ROYALSKing Charles and Prince William Are 'Rivals' as New Palace Feud Explodes Over Ascension Plans
Prince William discussed his plans for the monarchy while in South Africa.
A new royal rivalry is brewing between Prince William and King Charles, as the former prepares to become king in the future.
King Charles became king in 2022 after Queen Elizabeth's passing.
“The dynamics have shifted,” a source told an outlet.
“Charles has wanted to be the monarch for decades,” a separate source revealed. “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.”
As Charles continues to juggle his health challenges and his role, the source claimed William “is preparing behind the scenes for when his ascension happens," adding, “Like his father, he takes being a success in the royal role very seriously.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton are often seen as the future of the royal family.
William had given hints to the public about how he wants to approach being a monarch, for now, Charles is top of mind.
“It’s a sensitive topic, and there’s occasional tension,” an insider shared. “The royal household is refining protocols and communications strategies for a smooth transition.”
Prince William is next in line to throne.
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William and Kate Middleton are often seen as the future of The Crown.
“The king had a traditional approach to patronages, accumulating over 500 of them,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams shared. “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.”
“The currency featuring Charles is not even in circulation yet. He knows he has to be dynamic in the time he has," he added.
OK! previously reported William chatted about his hopes while in South Africa for the Earthshot Prize.
“And to give you more of an understanding around it, I’m doing it with maybe a smaller ‘r’ in the royal, if you like. So it’s more about impact, philanthropy, collaboration, convening and helping people,” William told a journalist.
“I’m also going to throw empathy in there as well because I really care about what I do. It helps impact people’s lives and I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world," he continued. "So that’s what I’m trying to bring, that’s what Catherine is trying to bring as well.”
Despite the differences between Charles and William's goals, an insider clarified they "are close” but “rivals when it comes to work.”
The insider noted Charles’ envy is “similar to how he felt about Diana.”
Royal biographer Tina Brown compared the dynamic between Charles and William to the king's relationship with Diana.
"The problem is they have very much the same problem that I talked about with Princess Diana and Charles, which was known as the upstage problem," Brown said on "The Ankler" podcast. "He does upstage William. There's no doubt about it, you know, on the stage."
King Charles was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
Sources spoke to Us Weekly.
