Prince William's 'realization' over the one thing he 'can't get away with' - but the Queen can

Prince William has reportedly "realized" the one thing the he and other royals "can’t get away with" unlike the Queen, according to a former royal butler. 

• It’s been claimed that the Duke of Cambridge and many of the younger generation of royals have “realized” they can’t come across as “aloof”.  
• Former royal butler Grant Harrold also alleged that this is something the Queen can be as she’s “from a different era”.  
• This royal news comes as the Queen reveals Charles and William have ‘carried on’ Prince Philip’s passion in a heartfelt letter. 

The extended Royal Family has long been surrounded by speculation regarding reported protocols and traditions that guide how they conduct royal engagements. Those high up in the royal line of succession like Prince William are more regularly glimpsed at everything from UK visits to overseas tours and engagements giving important speeches. In recent months the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been observed stepping up and taking on an even more prominent role in royal life as they prepare for their future roles as King and Queen Consort. 

However, despite his important position within the Royal Family, it’s been claimed that Prince William has “realized” there’s one thing he “can’t get away with” - but the Queen can!

Opening up to OK!, former royal butler Grant Harrold expressed his belief that the younger generation of royals like the Queen’s grandchildren, including Prince William, might have come to a surprising conclusion about their behavior. 

Discussing the recent moment surrounding Prince William’s private words of encouragement as he hugged many of the Team England players at the Women’s Euros 2022 final, Grant speculated that this could be Prince William ‘deliberately’ breaking a rule. Whilst some might consider hugging the team members a departure from protocol, the former butler claimed the younger royals can’t be “aloof”. 

“I think William and the other younger royals have realized that they can’t get away with being aloof,” he alleged, before going on to suggest that this isn't the case for the Queen. 

Grant continued, “The Queen can get away with it because she’s the Queen and she’s from a different era, but the younger royals have been brought up very differently.”

Despite the unofficial royal motto of ‘Never Complain, Never Explain’, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in particular have been seen moving away from this more stoic approach at public engagements. 

Earlier this year during a visit to Scotland, Prince William’s hug with an elderly man left fans overwhelmed and he and the Duchess were also spotted seemingly taking part in a selfie. They also did this during their Caribbean Tour, with Prince William and Kate’s real reaction reportedly showing how “comfortable” they were.

It’s even recently been alleged that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are reportedly happy to be addressed by their first names rather than their titles at public engagements. Whether or not this does turn out to be correct, both Prince William and Kate Middleton seem to have been taking a more personal approach to public engagements in recent months.

Not only does this resonate with fans, it could also be seen to show a deviation from the more formal approach taken by royals in the past. Having apparently "realized" what might be expected of him, Prince William certainly looks to be embracing a more modern perspective as he prepares for his future role as King.