Future King in Crisis as Media Calls Out Prince William’s Work Ethic

For years, the British press shielded Prince William and Kate Middleton from sustained scrutiny over their workload, even as critics branded him “work-shy” and her “Duchess Do-Little.” When Meghan Sussex married Prince Harry, much of that criticism conveniently shifted, and the Waleses were granted space and sympathy. With the Sussexes gone and the monarchy navigating its most serious turmoil since the abdication of Edward VIII — this time driven by Prince Andrew and the Epstein files — that protective buffer appears to be thinning.

A recent Daily Mail opinion column openly questioned William’s output, pointing to the stark contrast between his 202 official engagements in 2025 and King Charles III’s 533, undertaken while the King underwent cancer treatment.

Amanda Platell did not mince words:

“William and Kate do pitifully few royal appearances, claiming they prioritise the ‘impact’ of royal engagements over the ‘volume’. But that won’t wash. King Charles, aged 77, performed 533 official engagements in 2025 while battling cancer, while his hand-wringing son William, 43, did just 202. When Charles was Prince of Wales as William is now, he conducted over 530 royal engagements every year, including 100 visits to foreign countries when he too had a young family, and when William and Harry were grieving after their mother Diana’s death.” – Daily Mail

Those numbers land heavily because they confirm a pattern critics have noted for years. William and Kate consistently post low engagement totals compared with other senior royals. Princess Anne, now in her seventies, has already completed more than 30 engagements this year. Kate has reportedly carried out fewer than ten so far, amid reports of extended holidays.

Visibility Is the Job, and Prince William’s 202 Engagements Fall Short

For a future king who benefits from extraordinary deference, 202 engagements do not scream urgency. It suggests comfort. The Wales household often defends its lighter calendar by emphasizing “impact” over “volume.” Yet monarchy has always relied on visibility. Charles understood that as Prince of Wales, crisscrossing the globe to build networks, soft power and relevance. He treated the role as an apprenticeship. William appears to treat it as optional.

The irony is that some of William’s loudest tabloid allies push a competing narrative between the monarch and heir. Commentators such as Tom Sykes have floated the idea that Andrew’s arrest proves Charles should hand power to his heir, even suggesting a kind of informal diarchy. That argument collapses under the weight of the engagement statistics. A man reluctant to match even the baseline workload of his predecessors hardly looks eager for expanded authority.

William and Kate remain among the most protected modern royals in history. For years, criticism of their work rate triggered accusations of unfairness. Now, even traditionally sympathetic voices question the imbalance. If Charles could sustain more than 500 engagements during illness, and if Anne can still outpace much younger royals, the comparison is unavoidable.

Perhaps the press is finally acknowledging what it once ignored. A future monarch who speaks of global leadership cannot remain largely domestic and intermittent. If William and Kate seem comfortable with light schedules, it is because the system has long rewarded it. Charles built stature through relentless travel, but he also upheld a structure that confuses activity with reform. If William wants to inherit more than a title, 202 engagements a year will not suffice.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images