There has been a shift in the line of succession following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, with her eldest son, Charles, established as the new monarch, King Charles III. Although it was not automatic, but was in the gift of the new King, his eldest son, William, has now been bestowed with the title of Prince of Wales with his wife, Catherine, as the new Princess of Wales.
King Charles III said the previous title was one he had “been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty.”
So, as well as the title, what new duties and responsibilities will the 40-year-old royal likely take on?
Duties
Despite there not been official confirmation on the new roles that Prince William will take on, we can gauge a good amount from what his father undertook during his time as the Prince of Wales.
In 2021, as heir to the throne, Charles fulfilled 385 engagements. In comparison, William, second-in-line, carried out 235. This means that the new Prince of Wales should expect the number of engagements to rise. These engagements vary from welcoming dignitaries to the UK to representing the UK overseas at state and ceremonial occasions.
According to the official Prince of Wales website, the main aspect of the role “is to support His Majesty The King as the focal point for national pride, unity and allegiance and bringing people together across all sections of society, representing stability and continuity.”
One area where William could expect to pick up the mantle from his father is to spend more time with his favoured charities and causes. In his first speech to the nation, King Charles III said: “My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities. It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others.”
Charles stated previously that he would have hoped that both William and Harry could take over the reins of his youth charity, The Prince’s Trust.
William has stated himself, in a tribute to his grandmother, that he would honour her memory “by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.”
Inheritance
Prince Charles had a chequered relationship with Wales during his time as Prince. He studied the Welsh language for a term at Aberystwyth College, recalling: “I did my utmost to learn as much [Welsh] as I could which in a term it is quite difficult and I am not as brilliant a linguist as I would like to be.
“But my being here for that period it did make an enormous difference to my understanding of the way Wales works and what I did pick up particularly was an immense sense of real community. It is a wonderful mosaic that I think makes the principality so special.”
But it was a time of protest by Welsh Nationalists, and Charles recounted: “I went to these lectures and most days there seemed to be a demonstration going on against me with a counter-demonstration, usually by splendid middle-aged ladies who got out of a bus.”
William’s relationship with Wales is a little warmer as William and Kate began their family in Anglesey, Wales while Prince William worked as an RAF Search and Rescue Pilot. Kate also did her first royal engagement on February 2011 in Anglesey.
But in addition to his new roles and responsibilities as a more senior royal, William has also inherited a vast amount. Most notably, the Prince of Wales has inherited the Duchy of Cornwall, a 130,000 acres estate located in the southwest of England, worth around £1 billion. Charles previously used this estate to help fund his public, charitable and private activities and now in William’s property, will generate him considerable wealth. It is estimated that it will provide him with an income of approximately £23m a year.
Children
William and Catherine’s eldest, Prince George, is now second in line to the throne. Their second child, Princess Charlotte, is now third in line to the throne with thanks to a new law passed by Queen Elizabeth II, the Succession of the Crown Act. Prince Louis, their third child, is fourth in line to the throne behind his sister Charlotte.
SEE ALSO: Duties and Responsibilities of the New Monarch – King Charles III
