Prince William is on a charm offensive. He is putting his best foot forward to make the monarchy more tangible and charitable to us average Joes.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, William attempted to address criticism of shocking oversights that meant the Duchy of Cornwall (the financial estate owned by the sitting Prince of Wales) was charging lifeboat stations, NHS hospitals and schools rent. During a visit to new social housing projects funded and built by the Duchy, he said he wants the £1-billion estate to be a ” force for good”.
Alongside his father’s push to slim down and modernise the monarchy, the strategy seems to be working – the institution remains broadly popular. According to YouGov, nearly two-thirds of Brits want to keep the monarchy, and six in ten think it is good for the country.
There is, however, one exception. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, just 39 per cent think the monarchy is “good for Britain”, making it the only age group surveyed without majority support.
For Gen Zs like me, the Royal Family does not act as the same social glue that it does for older generations. Our introduction to the monarchy has been a scrappy series of public barneys and PR missteps. Primed on a diet of brainrot and episodes of The Crown, we have watched “Megxit” unfold on Oprah, spread “Katespiracies” on X – and pondered visits to Pizza Express in Woking.
