EXCLUSIVE: The Prince of Wales looks more confident than ever, as a royal expert looks at how surprising comparisons can be drawn between him and the late Queen Elizabeth II
With his dashing beard, relaxed open-neck shirts and crisp white trainers, the Prince of Wales is the epitome of a thoroughly modern royal. And while he has always worked hard to carve his own path by supporting a handful of causes which are deeply important to him, rather than hundreds of different charities, it is clear that the Prince has truly come into his own recently.
Whether it is his increased seniority, his stage in life or other factors, a top royal expert has praised William, saying he “looks and sounds like a man who has found his place in life,” before pointing out that comparisons can be drawn between his journey and that of his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Speaking about Prince William has truly come into his own in recent weeks, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively told OK!: “William looks and sounds like a man who has found his place in life. He seems assured and confident in his role, both as a future King and as a happily married family man.
“I think he is clear in his own mind these days that he can justify his position in life by using his platform to try to make the world a better place. He’s proving that with his Earthshot project, his campaign to help the homeless and his work on mental health.
“And that the same confidence is evident in his private life. Catherine’s battle with cancer has almost certainly brought them even closer together. If they needed a reminder, they now know only too well that life is short and every day is precious. It is delightful to see how openly loving William is around his wife: they adore one another and they are happy for the world to see it.”
The act of someone so senior in the Royal Family changing their approach following the passing of such an influential figure in their lives is not new as it is often said that Queen Elizabeth II’s altered parts of public persona following the passing of her mother in 2002.
Jennie explains: “You probably could draw a parallel with the way the late Queen loosened up after her mother died. There was always the feeling that things had to remain pretty much the same during the Queen Mother‘s lifetime – she was extremely conservative and no one wanted to shock her.
“People say that the Queen would never have taken part in the James Bond skit at the Olympics, or the Paddington Bear sketch at the Platinum jubilee, if her mother had been alive. I suppose she felt there was no one to judge her, after the Queen Mother‘s death.”
Drawing comparisons to Prince William, Jennie adds: “And perhaps there is something of that in William these days. Everyone was always in awe of the late Queen. I remember Harry once saying to some students that they shouldn’t worry about being nervous if they saw the Queen because that’s how everyone felt – including him. So perhaps William feels a bit freer these days to express his feelings and emotions publicly, which makes him all the more relatable.”
Jennie’s view was echoed by the late royal expert Christopher Warwick when he spoke to MyLondon News about how Queen Elizabeth II’s approach to her public image shifted following the death of The Queen Mother.
Speaking back in 2022, Christopher explained: “One thing is that as the Queen’s got older, she is referred to much more as ‘Her Majesty’ whereas she had always been known as the Queen when the Queen Mother was alive. I think that is a mark of greater respect, of almost reverence. The Queen herself is much more relaxed since the death of her mother and I cite two examples for this.
“Had the Queen Mother still been alive, the Queen would never have done the Daniel Craig James Bond skit for The Olympics because Mummy wouldn’t have thought it was the right and proper thing to do. The other example is in Angela Kelly’s book where the Queen posed with her hand in her pockets – that would never have happened if Mummy had still been around.”
The Queen Mother was beloved all over the country and earnt nicknames such as ‘The East Ender’s Angel’ as Christopher added: “The public perception of the Queen Mother was of this little old lady in her crossover bodices, her floaty chiffons, her feathered hats but, as we all know, she was an iron fist in a velvet glove which is why, of course, the Queen was aware of what Mummy would have thought.”
