Duke of Cambridge: What Now for William? Future Duties, Roles, Responsibilities

[ladongas]

This is a sad little sentence from Vernon Bogdanor's article

"But although she will be 88 in April, the Queen can never, unlike the rest of us, look forward to being relieved of her burden."

If you or someone you know is of retirement age, it's obvious how much most people look forward to retirement. HM has been working for 60+ years. Despite the 'perks' of her job, there must be many a day when she wishes she didn't have to put on elegant clothes and shake hands with strangers and be told about things she has no real interest in.

No wonder she has been sympathetic to William's desire to have a real life before he picks up that burden.

 

[cepe]

Interesting post. HMQ's work pattern has really changed in recent yrs in that c.2/3rds of her engagements take place at either BP or Windsor. She is also cutting back travelling in the UK

Now as we all know, this isnt the only things she does as there are all the Red Boxes and correspondence to deal with.

She is an astute woman who is managing her workload and her priorities as she gets older.

That's one of the reasons I don't get concerned about William's workload - she is managing that too IMO

 

[Rudolph]

This quote tells us all we need to know about the BRF. William just like everyone else takes his marching orders from the Queen

The Queen is still boss: reports that Palace reshuffle will mean Charles becomes king in all but name are wide of the mark - News - London Evening Standard

What is happening, albeit subtly, is a monarchy in transition. But when it comes to the final decision, it will be the Queen that signs off the changes not Charles. She is still “The Boss.”

 

[royal-blue]

It seems clear now that William won't become a full time royal until his father's succession, but will he be able to cope with the sudden leap in demand from him doing 100-150 engagements a year to 500-600 that the current heir to the throne does?

 

[Lumutqueen]

Nobody can answer that question until it happens.

 

[Dman]

It seems clear now that William won't become a full time royal until his father's succession, but will he be able to cope with the sudden leap in demand from him doing 100-150 engagements a year to 500-600 that the current heir to the throne does?

I think he and Catherine will transition to full time royal duties before Charles's reign. Engagements increase over time. You just don't leap to doing 500 to 600 a year. With The Queen approaching 90 and Prince Philip going into his mid to late 90's, William & Catherine will likely start making the transition over to full time royal duties sooner.

 

[royal-blue]

Any news on when William starts his new job? Will this affect his ability to do overseas tours this year?

 

[Marty91charmed]

He is going to China next month. No news on his job though.... They said that he needed to pass all his exams before starting sometime in March/April

 

[TLLK]

AFAIK he's currently taking his flight exams.

 

[KittyAtlanta]

I don't think William even finished his agricultural course. If he had, it would have been announced. If I missed the announcement that he finished, please cite source. He seems to be able to weedle out of every task he says he's going to take. I'm sure this tentative March/April schooling for rescue training will be lost with the new baby. I think he's full of hot air.

 

[TLLK]

I'm not sure why the BRF would need to announce that he completed an extension course. They share the news when the family members complete their secondary and/or university degrees, but the agricultural course...I don't see the need.

He'll be in China/Japan during late Feb. and early March so January would have been reserved for completing the practical exams.

 

[soapstar]

What tasks has William said he's going to do that he has not completed?

 

[Rudolph]

Threads like this are troll bait. We know what is next for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, we know what they'll be doing the next few years so I don't see the need for something like this.

Can I start a 'what now for Prince Harry thread: future duties and roles' or is that prohibited because he's a lad?

 

[Osipi]

Threads like this are troll bait. We know what is next for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, we know what they'll be doing the next few years so I don't see the need for something like this.

Can I start a 'what now for Prince Harry thread: future duties and roles' or is that prohibited because he's a lad?

I can see such a thread opening up for Harry if/when its announced that Harry will be leaving the military.

 

[Dman]

I think William will do his new job for two years, and then he and Catherine will start the transition over to full-time royal duties.

 

[TLLK]

I can see such a thread opening up for Harry if/when its announced that Harry will be leaving the military.

I agree. For now I do believe that the best place for Harry is to continue with his military career and his part-time royal duties.

 

[Rudolph]

Yes, yes but this thread was started during William's transition year when his plans were up in the air. Now that a decision is made I don't see the need for this specific thread.

Its only the Cambridges that get this treatment. We can ask 'what now' for every royal. What now for Camilla?

Don't the charity and current events threads cover everything for the Cambridges?

 

[Jacknch]

It is worth remembering that William's situation in terms of future duties, roles and responsibilities is very different from Harry's. William has not had the same freedom to continue his career in the way that he may have wanted to. I have no doubt that had he been able to, he would have continued his career in the RAF.

 

[TLLK]

I agree Jacknch. The "spares" typically have more flexibility in their career choices than the heirs.

 

[Lumutqueen]

What now for any other royal except the younger ones is pretty pointless.

Feel free to start one for Henry, would be interesting.


The reason this was started in Williams transition year was exactly because everything was up in the air so everything was an option, we didn't know what his plans were. Still don't frankly.

 

[Dman]

What now for any other royal except the younger ones is pretty pointless.

Feel free to start one for Henry, would be interesting.


The reason this was started in Williams transition year was exactly because everything was up in the air so everything was an option, we didn't know what his plans were. Still don't frankly.

I agree, we still don't know William's plans, but I think he and Catherine will transition to full-time royal roles sooner rather than several years down the road.

 

[MARG]

Well his second Gap Year was up in September of last year and at this stage the only thing we know is;

Very explicit speculation that he was returning to flying by joining the East Anglia Air Ambulance came as early as Apr/May of last year and was officially confirmed in August 2014, so he really didn't get much of a "transition" in.

It was also announced he would be required to complete a conversion course although we were never told when his Conversion Course starts or started, how long it takes and when it ends, although there has been speculation it ends Mar/Apr 2015.

I got the idea that the Agricultural course was originally aimed at assisting him when the responsibility of the Duchy of Cornwall fell to him. However, with the announcement about his new flying job I got the impression that everything else got kicked to the curb.

So, what has William been doing this last year and a bit?

 

[soapstar]

The Palace did release that information. According to the announcement, his course started in September and lasts 5 months. Once the course ends, he has to do 14 exams and a flight test. That means he would complete his course in February and depending on how long his exams are, he would be starting his job in March or April.

From the Official Press release:

The Duke will begin training for his Air Transport Pilot's Licence (Helicopter) in September, which is estimated to take a minimum of five months to complete. The Duke will continue to undertake engagements on behalf of The Queen and his charitable affiliations during this time.T

Training for the ATPL (H) will culminate in 14 examinations and a flight test.

Press release

Here's an article that talks a little more about the job.

Prince William to become air ambulance pilot | UK news | The Guardian

 

[Zonk]

The purpose of this thread, as stated in the original post was to discuss William's Post-RAF plans and how any plans might affect his future role as King.

Harry's role in the present is his full time military career, his part time royal duties and supporting his Monarch. Harry's role in the future may or may not be his military career, his royal duties and the support his Monarch [i.e. his father and/or brother].

There is a big difference from being a working member of the Firm and being Head of the Firm in regards to roles, duties and responsibilities.

 

[Rudolph]

And William's role in the present is a full-time pilot with East Anglian Air Ambulance, his part time royal duties and supporting his Monarch.

There will be almost no change in this until he actually becomes the heir to the throne, takes on duties of an heir and gains access to the income from the Duchy of Cornwall.

So for the foreseeable future William's role almost exactly mirrors Harry's role.

What William's role will be in his father's monarchy is anyone guess because no one knows the kind of king Charles will be or what type of court he will have

 

[Lumutqueen]

But this is a forum where we can talk and discuss such things. Whenever new information comes in about William's role we discuss it here.


Come'on, there currently exists a thread in this forum about what would have happened if Edward hadn't abdicated, or if WW2 hadn't happened, or if the Russian revolution hadn't occurred. People speculate on things they cannot possibly know about, but they still speculate. It's fun.

 

[MARG]

Okay then, I am wondering how William will cope with the Duchy of Cornwall. He has little experience and he will have a large number of people directly employed or impacted by his decisions in the future as POW and in particular the Duchy of Cornwall.

Somewhere along the way I got the notion that William's 'transitional year' was to prepare him for his future role as POW. I know learning about things like farming, animal husbandry, marketing and finance can be a bit boring if they are not your thing, but in the not so distant future, he will be directly in control of this. As for The Princes Trust? Does he know the first thing about it's broad base and fantastic work with teens, young entrepenures, etc.

I can't help feeling that William is more interested in what he wants to do now rather than anything he will have to do later.

 

[Jacknch]

William's future involvement with the Duchy of Cornwall will be interesting and may not be exactly the same as his father's. Charles has always appeared to me to be quite hands-on with it and has developed the business side of the Duchy a great deal from what it once was, having had decades in which to do so.
But I do not think the title of Duke of Cornwall will automatically or necessarily come hand in hand with the role or business etc that Charles created from it. William could simply taken on the title and Charles may retain his interests once he becomes king.

There is much talked about the need to prepare William for his future duties and roles and no one will be more aware of this than William himself and his family. Much will be going on behind closed doors that will come together seamlessly at the right time. If there was a sudden change in our royal family's circumstances and Charles became king, there will be no chaos or urgency regarding William's new roles or duties etc or how he will cope or manage because it will all have been prepared before hand.

 

[royal rob]

Okay then, I am wondering how William will cope with the Duchy of Cornwall. He has little experience and he will have a large number of people directly employed or impacted by his decisions in the future as POW and in particular the Duchy of Cornwall.

Somewhere along the way I got the notion that William's 'transitional year' was to prepare him for his future role as POW. I know learning about things like farming, animal husbandry, marketing and finance can be a bit boring if they are not your thing, but in the not so distant future, he will be directly in control of this. As for The Princes Trust? Does he know the first thing about it's broad base and fantastic work with teens, young entrepenures, etc.

I can't help feeling that William is more interested in what he wants to do now rather than anything he will have to do later.

Well I guess it's a long way in the future for him so he needs to have his own life for now.
He must look at his father being so long preparing for being king and doesn't want that life.



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[Roslyn]

Well I guess it's a long way in the future for him so he needs to have his own life for now.
He must look at his father being so long preparing for being king and doesn't want that life.

A long way in the future? His grandmother is nearly 89. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that William could be woken from his sleep tonight and informed that his father is now The King, and he needs to be prepared for that eventuality.

I suspect, however, that Charles has systems in place that will enable the easy transition of his current duties and responsibilities to his son when the need arises.