King Charles III is the man in charge, and he makes the rules, that is what Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, have discovered.
The moment King Charles took the throne, he revealed his plans to go on a royal world tour to pump some life into the monarchy that has declined in popularity and strengthen the ties with the 14 Commonwealth realms outside the UK.
His Majesty envisioned himself, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Kate Middleton zig-zagging on four continents to preach the royal news.
However, fairly quickly, Middleton and Prince William put their feet down and explained that the higher authority, also known as Queen Elizabeth II, gave them full permission to remain in London and focus on rearing their three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.
A source told PEOPLE: “They consciously set out to achieve a sense of normality with their upbringing, and they had agreed to put their family first with the King and late Queen’s permission.”
For a brief moment, it seemed that the couple won the war and the tour was canceled.
King Charles has announced that he is moving full speed ahead with an ambitious yet high-risk tour that will last two years.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have been forced to accept a compromise — they will travel with their children.
In September, King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit France. In the winter, the pair will be in Kenya. In early 2024, the King will travel to Samoa.
Prince William and his spouse will take a trip to Singapore in the autumn. Prince William will make a solo trip to New York in September. Via the Daily Mail, a palace source announced: “State visits are back in business.”
Historian Ian Lloyd shared what the itinerary will look like: “A visit by Charles to Canada and one by the Waleses to Australia and New Zealand would capitalize on the global interest in the Coronation.”
He explained how the young royals will be key factors on the tour. The expert stated: “They need to do this soon before that interest wanes – and taking the Waleses’ children would prove to be a PR triumph too.”
He added: “The problem is they are asked to undertake tours by the Government who want to utilize the Royal soft power to promote the country. So, the King’s desire to maintain links with the Commonwealth has to work in tandem with the Government. This was easy in the early days of Elizabeth’s reign when Prime Ministers like Churchill had a romantic vision of the old empire.”
The upcoming months will be busy for the Royal Family. Royal experts are hoping it will not be a repeat of the disastrous Caribbean tour where Middleton and Prince William were met with protestors who wanted a conversation about slavery and reparation.
