Prince William makes unusual move after Prince Harry, Prince Andrew put slimmed-down monarchy at risk: expert
Prince William is said to be making an unusual move as his father’s slimmed-down monarchy has backfired.
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich made the claim, believing all eyes are on King Charles’ heir as he attempts to figure out how to strengthen and unite his family after a series of scandals and health woes.
Fordwich told Fox News Digital that the father of three young children, who is "at a crossroads," may consider getting reinforcements from unlikely relatives.
"The success of William’s approach depends upon whether Prince Edward’s children, as well as other younger royals, are willing and able to step up to garner public interest," said Fordwich.
"Given their upbringing in a more private setting, they may not be properly equipped to follow the traditional path laid out for royals," she noted. "But increasing pressure for them to step into these roles means they may well need to put aside their personal desires."
Fordwich’s claims came after the Scottish Daily Express reported that William, 42, had been considering giving his cousins, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, a chance at becoming working members of "The Firm."
According to the outlet, if Edward’s children were to take William’s offer, they would begin to receive public funding. That also means they would need to take on public duties to help represent the crown.
"Both of Edward’s children have been somewhat reluctant royals as teenagers," Fordwich explained. "Their parents strived to ensure their children experience a normal childhood out of the public spotlight, which means they don’t have a track record of experience.
"Prince Edward expressed a preference for his children to have more autonomy, as opposed to a traditional path… However, Prince William knows the monarchy must strike a balance between efficiency and meeting the public desire for the presence of royals."
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Reports have long insisted that the king, 76, had always desired a slimmed-down monarchy, one that would focus on a core group of senior working royals. However, experts have pointed out that the monarchy has become too slim for comfort.
Charles’ plan became shaky in 2019 when his brother, Prince Andrew, announced that he was stepping away from royal duties "for the foreseeable future." In a statement, the Duke of York admitted that his association with Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier and convicted sex offender, was "a major disruption to my family’s work."
Then in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were stepping back as senior royals before moving to California. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British press prompted them to make their royal exit. Since then, they have been estranged from the family.
Then in 2024, the royal family was rocked by an onslaught of health issues.
"We’ve got [Princess] Catherine announcing that she’s going to have an abdominal operation… Then you’ve got the king saying he’s having a prostate operation… Then you’ve got the king saying he [has] cancer," Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, previously told Fox News Digital.
"Then you’ve got Catherine saying she [has] cancer," said Seward. "And then you’ve got all the other problems coming just from life itself. I think it’s been very hard, because there [haven’t] been that many people as backup.
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"You’ve got the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and you’ve got Princess Anne and her husband, Timothy Laurence. You’ve got [Queen] Camilla working really hard, but… you are missing everybody else… Charles’ slimmed-down monarchy has been a little bit too slimmed down."
In 2024, Princess Anne also sustained a concussion after a horse incident. The year ended with Queen Camilla suffering from a chest infection.
As William looks to the monarchy’s future, he’s seeking out ways to alleviate some of the pressure within the royal fold. He’s been faced with challenges along the way.
"There has been a degree of internal resistance to the ‘slimmed-down’ concept as some family members have felt threatened," Fordwich claimed. "The need to maintain support for extended family members such as Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, Andrew’s daughters, while also curbing the royal roster has created a degree of internal family friction."
"Prince William’s strategy of offering Prince Edward’s children opportunities for royal duties and the royal titles they previously turned down reflects his wise attempt to further modernize the monarchy with a broader base of younger royals to attend engagements," she shared.
"Their mother’s combination of discretion, contrary to Meghan and Harry, as well as her dedication and a genuine desire to serve has helped the royal family remain relevant… which Prince William appreciates."
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams claimed to Fox News Digital that the Prince of Wales is feeling the pressure to beef up the monarchy quickly.
"The departure of Harry, Meghan and Andrew has caused this problem," said Fitzwilliams. "If the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s children took up royal duties, this would solve the issue. However, although it is a possibility, it is far from decided. Lady Louise is still a student."
"It may be a matter for Charles or William, but no decision on this has been taken," Fitzwilliams added.
Roya Nikkhah, royals editor for The Sunday Times, previously reported that it was "highly unlikely" that Louise or James would ever consider stepping up as working royals. She pointed out that their parents put extra focus on ensuring they had as normal of an upbringing as possible.
"We made the decision not to use HRH titles," their mother Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, told the outlet. "They have them and can decide to use them… but I think it’s highly unlikely."
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that when it comes to recruiting more relatives to take on royal duties, "all bets are off," noting that The Firm has been "stretched to the limit."
"It goes to show that if Harry and Meghan had been allowed to remain taking up duties… it would have been much easier," he explained. "But then, of course, their popularity may have increased once more. That, from William’s perspective, may have been a risk too far… Greek tragedies seem to stalk the royal family in recent times."
"As for Andrew, it’s a sideshow," he said. "Although there are rumors that he would like to reinvent himself and work for charities."
Fordwich pointed out that currently, the royal family is "navigating a delicate balance," between the king’s idea of a slimmed-down monarchy and "preserving traditional values with public scrutiny and shifting preferences for the younger generation."
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"It’s William’s job to ensure that they serve the next generation appropriately," she said. "Harry, Meghan and Andrew have negatively contributed to this challenging situation… Prince William simply isn’t going to put the family’s future in jeopardy by risking their involvement.
"The entire family has been blindsided by… incidents and indiscretions by all three of them… Projecting an ideal image of family unity, one that the monarchy depends on for its public image, was undermined. It has been additional and unwanted pressure for William."
The royal experts agreed on one thing – William and his wife Kate Middleton represent a brighter future for the royal family.
"It’s like their favorite sport – horse racing," said Pelham Turner. "You have William and Kate in the lead with Charles and Camilla a few paces behind. Edward and Sophie are coming up fast on the inside as the dark horse bet. And then there’s Andrew swallowing dust at the back."