In Prince William’s final day in Cape Town, South Africa, following his annual Earthshot Prize awards, the royal answered a reporter’s question about how the past year has been for him with surprising candidness. “Honestly, it’s been dreadful,” he confessed. “It’s probably been the hardest year in my life.” William has been forced to contend with two family health crises as both his father, King Charles III, and his wife, Princess Kate, were diagnosed with cancer in early 2024. “Trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.”
William, 42, has done an admirable job of keeping calm and carrying on, and Charles, 76, is especially grateful. In many ways, the king and his heir are closer than ever — but their relationship has also become significantly more complicated as tension over William’s approaching succession builds. “The dynamics have shifted,” one source shares in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “Charles has wanted to be the monarch for decades,” adds a second source. “Even though he’s battling cancer, he’s not letting that get in the way of his desire to be successful on the throne or a dynamic leader.” William, meanwhile, “is preparing behind the scenes for when his ascension happens,” continues the second source. “Like his father, he takes being a success in the royal role very seriously.”
The subject of Charles’ succession is a delicate one. “It’s a sensitive topic, and there’s occasional tension,” says the first source, noting that conversations about the inevitable changing of the guard are approached with “discretion and purpose.” According to the source, William is likely being briefed on things like constitutional matters, government relations and state affairs, as well as transitioning titles and responsibilities. “The royal household is refining protocols and communications strategies for a smooth transition.”
A third source says succession plans are typically put into place after every royal coronation (Charles had his in May 2023) in case of unforeseen circumstances — but efforts were doubled after the king revealed his cancer diagnosis in February. “The Palace sprung into action,” the source says, noting that advisors’ plans for William have been discussed with the future king. “William and his team have agreed on what they will focus on at the start of his reign and funeral plans for his father.” The third source agrees there is some tiptoeing around plans for succession directly with Charles. “He does not feel comfortable speaking [about it] at length, so nothing more than is needed is brought up to him,” says the source, adding that despite the increased speculation around his health, Charles has no regrets about going public with his condition. “He didn’t want to hide something so impactful.”
It’s Complicated
The talks of succession — however brief — have brought to light the stark differences in how the father and son believe the monarchy should be run. During his Cape Town interview on November 7, William discussed his plans to carve out a new role for himself. “I’m trying to do it differently, and I’m trying to do it for my generation,” he said. “To give you more [of] an understanding around it, I’m doing it with maybe a smaller ‘R’ in the royal.” According to the third source, William is ready to bring “new, younger energy” to the Crown. Adds the first source: “Modern times call for a modern monarchy, and William has been active in getting that together.”
He’ll take on fewer patronages but focus more on the issues most important to him and Kate — like the environment, mental health and homelessness. “The king had a traditional approach to patronages, accumulating over 500 of them,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams tells Us. “In contrast, William is determined, as he sees it, to make a real difference and to do this in a way that will give him contemporary appeal. He and [Kate] are attached to far fewer charities but do more for the ones they have links with.”
Charles is determined to create a lasting legacy before it’s too late. “The currency featuring Charles is not even in circulation yet. He knows he has to be dynamic in the time he has,” says the second source, adding that the king already began drawing up plans for a trip to Italy during his six-day Australia tour in mid-October.
The second source also claims there’s some jealousy between Charles and William over the younger royal’s popularity. The current Prince of Wales is often compared to his mother, the late Princess Diana, who was famously called “the people’s princess.” When William is publicly hailed for his accomplishments, his beloved mom usually gets the credit. The source says that while Charles and William “are close,” they are “rivals when it comes to work,” noting that Charles’ envy is “similar to how he felt about Diana.” While the first source insists Charles “doesn’t feel sidelined” and is “more proud than anything,” the monarch “does feel the public anticipation for William’s future role.”
Generational Divide
They have remarkably different working styles, which is another potential source of friction. “Charles is a workaholic, and the amount of work he accomplished during his recent trip to Australia was unbelievable,” says the second source, noting that the king even stopped treatments in order to do the tour. William has made it clear that his family — he and Kate, 42, are parents to Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 — comes first. “He puts up clear boundaries,” says the second source. “He wants the upbringing of his children to be different from his own.”
Royal expert Robert Hardman, author of the biography Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, says some of the differences are purely generational. “The king likes sitting there writing his letters with Wagner playing in the background, and Prince William likes AC/DC and the Chemical Brothers,” he tells Us. “There’s just a different way of coming at it.”
They also have separate courts running their shows within the palace. “William is very stubborn and private. He keeps his movements and calendar away from Charles’ team to such an extent that he won’t listen to anyone or take guidance from [his father] or his team,” says the second source. “He keeps things very locked down and separate.” Fitzwilliams notes that Charles had hoped William would take on some of his prized patronages, “but William is intent on being his own man.”
Not Backing Down
Charles’ wife, Queen Camilla, 77, has been vocal about her feelings behind palace doors. The first source says she wants her husband to hold on to the reins for as long as possible. “She loves her responsibilities,” says the source. “Her whole life, she has always wanted to be queen, so she doesn’t want to let it go so fast.” (Camilla was forced to miss the National Service of Remembrance event on November 10 due to a chest infection, but was back in business two days later, hosting a reception for the Booker Prize Foundation.) The source notes Camilla is particularly hesitant to pass on her duties to Kate. “They’ve always had a tense relationship.”
Chess Pieces
There are questions about what will happen to Camilla and other royal players when the torch is passed down. The first source says Charles’ younger disgraced brother Prince Andrew, 64, “has no intention” of leaving his home at Royal Lodge despite talk Charles wants him out. (There are reports Charles wants the property open so Camilla can live there.) In Hardman’s Charles biography, he writes that the king recently revoked Andrew’s yearly $1.3 million personal allowance and laid off his personal security detail.
There have also been whispers that William may promote Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. The couple have become more visible since Charles’ health issues began. Hardman says Camilla would likely “carry on with a public role but obviously within a different capacity.” Adds the first source: “Camilla’s role in the monarchy may be reevaluated.” As for Prince Harry, 40, who, along with his wife, Meghan Markle, 43, has been estranged from William and Charles since early 2020, the source says that while there’s a “mutual desire” for a reconciliation between him and Charles, “William is less inclined to bring Harry back into the royal fold.”
Looking Ahead
For now, Charles’ health appears stable. According to The Telegraph, during a November 7 reception at Buckingham Palace for 2024 Paris athletes, he even shared that he exercises twice a day, incorporating squats and the pullup bar into his workouts! Still, “his older age is getting to him, and he’s not snapping back as quickly as Catherine did,” the first source says of the princess, who announced she had completed her cancer treatment in early September. “For the most part, Charles is doing well,” adds the source. “But there are still some concerns, and he knows his reign will be up soon.”
William is essentially waiting in the wings. “William and Kate have been preparing for this for many years,” says the third source, with the first source noting that Kate is “realistic and supportive of William’s future.” Adds the third source: “They both feel comfortable stepping into greater roles — and [are confident] William can provide a modern way of ruling that everyone will see as a breath of fresh air.”
For more on Charles and William, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
With reporting by Travis Cronin, Christina Garibaldi & Andrea Simpson
