King Charles III Reportedly Has Some Concerns Over Prince William's Vision as a Leader

King Charles III had years to settle into his role as the Prince of Wales, but Prince William probably won’t have that same luxury since his father ascended to the throne at the age of 73. The king is reportedly expressing some concerns over how his oldest son might choose to lead in the future because he feels that his legacy is at stake.

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The two men have “very different approaches to duty and their roles,” according to the Daily Mail , and that’s why Charles is “worried about his son’s custody of the Duchy of Cornwall.” The property and land estate provides the Prince of Wales with an income and aligns with “The Prince’s own social and environmental values,” per royal.uk . When the handover happened after the death of Queen Elizabeth II , Charles also had to put his faith in William to carry out his vision and legacy — and that’s where they don’t necessarily align.

“When he was running the duchy, Charles was recognized as a man of the land, with not just an ­abiding love for the countryside, but a deep knowledge of rural issues too,” noted the Daily Mail. William, on the other hand, “has yet to find the time to develop the philosophical zeal for the duchy that his father exhibited over the decades.” Charles is also disappointed that his son hasn’t taken on any patronages “in the world of the arts and culture” — and it’s quite possible it will never happen because William wants to take on fewer patronages, not more.

Last year, the Prince of Wales revealed that he wanted to narrow his focus to “social leadership” to “bring change” during his Singapore tour. You have to remain focused, if you spread yourself too thin you just can’t manage it and you won’t deliver the impact or the change that you really want to happen,” he told the print media, via Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor of The Sunday Times on X. That limited perspective drew concern from one philanthropist who told The Daily Beast : “These comments will be very concerning to a lot of charities that have relied on their royal patrons for generations. It is almost impossible to raise any serious amount of money in Britain without a royal patron.”

While the father and son have very different outlooks for their reigns, their relationship has drastically changed in the last year. “The illnesses have increased the bond between them,” per the Daily Mail , so perhaps they might be able to find a middle ground on what they want to accomplish with the Duchy of Cornwall because it is now William’s legacy to leave for Prince George.

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