Prince William and Kate Middleton are facing scathing criticism for what’s being labeled as their “lazy” approach to royal family engagements.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 41, reportedly clocked in 172 and 123 engagements in 2023, respectively, but these numbers are nothing when compared to Princess Anne’s astonishing numbers.
The 73-year-old royal was considered the hardest working member of the Firm. According to the Telegraph, the Court Circular calculated that Anne attended 457 engagements this year.
William’s father, King Charles, came in second on the list with 425 events attended.
In an exclusive interview with GB News, royal commentator Gareth Russell didn’t mince words, suggesting that Prince William is channeling his mother Princess Diana by prioritizing family life.
“This is where you very much see that William is Diana’s son,” Russell said. “Recently, there has almost been a perception that he is Charles’ son and Harry is Diana’s son. But you know Diana was immensely close with William.”
While acknowledging the enduring impact of Princess Diana on the monarchy, Russell hinted that William and Kate might not be as affected by the criticism as other royals would be.
“This is the Diana impact on the monarchy, so I don’t imagine that William and Catherine are as wounded, as maybe other royals would have been by this level of press criticism.”
However, Russell warned that the couple’s reputation may be damaged if they don’t focus on what’s best for the crown.
“The danger for them is that even though this is almost certainly motivated by prioritizing their home life, it has enabled their critics to paint them as lazy,” he said. “That reputation can take quite a bit of time to shirk off at the moment.”
Despite being touted as the “star players” of the royal family amid recent challenges, Russell cautioned, “If they’re not seen as often, there is a risk that they enable their critics to write the story for them.”
Kate and William met as freshmen at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 2001, and married in April 2011. They are parents of Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
In November, the future king notably mentioned that Kate couldn’t join him for the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Singapore because she was helping George “through his first set of major exams.”
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