Prince William, the Prince of Wales, is known to be a strong, results-focused person who doesn’t like wasting time. Like his father, King Charles, he’s been preparing his whole life to become king.
Now that he’s in his 40s and his father is dealing with cancer at 76, that moment might come sooner than expected. People who have worked closely with William recently spoke to The Times to share what he’s like behind the scenes and what kind of king he might be.
One of them, William Hague a former UK government minister helped William create United for Wildlife, a group fighting illegal wildlife trade. William got in touch with Hague because he admired his previous work on that issue.
Hague says William doesn’t like long meetings or repeating discussions. He prefers action. Hague remembers William saying things like, “We’ve talked about this enough, now it’s time to do something.” He describes William as friendly and easy to work with, but very serious about getting things done.
If someone had no progress to report on a project like stopping ivory sales, William wouldn’t be pleased. He wants to see real results.
At a recent event for the Duchy of Cornwall in March 2025, William again showed that he prefers meaningful work over ceremonial duties. Instead of just attending events and cutting ribbons, he wants to focus on projects that make a difference.
He told reporters during a trip to South Africa last year that he’s trying to approach his royal role differently not so formal and more in tune with his generation.
When he becomes king, William is expected to be more relaxed than previous monarchs, but still very much involved. He also wants to remain a hands-on dad to his three children: George, Charlotte, and Louis. He’s already thinking about how to protect their privacy if they’re still young when he becomes king. It’s likely that he and his wife, Kate, won’t move into Buckingham Palace right away.
Even though William and Kate are planning to do some things their own way, they’re not trying to completely change the Royal Family. According to former royal aide Jason Knauf, who now leads William’s Earthshot Prize, they’re still pretty traditional compared to some of the suggestions they’ve been given and chosen not to follow. They’re aiming for thoughtful changes—not a total shake-up.
