Royal | News - Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
It’s no secret that the Royal Family is on a downward trajectory when it comes to popular appeal, and the main concern lies in its inability to win over young Britons.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have been tasked with improving the monarchy’s relatability and appeal among this age bracket and so far they’ve embarked on a glitzy social media campaign.
Now William appears to be taking it further by telling the world that he’s championing a new era in royal engagements.
Instead of attending hundreds of ribbon-cutting events a year, William will focus on a few chosen causes to throw his weight behind. The idea is that he can affect real change in places that really need it.
Slashing royal visits comes as no surprise, as both he and Kate have wound down the number of engagements they carry out considerably, in favour of promoting their passion projects.
Kate is carrying out visits that largely focus on early childhood, mental health and parenting; while William focuses his time on homelessness, emergency services and climate change through his beloved Earthshot. All of these are issues that resonate with younger people.
William said he wants to do more than “just being” a patron in a statement that may frighten Government ministers.
The royal already appears at odds with the Prime Minister’s decision to scale back climate-friendly pledges and the Home Secretary’s claim that homelessness is a “lifestyle choice”.
The heir’s ambition to deliver real change may appear to stray too far into the political sphere, but William knows that he cannot overstep the mark.
Instead, his focus on delivering long-term change on a select number of issues will aim at bringing about change on the frontline. Any indirect influence on Government policy will simply be a bonus.