rare occasions. Following Harry and Meghan’s racism allegations during their Oprah interview, he famously responded to a reporter’s question by insisting: ‘We are very much not a racist family.’

But otherwise, William and Catherine have maintained a remarkably disciplined public front – one they believe allows their three children to grow up as normally as possible despite living in what Dampier describes as a ‘goldfish bowl’.

He said: ‘William is preparing for when he becomes king and he’s setting the standard for how he wants to play it. The worst year of his life gave him perspective and inner strength. Catherine’s got that inner contentment that she’s seen off the worst. I think both of them, having come through that, are stronger for it. Their priorities are first and foremost family and making sure the three kids have a normal background considering the goldfish bowl in which they live.’

Yet behind William’s quiet exterior lies a famously strong-willed streak and one which, according to Dampier, could shape the monarchy when he becomes king. He points to something as seemingly trivial as William’s refusal to wear a kilt in Scotland. When the Prince visited the Isle of Bute last week, he opted for an anorak, despite his father being renowned for donning a kilt whenever he is north of the border.

‘He doesn’t want to and has never been seen wearing a kilt in Scotland, whereas King Charles will don a kilt at the drop of a hat,’ Dampier said. ‘William doesn’t like wearing them and once he’s made his mind up, he tends to stick to it. If he doesn’t want to wear a kilt, he won’t.’

That quiet stubbornness could prove significant when William eventually inherits the throne.

[From The Daily Mail]

Yeah, William’s stubbornness will be a huge issue during his reign. William will be King Who Gonna Check Me Boo, because when he doesn’t feel like showing up somewhere, there’s nothing to be said or done to persuade him. Which goes along with something else – it’s not that William is actually “silent” – he’s secretive, which is a whole other thing. He’s always been secretive and he will always keep huge secrets from the British public and the press. Still, William’s whole vibe in the past month has been genuinely fascinating and uncharacteristic.

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