‘Neglecting his duty’: Prince William’s huge Olympics fail exposed

As dozens of royals descend on Paris, the Prince of Wales remains a no-show.

There is a story I desperately want to write today, but no.

For some strange reason, my editor seems to think that people would prefer to read about the heir to the throne being a massive numpty and neglecting his duty to his country and crown, rather than one about Princess Anne giving us the pre-eminent style moment of the Olympics with her new bucket hat.

So let us momentarily salute Anne’s sartorial savoir faire – sacre bleu! – and move on to Prince William, and him letting down 66 million Brits and the 327-person British Olympic team by having so far stayed at home.

Over the course of the past six days, as thousands of athletes have competed their pumping hearts out and Australians have briefly returned to the low-fi experience of watching breakfast TV hosts pretending they know the first thing about judo scoring, so too have Europe’s royal families descended on Paris.

Kate, William and Harry were all smiles at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

So far, we’ve had Prince Albert and Princess “help get me out of here” Charlene of Monaco, Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, their son, Prince Felix and daughter, Princess Alexandra (who bought along her newborn Victorie), King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark, Spain’s King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their daughters Infanta Sofía and Leonor, Princess of Asturias, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Queen Maxima and their daughters Princess Alexia and Princess Catharina-Amalia and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

They have also all been excitedly posting to social media with the enthusiasm of wannabe influencers angling for a tooth-whitening deal.

Where else would we get three Queens (or in Grand Duchess Maria Teresa’s case, the equivalent) casually gathered around a table with vino blanc and oodles of sartorial sangfroid?

The European royals have turned up to Paris in force.

All of which demands one long, plaintive cry – where in the world is William?

And why in the world has the Prince and Kate the Princess of Wales’ Instagram account failed to once, so far, post anything peppy and cheersquady about the Games?

The Paris Games are the first Olympics to be held in Europe since 2012 when London played host, an event that saw the Prince, Kate and brother Prince Harry attend so many various matches, races and tournaments and with such sporting gusto they probably needed to chug Gatorade of an evening.

During those games, after watching the official torch handover in front of Buckingham Palace, William and Kate then turned up in the stands for the first time on day three. (It was the equestrian, because of course it was). They then proceeded to roll up to event after event over the course of the games where they flew the flag for Britain and demonstrated such natural national pride that St George and his dragon would have been chuffed.

So where the dickens is William this time? Why hasn’t he been seen once in France, given zipping across the channel is about as easy as nipping down to Tesco for a spare tin of beans?

In June and July, the Prince travelled to Germany to support the English football team in the Euros, even taking son Prince George with him to learn one of the most invaluable skills an heir can pick up – wearing a suit to a major sporting event and not looking too much like an awkward accountant having a “man of the people” away day.

So too, last year the Prince of Wales managed to get himself to France on three separate occasions for the Rugby World Cup, and Kate once.

And yet nearly a week into the games, rien. (“Nothing”, as the French would say). The only member of the House of Windsor to hit Paris has been Anne and her other half Sir Tim Laurence, who have spent so much time supporting Team GB they have probably been given official berths inside the Olympic Village and alternate spots on the handball team.

William’s disappearance is raising eyebrows. Picture: Maja Smiejkowska – WPA Pool/Getty Images

But what of William? The last official engagement for the Prince, according to the Court Circular, was July 14, a full two weeks ago.

Call me suspicious, but the Wales kids’ school Lambrook broke up early in July for summer holidays. Might the Prince of Wales have started his hols early?

There is every chance that as I type these very words, William is currently on the Eurostar speeding towards Paris’ Gare du Nord while his private secretary paints a Union Jack on his cheeks using Prince Louis’ oil paints. But even if he turns up on day seven, he will still be there a full week after the European eight sovereigns or their heirs made the trip to support their countries’ teams.

This situation echoes last year’s women’s soccer World Cup in Sydney, when the Prince failed to bother turning up to support the English team in the final, a state of affairs that seems improbable if it had been the men’s team.

I never thought I would ever quote Melania Trump, a woman who has long since sold her soul to live out an emotionally barren existence in a second-rate Floridian club full of arriviste car dealers and cosmetic dentists while spurning her saggy orange husband’s occasional advances, but in her immortal words … be better.

Prince William and Prince George managed to turn up to the Euros. Picture: Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images

The juxtaposition of William’s so far Olympic no-show with the release last week of the annual Duchy of Cornwall report which revealed that he pulled in $46.3 million last year doesn’t exactly sit well. As the heir to the throne, the 42-year-old enjoys incredible wealth and all the solid gold asparagus tongs he might fancy. (What? How do you eat your asparagus?)

But all that privilege and money is meant to be one side of the coin and on the other is written one single word – duty. The royal family’s job, aside from opening the Chelsea Flower Show, is to serve the people of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and to be a proud symbol of national unity and identity.

In this instance, should the Prince suddenly be called into Buckingham Palace for a performance review, he would be found wanting. Seriously wanting. (In case you are counting, since William’s last official engagement, he has made $1.7 million).

On other fronts, the Prince is doing a cracking job, such as actually building homes on Duchy land to try and tackle homelessness, not just giving an occasional speech full of nice words and then going home to have a footman rub his feet.

But being Prince of Wales is a gig that demands a degree of visibility, and being the UK’s biggest public cheerleader – and right now he is failing at that.

Also, he made me quote Melania. There are some things that are just unforgivable.

Daniela Elser is a writer, editor and a royal commentator with more than 15 years’ experience working with a number of Australia’s leading media titles.

Originally published as ‘Neglecting his duty’: Prince William’s huge Olympics fail exposed