The Royal Family's PR team has, undeniably, been put to the test of late. In light of the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor scandal, which saw him stripped of his Prince title and evicted from Royal Lodge, there's been a spotlight on the Royal Family and what they'll do next to overhaul their public image.
This is something that Prince William himself has spoken about openly. He told Eugene Levy on The Reluctant Traveler documentary just a few weeks ago that "change for good" is on his "agenda" for the monarchy. Perhaps it's no surprise then that experts who spoke to RadarOnline said the Royal Family is trying to "future-proof" itself by creating a "clean break" with its image going forward. But what will that look like? Here are six ways Royal Family 2.0 will be different...
How the Royal Family is changing
Prince George becoming a 'stable' figure
Prince George is only 12 years old, but the future King is already set to play a big part in the Royal Family's image. "Everyone knows the next generation has to symbolise a clean break," a senior royal source told RadarOnline. "Prince George is being eased in slowly because he offers stability without any of the old complications," they added, pointing to the young royal's recent public outing at an important event.
A visibly slimmed-down monarchy
Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from royal duties in 2020, followed by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor being back-benched completely, the number of senior working royals has dropped dramatically in recent years. And that's going to be the pattern moving forward, as Prince William intends to slim the monarchy down a lot further.
Speaking on his Palace Confidential podcast, Richard Eden said the Prince of Wales has always "favoured a slimmed-down monarchy as the future."
Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis living a private life
As part of Prince William's plan to trim down the Royal Family, there's a hope that his youngest two children will enjoy a more private life than Prince George. "It may be that Charlotte and Louis don't become full-time working royals," RadarOnline's insider suggested, pointing to "fairly private lives" they may get to lead.
Everyone's clicking on...
That being said, the source noted that their popularity might mean they're called to "step in" when needed as "part-time" royals. "Princess Charlotte is likely to stand out," the insider said, adding that Prince Louis "naturally draws attention." If that's the case, the insider said the Wales children will make up "the heart" of the Royal Family 2.0. "[They are] the generation expected to steer the monarchy away from scandal and into something the public can believe in again," the source claimed.
A "dark-horse" will be asked to step up
The Wales children aren't yet old enough to join the working royal roster, so insiders think Prince William will call on an unsuspecting royal to help out with official duties in the meantime.
Described by the Daily Mail's royal commentator as a "dark-horse contender", Lady Louise Windsor is seemingly being lined up for public duties. "[She] charms all who meet her and could be a decorative and useful asset to the royal team," said Christopher Wilson.
Fewer "ridiculous" protocols and traditions
"William's vision is a monarchy fit for the modern age – less pomp, fewer outdated titles, and a stronger emphasis on purpose," a palace insider told RadarOnline of Prince William's apparent plans for the monarchy when he takes over. "He's pragmatic about it. He knows the monarchy can only endure if it evolves and stays meaningful to people's lives."
"William can't stand the more theatrical side of royal tradition," the source went on. Head here for more details on the "totally outdated" traditions Prince William plans to scrap.
A focus on being empathetic and down-to-earth
The Prince of Wales has said he wants to make the royals more relatable to the public. Last year, The Telegraph reported the future King as saying he's "trying" to do that for his generation. As for what that means? "To give you more understanding around it, I'm doing it with maybe a smaller R in the royal, if you like, that's maybe a better way of saying it."
"I'm going to throw empathy in there… And I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world," he went on. "It's more about impact, philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people."
