Prince William plans return to fulltime duties: ‘A dry run at being King’

Prince William is preparing to return to his royal duties fulltime next week, mixing in-person appearances and working from home for greater “impact” - in what sources are calling a “dry run” at being King.

The heir to the throne has been lying low since his wife Kate Middleton shared her cancer diagnosis with the world, returning to social media with a tribute to a Lioness soccer player who recently announced her retirement.

According to the Daily Beast’s royal correspondent Tom Sykes, William’s return to fulltime work is a “carefully calibrated” strategy to combine his duties to his young family with the demands of his royal role.

The Prince has spent the past few weeks at home in Sandringham with his family, preparing for what one source has called “a dry run at being king much sooner than he might have imagined”, as his father King Charles has stepped back from public duties amid his own treatment for cancer.

William was spotted earlier this week meeting his mother-in-law Carole Middleton for a drink in a local pub, showing that his wife’s family are staying close amid the princess’s recovery.

According to royal aides, the King is “proud” of the way that Kate chose to share her diagnosis with the public.

When approached by the Daily Beast, Kensington Palace declined to comment on William’s exact plans for the next few weeks. However, his office has previously briefed media that he will reappear in public once school starts again.

One friend of William and Kate’s told the Daily Beast: “In many ways the next few weeks and months will be a template for his future reign because he will have similar personnel available after he succeeds to the throne, even if that doesn’t happen for many years.

“I think you’ll see him try and balance the demands of state with the demands of being a good family man, taking care of his sick wife and making sure his kids are doing okay. I’m sure that will mean doing more stuff online. He can ‘WFH’ [work from home] and do hybrid working a bit. Frankly, it has more impact because it reaches many more people.”

Another royal aide told the outlet: “William and Kate had hoped to have several decades as Prince and Princess of Wales, and, God willing, they will still get them.

“But what is interesting about the next few months is that William is being forced into a dry run at being king much sooner than he might have imagined such a thing would come to pass. Of course he doesn’t welcome it, but there will certainly be some fascinating straws in the wind about what the reign of ‘King Billy’ will look like.”