An heir to the throne without a throne? For Prince William, it is currently about nothing less than the continued existence of the monarchy, a new ARD documentary shows.
This year, Prince William has been in the spotlight more than ever – alongside Queen Camilla, he was the crown's most prominent constant when his father, King Charles III, and his wife, Princess Kate, were diagnosed with cancer. “It probably became clear to him this year that the throne could pass to him quicker than he thought,” says Leontine von Schmettow in an interview with t-online.
“I think this fact puts additional stress on him. He is not someone who voluntarily wants to have more responsibility – especially because his children are small and he wants to be there for them.” However, the ARD royal family expert does not see an early abdication of William's father: “King Charles III. has waited so long to finally assume responsibility that he would not voluntarily abdicate the throne without a blatant reason.”
The new documentary “Prince William: from Crown Prince to King” by Leontine von Schmettow shows, among other things, the difficulties William is now facing. “His biggest challenge at the moment is the balancing act between the private needs of the family and the public obligations as heir to the throne,” the royal family expert is certain. This was immediately followed by the conflict with his brother, Prince Harry.
Both of them no longer see each other and haven't even spoken to each other recently. “William had always hoped that Harry would stand by his side and support him.” A reconciliation does not seem likely at the moment. “The results are actually devastating,” says Leontine von Schmettow. For her documentary, she spoke to, among others, William's former private secretary and a former classmate of his. “All interviewees said that reconciliation was a long way off. William feels betrayed and abandoned by Harry.”
The third major challenge for Britain's heir to the throne is the uncertain future of the monarchy. “Nobody can predict whether there will still be a monarchy in Great Britain in the generation after next,” said Leontine von Schmettow. “I would no longer put my hand in the fire for the continued existence of the crown. I wouldn't have said that ten years ago, but the wind has changed a lot.” Whether it's the Corona violation by the Dutch royals, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, or the current scandal surrounding the son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit : “One incident is enough and the poll numbers plummet.”
According to William, the film author probably knows that the crown is not an end in itself and only has a chance as long as the people want it. “The approval ratings just have to be below 50 percent over a longer period of time. Then basically a two-thirds majority in parliament is enough to abolish the monarchy.”
A BBC study last year showed that 78 percent of 18- to 27-year-olds are not interested in the royal family. “The indifference of the younger generation towards the royal family and the many protests against the crown are not decreasing, but increasing,” Leontine von Schmettow is certain.
William, who as heir to the throne symbolizes the future of the House of Windsor, has to adapt to developments. “His beard is certainly also an expression of the fact that William is turning away more and more from royal conventions because he wants to show more approachability and normality.” A fine line for the crown prince: He has to keep up with the times and preserve tradition. “If the British royal family becomes too normal and no longer stands out from the people, at some point people will ask themselves: Why do we actually need the royals anymore?” says the ARD journalist. “A royal family without pomp, splendor and red carpets would be one adjustment too many and would perhaps even destroy the monarchy. A certain magic is essential for the continued existence of the royal family.”
