How should Prince William spend the next few years?

[karla64]

William to quit Army in 18 months to learn 'art of kingship'

[Josefine]

how many years has william left in the military?

what i understand he has never taken part of state visit, what state visit was charles first?

[Royal Fan]

William Has until 2009 Dont know what duties he will have though I Think the First Visit was When The POW And Anne visited Nixon in the 70s

[karla64]

William set to be our royal at the FO - Times Online

[Mary1966]

Originally Posted by karla64

William set to be our royal at the FO - Times Online

Serving in the Foreign Office as a civil servant strikes me as a more informative job that being in the armed forces. As the article says, everyone knows that William is not going to be a career army officer, so why not have him do something that educates him about how the government works?

[CasiraghiTrio]

Originally Posted by Mary1966

Serving in the Foreign Office as a civil servant strikes me as a more informative job that being in the armed forces. As the article says, everyone knows that William is not going to be a career army officer, so why not have him do something that educates him about how the government works?

I agree, and I would fully applaud any amount of time he spends working in the FO, but at the same time, I think his military training is just as valuable. I see all courses proposed in the Times article as valuable.
1) Military
2) Foreign Office -- they say, starting around 2009
3) Prince's Trust/full-time engagements, perhaps in 2012?
Even though he will leave the military early on in order to do other things.
I think it is not unusual to spend a short time in military service. Prince Charles only stayed for six years, and look at Prince Edward, who didn't even finish training! I think king-training should encompass a wide range of experiences. As the scope of the job of the Monarch is far-reaching, the training should be diverse. I think a little military experience, a little Foreign Office experience learning about diplomatic service, and then perhaps, as the Times' Christopher Morgan suggests, taking over the Prince's Trust will all give him valuable knowledge.
If these things are true, especially what he allegedly says about wanting structured training, it says a lot about PW's maturity. Structure is the key to success in all things.

[kpusa1981]

Originally Posted by Royal Fan

William Has until 2009 Dont know what duties he will have though I Think the First Visit was When The POW And Anne visited Nixon in the 70s

He has done some duties. Was the trip to New Zealand a duty?
I know that one part that was sports related but he also lied a wreath the Auckland War Memorial Museum and meant with veterans as a representative of Queen Elizabeth II which marked the end of WWII.

[Royal Fan]

So whats on the Agenda Military wise FO wise and Ect until he becomes Duke of Cornwall give me a rundown of you think will Happen in the next 25 Years

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by Royal Fan

So whats on the Agenda Military wise FO wise and Ect until he becomes Duke of Cornwall give me a rundown of you think will Happen in the next 25 Years

My guess:

HRH Prince William will finish his military training.

HRH Prince William will make a special program in which he will be introduced to all the armed forces (army, navy, air force, constabulary).

HRH Prince William will start with public events and become a regular item in the Court Circular.

HRH Prince William becomes HRH The Prince William, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay and eventually also The Prince of Wales. My guess is that the Prince will not have to wait too long for his creation as The Prince of Wales.

HRH The Prince of Wales will take up his responsibilities for the management of the Duchy of Cornwall and also build his own Household, most likely by changes in the Household left by his predecessor.

HRH The Prince of Wales will, as Heir Apparent, take considerably more public duties and also give acte de presence on State Visits and royal events at home and abroad.

In between all this HRH The Prince of Wales will probably marry.

And finally HRH The Prince of Wales will succeed his father as King.

[BeatrixFan]

My guess;

HRH Prince William will finish his military training.

HRH Prince William will take on more sports charities and will take on patronages his mother held in the vain attempt to leech off of her popularity.

HRH Prince William will start with public events and become a regular item in the Court Circular.

HRH Prince William will get married, probably to Kate Middleton.

HRH Prince William will succeed Charles as Prince of Wales etc and do all the things his father has done.

HRH Prince William will face mass modernisation and a referendum after he becomes King. We will become a republic and he will eek out a living as HM King William V with HM Queen Katherine. And good riddance.

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

We will become a republic and he will eek out a living as HM King William V with HM Queen Katherine. And good riddance.

You mean ex-King William V and ex-Queen Katherine, probably living abroad in France or Germany?

[BeatrixFan]

Furthur hopefully

[selrahc4]

Originally Posted by Henri M.

You mean ex-King William V and ex-Queen Katherine, probably living abroad in France or Germany?

Perhaps in the Republic of Scotland at their home, Balmoral.

[CasiraghiTrio]

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

My guess;
HRH Prince William will take on more sports charities and will take on patronages his mother held in the vain attempt to leech off of her popularity.

He is also set to take on more of Prince Philip's causes, apparently. He has taken on patronage of the Football Assoc. Didn't Prince Philip once have that one? He is patron of Tusk Trust, a conservation charity (conservation is Prince Philip's big thing). Also, he will be Ranger of Windsor after Prince Philip retires from that position.

I can't see Britain being a republic. I can see a lot of changes taking place and the monarchy becoming smaller in scale with (even) less powers, but it brings too much morale and spirit to the nation. Think how happy a royal visit makes a town, and what a positive influence the royals have in so many areas. Royalty is good for many reasons. Maybe you don't like Prince William, but it's still not a reason to want to be rid of the whole system. For one thing, by the time PW becomes king, he will be over 50 because I am sure that the Queen will live to be 100, at least. She has no health problems worth mentioning. She hasn't even had any major operations. Her genetics is her strongest claim on a long life yet. So by the time Wills becomes king, he'll be so damn old, and his kid will become a child king probably, and there will be a regent or something.

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by CasiraghiTrio

He is also set to take on more of Prince Philip's causes, apparently. He has taken on patronage of the Football Assoc. Didn't Prince Philip once have that one? He is patron of Tusk Trust, a conservation charity (conservation is Prince Philip's big thing). Also, he will be Ranger of Windsor after Prince Philip retires from that position.

I can't see Britain being a republic. I can see a lot of changes taking place and the monarchy becoming smaller in scale with (even) less powers, but it brings too much morale and spirit to the nation. Think how happy a royal visit makes a town, and what a positive influence the royals have in so many areas. Royalty is good for many reasons. Maybe you don't like Prince William, but it's still not a reason to want to be rid of the whole system. For one thing, by the time PW becomes king, he will be over 50 because I am sure that the Queen will live to be 100, at least. She has no health problems worth mentioning. She hasn't even had any major operations. Her genetics is her strongest claim on a long life yet. So by the time Wills becomes king, he'll be so damn old, and his kid will become a child king probably, and there will be a regent or something.

Of course I wish Her Brittanic Majesty a long life in good health and spirit. But I disagree with the often expressed idea that her age has no grip on her and that she has the eternal life. Her spouse, the Duke of Edinburgh, looks awfully frail. In a short time span suddenly the Duke has aged enormously. You often see that a couple, so long intertwined, remarkably soon leave this world when one of them has died.

Queen Juliana of the Netherlands died in March 2004 and her spouse Prince Bernhard, who has witnessed her coffin to be brought downstairs into the royal vaults, followed her in the same year. Their marriage lasted from 1936 to 2004 (68 years) and it was like the Queen's death did suck away the Prince's own desire for life.

Once again, I wish Her Brittanic Majesty a long life, but things can go quicker than expected.

[Royal Fan]

I Hope a Rebuplic never comes :(

[sirhon11234]

Can one really imagine Great Britain as a republic?

[Elspeth]

I'm sure Tony Blair can.

[cde]

I suspect that is the EU eventual goal.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by cde

I suspect that is the EU eventual goal.

The European Union is not interested in the way the member states are run and who heads them as long as they are democracies, protect human rights and accept that on certain fields the union has the guiding authority.