Prince William’s handling of the royal drama with Prince Harry signifies his readiness to be King as it demonstrates his “maturity” and “dignity”, according to a royal expert.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond explained how the Prince of Wales has gradually grown in confidence as he prepares to one day become monarch.
She told OK! magazine: “William exudes confidence these days. I think this comes from growing older, becoming more comfortable in your own skin, the vast experience he now has of being centre stage, and learning to cope with the glare of pretty constant publicity.
“He has shown maturity about dealing with the rift with Harry, has maintained his dignity, and his silence, and has shown that he is more than ready to take on their responsibilities of his current and future roles.
“As Diana told me, ‘the country is lucky to have William.”
Get the latest royal news straight to your phone by joining our Whatsapp community!
She recalled how back in his younger days the Prince used to struggle with the media attention he received, particularly from girls going wild over his good looks, but now he takes it in his stride.
Ms Bond continued: “He’s tall, dashing, with a fabulous smile, and the same engaging manner that his mother had with the public. So it’s no wonder that he is a bit of a heartthrob.
“When I was with him in Canada six months after Diana’s death, young girls went wild for William.
“They screamed, cried, wanted to hug him, held out signs saying they wanted to marry him, and generally embarrassed the hell out of the poor boy.
“Nowadays, though, he’s used to that kind of adulation – albeit not quite so manic – and I think he quite enjoys it.”
Despite claims that Harry and William had been holding “peace talks”, a source close to the royals has rubbished rumours of a reconciliation between the pair.
They said: “William hasn’t reached out to Harry and vice versa. They haven’t been arguing, but there hasn’t been any contact made either. No telephone calls, no FaceTime and no Zoom calls.”