William, Prince of Wales says he’ll Serve with Humility
Newslooks- LONDON
King Charles III’s son William, the new Prince of Wales, has told the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, he will serve the country “with humility and great respect.”
William was given the title when his father, the previous Prince of Wales, ascended to the throne following the death Thursday of Queen Elizabeth II.
William told Drakeford that he and his wife Catherine have a “deep affection for Wales, having made their first family home in Anglesey, including during the earliest months of Prince George’s life.”
He said the couple would travel to Wales “very soon” and want “to do their part to support the aspirations of the Welsh people and to shine a spotlight on both the challenges and opportunities in front of them.”
Their “walkabout,” the first time the brothers have appeared amicably together in public since March 2020, comes at a time when the younger generation of Britain’s royal family must step up their responsibilities significantly.
William and Harry had been on frosty terms terms since Harry quit as a senior royal and moved to the U.S. two years ago. Their show of unity Saturday was reportedly initiated by William and left some observers hoping that Harry, 37, might return to the fray and support his elder brother in sharing the heavy workload now on William’s shoulders.
t’s a stark contrast to how thing were just two weeks ago, when William and Kate announced they were moving their family from central London to a more rural base in Windsor. Observers thought they were seeking more privacy and a more “normal” upbringing for their children, who just started a new year together at a private school.
Long before he became King Charles III, Britain’s new monarch indicated that he wanted a “slimmed down” monarchy with a tighter core group of full-time working royals and lower expenses.
William and Kate also inherit Charles and Camilla’s other honorary titles, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. That means managing and taking income from an estate comprising land across the U.K. that is reportedly worth 1 billion pounds.
“With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground where vital help can be given,” Charles said Friday.
William will now likely spend more time championing those topics. He has already made his mark by founding the Earthshot Prize, an ambitious “legacy project” expected to hand out millions of pounds in grants for environmental initiatives over the next 10 years.
In his first statement since the queen’s death, William spoke of his grief and how he and his wife have benefited from her wisdom, guidance and support. “It will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real,” he wrote Saturday. “I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.”