Prince William has signalled he won’t be keeping quiet on the issues that matter to him
On the seat there was a sign. HRH Prince of Wales.
Prince William, not his father, is now taking that place, but in his first speech as next in line to the throne there were distinct similarities with what we saw from the former heir.
William reaffirming his dedication to an environmental cause, this time the “war” against the illegal wildlife trade, in memory of his grandmother.
It felt like he was firmly setting out that he won’t be keeping quiet about what matters to him, in fact it’s only going to step up a gear.
Those who’ve worked with them tell me you don’t get a sense of a hard relaunch for brand Prince and Princess of Wales, they have a well laid out thematic agenda for their work and they are sticking to it.
This week has really been a showcase for where they want to make a difference; engagements focusing on mental health, early years development, football and the environment.
Of course King Charles as heir was criticised for being too political, with suggestions he’d end up a “meddling monarch”.
It is a label that William and his team are likely to wary of, but there are suggestions we may now actually hear more from him rather than less.
Lord William Hague, who’s worked with the prince for eight years and is now the chair of William and Kate’s charity, told me: “Certainly in the royal foundation, we’re not changing tone, you know, if anything, we’re going up another gear with a tone that’s well established of how to help with certain issues of some of society’s deepest problems where we need to bring people together to work on… There will be other issues to come in the future. So I think you will find for the Prince and Princess of Wales that work very much goes on and if anything, goes up another gear.”
Talking about the potential to stray into the political, he added: “We’re always careful, the royal foundation is non-political of course and it’s global. So of course we have to take great care with the issues that we work on. But there is no shortage of those issues. It’s absolutely right for a royal family that’s engaged with the world and wants to help people and serve people to get involved with.”
Lord William Hague is now the chair of William and Kate’s charity. Pic: AP
I’m told doing more to help the homeless is one area where we could see more work, especially now he has the network of land and businesses associated with the Duchy of Cornwall to play with as heir.
We wait to see if William’s wider popularity, and the fact he’s younger, make it more palatable for him to share his views compared to his father’s experience; the prince like others in the family will also inevitably be watching and reading to see how the change of reign and what they’re doing is being received.
The royals don’t do their own opinion rating polls but members of some households have been reading other polling since the Queen died to see how their messaging has been playing out.
A source observed that “their strength has come in continuity. The household hierarchy means Buckingham Palace leads, so there are guard rails in place to stick to”.
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Too constraining potentially for a power couple with global appeal? We know how Harry and Meghan felt about it, but William and Kate appear happy to remain important supporters for the King and Queen Consort, who will benefit from the backing and reflected popularity of his son and daughter-in-law.
Of course they want to do things differently from the past. Kate is aware of the heavy weight that comes with being a new Princess of Wales and following Diana, and as we saw this week, on her visit to a maternity ward in Guildford, she wants to make her own impact through getting more support for families with young children.
Ultimately they both see themselves as parents first, a former member of royal staff said that being good parents is their “north star”, and we know they want to try to give their children a relatively normal life. But they’re both aware that doing what they want to do can bring criticism.
Back in 2016 William was accused of being work-shy, a position taken by The Sun newspaper when he was doing fewer royal engagements and flying the air ambulance in East Anglia. The journalist who wrote it was Emily Andrews and William wanted a word.
“To be fair, he took it on the chin at least publicly with me. And he said that it was fair enough, but there were a lot of things we hadn’t seen behind the scenes. And actually fast forward to 2019/2020 and we heard a bit more about the stuff that he’d been doing with the air ambulance, the children’s lives he’d been saving,” Emily said.
“I think that’s the point about William. I think he has been on a journey with the press and his public persona. He cares very much about how he’s portrayed in the press. Make no mistake, even if he gives off the impression that he doesn’t.”
On one visit to Northern Ireland in 2020 we both spotted the editor of The Sun shadowing the prince for the day.
Around that time she wasn’t the only newspaper editor who’d been invited to spend time getting to know his work better.
I am told that both William and Kate pay a very active interest in how their events are covered, a lot of prep work goes into how it’s going to be perceived, how it looks.
As they step up it does feel like a missed opportunity that more context and background on the work going on behind the scenes hasn’t always been briefed, and often that’s been put down to it being a small and young team.
Pic: AP
There is a sense that approach may be changing, not just to counter potentially negative headlines, or because their roles have changed, but ultimately because what they can deliver is incredibly powerful; a global platform to get messages out to a huge audience, and an unrivalled ability to convene on issues like the illegal wildlife trade.
Lord Hague told me it’s something the Americans are very envious of.
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He said: “The US government said to me, no government in the world could do what you’re doing in the royal foundation, what Prince William is doing on this issue. Because you see we have Chinese airlines, departments of the Chinese government working in the same grouping as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and companies from across the Western world, with no political mistrust or suspicion about a government organising it. So what Prince William has shown with this, with the royal foundation, on wildlife is really that there’s this tremendous convening power.”
From conversations I’ve had you don’t get the sense that the couple want to dramatically shake things up with a shiny new strategy when it comes to the institution.
During the Queen’s reign change was often subtle and never sudden. From everything we’re seeing that now appears to be a tradition her family are keen to preserve, if the more questioning world they now operate in will allow it.
Comedy writer Bill Dare, – who worked on shows including Spitting Image and Dead Ringers – has died after an accident overseas, his agent said.
Described as a “super producer” by his peers, Dare, 64, worked on eight series of hugely popular satire puppet show Spitting Image.
Airing on ITV during the 1980s and 1990s, the show delighted in lampooning public figures including politicians, celebrities and royalty, winning BAFTAs and Emmys. It was rebooted in 2020.
Dare also created Dead Ringers, a comedy impressions show broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
He also produced The Now Show, a satirical take on the news which ran on Radio 4 from 1998 to 2024.
Dare worked on a wide range of comedy shows during his career, including the radio production of The Mary Whitehouse Experience in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He had also written several novels.
In a statement released on Monday, his agent JFL Agency confirmed he died at the weekend.
A spokesperson said: “We are shocked and greatly saddened to have to announce the death of our brilliant client Bill Dare, who died at the weekend following an accident overseas.
“Our thoughts are with his wife Lucy, daughter Rebecca, and with all of Bill’s family and friends who will be devastated by his loss.
“Bill was a truly legendary producer and writer, and his comedy instincts were second to none.”
Oasis depicted on Spitting Image in 1996. Pic: ITV/Shutterstock
Colleagues were quick to pay tribute and reflect on his talent.
Impressionist Jon Culshaw wrote on X: “It’s impossible to express the unreal sense of loss at the passing of the incredible Bill Dare. The wisest comedy alchemist and the dearest, dearest friend. Much love to Lucy and all Bill’s family and friends. We shall all miss him more than we can say.”
David Baddiel posted on the social media platform: “Just heard that the original producer of The Mary Whitehouse Experience on radio, Bill Dare, has died. Bill was an amazing creative force. I owe him much. RIP.”
Former EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman said she was “devastated” and that her “entire comedy career was down to Bill”.
She wrote: “When I was on the BBC Radio 4 rep company early on in career – I ran into Bill in the corridors – He asked if I was good at accents. I said yes.
“He cast me in a sketch show. I had to do about 15 different accents. We recorded in front of a live audience at Broadcasting House – afterwards Bill said ‘Why have I never met you – you’re going to have a big career’.
“He was incredibly loyal and supportive and really opened a path for me into the R4 comedy world and then TV having come out of the RSC and theatre it was all new. I will always be grateful. Fly high Bill.”
Comedian and writer Mark Steel wrote: “This is so grim. Bill was a compassionate hearty soul with the ability to be beautifully grumpy, a marvellously thoughtful comic mind.
“He’d argue but always listen and you’d always laugh, he made a million shows and wanted them all to matter and would have made a million more.”
Have I Got News for You writer Pete Sinclair said: “I am utterly devastated by Bill’s death. I still can’t believe it. He was a comedy genius. A hugely talented writer as well as a brilliant producer. A close friend and co-writer. I cannot begin to say how much I’ll miss him.”
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Julia McKenzie, comedy commissioner for Radio 4, said: “I am so terribly sorry to hear this tragic news and my thoughts are with Bill’s wife, family and friends.
“Bill has been a huge part of Radio 4 comedy for decades, as a writer and producer, and listeners will have heard his legendary name at the end of many of their favourite shows.
“Bill was a comedy obsessive, and very instinctive about making the funniest choices when it came to writing, directing and editing.
“He cared so much about his work that in the production booth during Dead Ringers you’d see him crouched over the script, utterly focused on the show.
“He was funny and very dry in person, amusingly cynical when he needed to be and always pushed to keep the comedy he made, and particularly satire, spiky.
“I’ve known and worked with him for 18 years and like many I can’t believe he has gone, he will leave a big hole in the comedy world and in our hearts.”
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