Prince William and Princess Catherine Did Just Four Days of Royal Work in April

Prince William and Princess Kate have long been branded by the media as the dependable faces of the monarchy when it comes to royal engagements. But in 2025, that image is cracking under the weight of reality. With millions in public funding behind them and near-universal media praise, their official calendar tells a different story. By the end of April, William and Kate had logged just four royal engagements, two of which involved travel for what some would call glorified photo ops.

Welcome to the April Rewind ⏪

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) May 1, 2025

In between, the couple managed to squeeze in four lavish vacations—skiing in the French Alps, relaxing in Mustique, and enjoying a spring anniversary escape to Scotland. Meanwhile, royal reporters continue to vilify Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who not only fund their lives privately but have worked nonstop this year on philanthropy, media projects, and advocacy.

While Harry and Meghan built impact through Archewell, launched Meghan’s As ever, and topped charts with her “Confessions of a Female Founder” podcast, William padded April with vague “meetings” and a PR-heavy pit stop in Estonia. The Sussexes championed youth leadership with the Diana Award, honored veterans at the Invictus Games’ 10th anniversary, and took the media to task—securing rare apologies over lies about Harry and Princess Diana. Yet the British press stays obsessed with jam jars and mom emails instead of actual results.

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Engagement Numbers Expose the Flimsy Work Ethic of the Future King

This year’s engagement record is damning. For all the talk of Prince William preparing for kingship, his schedule looks closer to semi-retirement. After doing nothing for most of March and April, his handlers began counting private meetings as official events. This manipulation is glaring when placed next to Harry and Meghan’s fully public, self-funded calendar. William and Kate may attend the occasional sporting event or charity dinner, but their public-facing workload is thinner than ever.

At the same time, they continue to draw an estimated £2.2 million a month in Duchy of Cornwall income—an arrangement defended by royalists as “public service.” Never mind that the Duchy profits are treated as private property until the press needs to paint William as hardworking. The hypocrisy is undeniable. When William disappears for weeks, the press calls it “well-deserved rest.” When Meghan shares a parenting moment on a podcast, it’s a scandal.

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The Future King and Queen of Optics Not Action

William and Kate have made rebranding their full-time job, relying on polished PR stunts while evading real public scrutiny. Their three holidays this year alone would be enough to spark outrage if they belonged to any other taxpayer-funded figure. Yet because they’re viewed as the monarchy’s best chance at survival, much of the British media continues to cover for them.

Prince Harry and Meghan have stepped away from the royal fold, but they haven’t stopped working. Their initiatives are public, measurable, and often focused on social change. William and Kate, by contrast, seem more invested in photo ops and fluff pieces than in the kind of consistent, public service their roles demand.

If we’re going to talk about royal responsibility, then let’s be honest. The problem isn’t Harry and Meghan doing too much. It’s William and Kate doing far too little.