Prince William’s interview on AppleTV+’s The Reluctant Traveler was a flop. It barely got attention beyond the royalist media, and even the royalist media wasn’t wild about it. The Times called William “The Scooter King” and mentioned his lack of work ethic. Other royalists suggested that William basically has no plans for how he’s going to be a changemaker king, other than failing to show up for important events. So now People Magazine has stepped in with a convenient cover story, because they’re really trying to sell this peggy fairy tale to the American audience. A fairy tale about… a Scooter King who is trying to rebrand at the ripe age of 43. Some highlights:
William’s “change is on my agenda” statement: “It was a savvy move by William,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “By choosing a Canadian comedian as his interlocutor, William seems to be signaling that he wants to break out of the conventional mold.”
The rebrand!! That willingness to speak personally — and publicly — marks a turning point for the monarchy. After years of headlines dominated by family rifts and royal fallout, William is quietly reframing his image: one rooted in accessibility and evolution.
William’s vision for the future is not a rebuke of his father. “This shouldn’t be seen as criticism of King Charles,” historian Robert Lacey tells PEOPLE. “He is very close to his father and has been his most important supporter.”
William is not an ostrich: Instead, the Prince of Wales is defining his own path — one that honors tradition while embracing change. That openness marks a distinct break from the royal family’s old way of operating — by “ostriching,” as Bedell Smith puts it, “avoiding discussions of emotional problems in hopes that they would go away.”
He wants to live in the present: For royal watchers the striking admission is “fascinating,” says royal biographer Andrew Morton, author of Winston and the Windsors: “The two words ‘change’ and ‘monarchy’ don’t naturally go together. Monarchy is about continuity. To predicate your future life on the change you’re going to make to it…well, that’s a delicate mechanism.”
More accessible: For William, though, change doesn’t mean upheaval but rather modernization — a monarchy more emotionally attuned and grounded in everyday life. “Prince William’s been quite vocal about what he wants to do when the time comes,” says a source with ties to the palace. “[To be] more accessible, more approachable.”
Just a bloke: As the tour draws to a close, William emerges not just as heir to the throne, but as a father and husband trying to redefine it. “He struck me as one of the lads,” says Morton. “That’s different from previous generations. He seems very much one of us, even though he is the future King.”
The palace source said, “Prince William’s been quite vocal about what he wants to do when the time comes… [To be] more accessible, more approachable.” It’s extremely funny that the work-from-home future king needed to grab 150 acres of a public park so that he can have his very own country estate and his fifth forever home, and now his brand is “accessible bloke”? When have William and Kate ever been accessible? Their whole thing is NOT being approachable, to be inaccessible to the peasants, to not show up for charities or patronages or religious services. Personally, Charles seems WAY more accessible than his mother AND his heir. Charles is literally out amongst the people every week, shaking hands and meeting interfaith communities and highlighting important causes. Anyway, this rebrand is going poorly.
Photos and screengrabs courtesy of AppleTV+. Cover courtesy of People.
