Royals Are in the “Biggest Crisis Since the Abdication” as Prince William May Return to Duties as “WFH” Royal
“William is being forced into a dry run at being king much sooner than he might have imagined.”
The royal family is having a rough time at the moment between King Charles and Kate Middleton’s simultaneous cancer diagnoses, Prince William taking time off to focus on his family, and a greatly reduced number of “working royals.” Like, a rough time to the point where royal expert Robert Jobson recently mused, “I think people will be talking about this as the biggest crisis since the abdication. It’s quite vulnerable.”
While speaking on ABC News Studio’s broadcast special IMPACT x Nightline: The Crown in Crisis (via Us Weekly), Jobson explained, “I’ve covered the royal family since 1990 and it’s always been a roller-coaster. I think this particular period of 2024, where you’ve got Camilla who used to be regarded as the ‘Rottweiler pariah,’ she’s leading the royal family into ceremonies at Westminster Abbey. I think it’s been quite shocking.”
Amid this crisis, the Daily Beast reports that Prince William will return to his royal duties next week—notably, via a hybrid combination of WFH and in-person obligations.
“In many ways the next few weeks and months will be a template for his future reign because he will have similar personnel available after he succeeds to the throne, even if that doesn’t happen for many years,” a friend says. “I think you’ll see him try and balance the demands of state with the demands of being a good family man, taking care of his sick wife and making sure his kids are doing OK. I’m sure that will mean doing more stuff online. He can ‘WFH’ and do hybrid working a bit. Frankly, it has more impact because it reaches many more people.”
Meanwhile, a former royal courtier notes that, “William and Kate had hoped to have several decades as Prince and Princess of Wales, and, god willing, they will still get them.
But what is interesting about the next few months is that William is being forced into a dry run at being king much sooner than he might have imagined such a thing would come to pass.
Of course he doesn’t welcome it, but there will certainly be some fascinating straws in the wind about what the reign of ‘King Billy’ will look like.”
Innnnnteresting.