‘Liege man’ Prince William may soon have to prepare for his own reign

The royal family has entered a new era - and that means big changes for its senior members, including the Prince of Wales who finds himself facing some tough challenges.

The accession of King Charles to the throne means change for other members of the royal family – most of all his son and “liege man” Prince William.

The monarch’s 40-year-old heir took on Charles’ former mantle of the Prince of Wales after the Queen’s death, but the change is more than just titular.

“Prince William is going to have to step up,” said The Sun’s royal editor Matt Wilkinson. “There is more pressure on him.”

William and wife Kate, arguably the most popular royals, have been very visible around the Coronation. In the service itself, William pledged to his father to become “your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship; and faith and truth I will bear unto you, to live and die against all manner of folks.” In a break with tradition, he was the only prince to do so.

Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales will be front and centre of the slimmed down royal family. Picture: Getty

Beyond public engagements, observers say William will take a greater role in key areas of royal influence and diplomacy, such as addressing poverty and inequality, plus maintaining the union of both the UK and the Commonwealth.

It has been suggested that, with Charles aged 74, the royals are working to a rough ten-year timeline for William to prepare for kingship himself.

In that decade, it is expected the monarchy will be revamped to remain relevant and cost-effective, in line with Charles’ goals. That will likely increase the responsibilities of a small number of other key royals – in particular Princess Anne and Prince Edward, who following the death of their father Prince Philip was “promoted” to Duke of Edinburgh.

In time, the now nine-year-old Prince George, William’s eldest, will join their ranks.

Princess Anne, dubbed “the hardest-working royal” made headlines before the Coronation by saying she did not think the monarchy could be “slimmed down” much more, but that is not the same as not changing it at all.

In the same interview she stressed the role of the inner family is to support Charles; and her sense and experience provide a useful sounding board for the monarch and his heir.

While the Carolean era will see some royals step up, Wilkinson believes that certain lesser royals may gradually fade from public view – the likes of Prince Andrew’s daughters Eugenie and Beatrice, or the houses of Gloucester and Kent.

“It’s going to look different in a few years,” he said.

Prince William will need to

As for Andrew himself: after controversy over his links to pervert financier Jeffrey Epstein, the prince has been effectively sidelined since his mother died. Speculation about him being welcomed back to the working royal fold is likely to remain just that.

Then there is Prince Harry. While almost guaranteed to remain in the headlines along with wife Meghan, following the breakdown of their relationship with the Windsors, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are no longer working royals.

Sadly, where their names feature in the Charles-William game plan for taking the monarchy forward, it is likely to be a footnote focused on damage mitigation.