Prince William ‘in discussions’ to take on major role in King Charles’ place

Prince William is reportedly ‘in discussions’ to take on a major role in King Charles’s place for the first time this month.

The Prince of Wales could possibly take on some additional public-facing duties, following the announcement from Buckingham Palace that King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer. Prince William, who is first in the royal line of succession, resumed his own schedule of engagements on 7 February. The coming months include several significant royal occasions and it’s been suggested that it’s “under discussion” whether Prince William could take on a major role for King Charles at the Commonwealth Day service.

According to The Sunday Times’s Roya Nikkhah it’s apparently possible Prince William might read the King’s Commonwealth Day message aloud. Last year King Charles read out his message at Westminster Abbey at the service, breaking with Queen Elizabeth’s tradition of releasing it.

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This year’s Commonwealth Day service will take place on Monday 11 March and Roya has claimed Queen Camilla is expected to attend and represent King Charles. She will also apparently lead the Royal Family in the procession. The Royal Editor commented that it’s reportedly “still under discussion” as to whether King Charles will record his Commonwealth Day message remotely or whether Prince William might read it aloud at the Abbey.

If Prince William does end up taking on this role for King Charles on Commonwealth Day, it will mark the first time he has done so. It will be a huge moment for him as he takes on a responsibility he likely wouldn’t otherwise undertake until his own future reign.

Of course, it’s possible His Majesty, who is known for his strong work ethic, will want to record his message to the Commonwealth and continue this aspect of his duties as monarch. However, whether or not he does, it’s understood that King Charles won’t be at the service himself as he’s postponed public-facing duties as he continues with his “schedule of regular treatments”.

The Princess of Wales is also “unlikely” to return to engagements until after Easter at the end of March following her "planned" abdominal surgery in January. Prince William and Queen Camilla could be accompanied by other working royals including the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne, who’ve all attended the service regularly in the past.

The suggestion that Prince William is “in discussions” to potentially deliver King Charles’s message comes after the BBC’s former royal correspondent Jennie Bond expressed her belief to OK! that Prince William could be facing his destiny as future King.

“I think he'll be feeling very serious about his life," Jennie claimed. “This is not a time in which he wanted to take on extra responsibilities, and it's not a time when he wanted, really, to contemplate the fact that one day in the very foreseeable future he is going to be a monarch. This is a time in his life where we know when he just wants to be a hands-on dad and a very supportive husband.”

After resuming his royal duties earlier this month Prince William is reportedly spending half-term with his family in Norfolk before returning to his packed schedule of engagements.