Britain's Crown Prince declares ‘change is on my agenda’

By Tony Jones, PA Court Correspondent

Britain's Prince of Wales has said “change is on my agenda – change for good” in his most personal and wide-ranging interview about his future role as the country's king.

William set out his approach to the monarchy, saying “I want to question things more”, but central to his world was Kate and their three children, “the most important thing in my life is family”.

The heir to the British throne candidly described how his wife’s cancer battle left him overwhelmed, revealed his children do not have mobile phones, and said he aims to create a “world in which my son is proud of what we do”.

He referred to being Prince of Wales and king as a “job” and said he takes his “roles” and “responsibilities” seriously, but it was important “you don’t feel they own you – you have to own them”.

His comments are his most detailed reflections on being heir to the throne to date, and he chose to air his views to comic actor Eugene Levy during an episode of the celebrity’s Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler.

“I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda – change for good,” he told Levy as they discussed his future role as king and how his son Prince George will one day succeed him.

William added: “And I embrace that and I enjoy that change – I don’t fear it.

“That’s the bit that excites me, is the idea of being able to bring some change.

“Not overly radical change, but changes that I think that need to happen.”

The prince invited Levy to Windsor Castle and, after arriving on an electric scooter, William confessed he was a fan of the American Pie sex comedy movies that made the actor a global star.

William told the celebrity soon after meeting: “I think it’s very important that tradition stays, and tradition has a huge part in all of this but there’s also points where you look at tradition and go ‘is that still fit for purpose today? Is that still the right thing to do? Are we still doing and having the most impact we could be having?’

“So, I like to question things is what I’m really getting at.”

The prince’s views are likely to be seen by commentators as a statement of intent following a period of upheaval for the royal family.

Since 2021 the monarchy has seen the death of the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex move to the US after stepping down as working royals and the cancer diagnosis of the King, and the Princess of Wales, who is now in remission.

Charles’ reign has been viewed as an evolution not a revolution following the late Queen’s 70 years as head of state, a role she saw as service to the nation, but it appears William will bring a different approach to being king and with it the change he thinks necessary.

Asked by Levy, star of the hit series Schitt’s Creek, if he thought about being King, William replied: “It’s not something I wake up in the morning and think about, because to me, being authentic and being myself, and being genuine is what drives me.

“And then you can attach whatever labels and kind of roles that come on top of that, but if I’m not true to myself, and I’m not true to what I stand for and believe in – then it doesn’t really matter who you are, it gets lost.

“I take my roles and my responsibilities seriously but, it’s important, like I said to you earlier you don’t feel they own you – you have to own them.”

The future king was filmed in early February chatting with Levy in Windsor Castle as he played tour guide for his guest, when they walked William’s black cocker spaniel Orla through the grounds and they spoke over a pint in The Two Brewers, a local pub.

William was asked if he was “overwhelmed” by the castle’s history, where his forebears have lived for centuries, and replied he was not, warning “history can be a real weight and anchor round you” and it was “important to live for the here and now”.

But the recent health crisis experienced by Kate and their family as a whole did have an effect: “When it’s to do with family and things like that, then that’s where I start getting a bit overwhelmed – as I think most people would, because it’s more personal, it’s more about feeling, it’s more about upsetting the rhythm, if you like.”

George, who celebrated his 12 birthday in July, will follow his grandfather Charles and father William to be king and the prince said about the young royal: “…I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do, a world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better.”

He appeared to suggest he wanted to ensure his son did not face a repeat of “practices” from the past he and brother the Duke of Sussex had faced when younger, a possible reference to intrusive press scrutiny that also plagued their mother Diana, Princess of Wales.

William said about the “insatiable” media he experienced growing up: “They wanted every bit of detail they could absorb, and they were in everything, literally everywhere. They would know things, they’d be everywhere.

“And if you let that creep in, the damage it can do to your family life is something that I vowed would never happen to my family.”