A new royal book claims that Prince William has a very different attitude compared to his father when it comes to his wife's popularity during walkabouts. While Prince Charles reportedly felt envious of Princess Diana's star quality, William finds the situation amusing.
William's reaction to Catherine's popularity
In his book The Four Wives of Windsor: Rivalries, Influence and the True Power Behind the Crown, published by Century on July 30, royal TV correspondent Simon Vigar writes: "While Charles would be annoyed at Diana’s popularity, William just thinks it's funny when the crowds flock to Catherine."
The book reveals that like Diana before her, Catherine, Princess of Wales, is hugely popular with the public. Vigar notes that both Charles and William now enjoy having the support of their wives at royal engagements.
Diana and Charles dynamic
Diana's natural charisma allowed her to connect instantly with crowds during joint appearances with her husband. During walkabouts, particularly on their 1983 tour of Australia, crowds would openly express disappointment if Charles approached their side of the street instead of Diana. Princess Diana confirmed in her 1995 BBC Panorama interview that this created tension. Biographer Andrew Morton recorded that Charles struggled to accept sharing the primary spotlight.
Modern royal couples
Vigar writes: "The King has mellowed a lot now and he and William both enjoy having the support of Camilla and Catherine by their side at royal engagements. In fact, they both visibly relax more when their wives are there to support them."
Catherine has shown her natural ability to connect with crowds on numerous occasions. During the Windsor Coronation Walk in May 2023, she spent extended time comforting a teary young girl. In Stirling, Scotland, in January 2025, she surprised security by sprinting toward a disappointed fan to accept flowers and pose for a selfie. Earlier this year in Powys, Wales, she engaged children in an impromptu game of rock, paper, scissors during heavy rain.
Humour and behind-the-scenes work
Vigar points out that both Catherine and Camilla share a sense of humour with their husbands. "The key thing with Charles and Camilla is that they make each other laugh and that is the same with William and Catherine," he says. "Charles and Diana unfortunately didn’t make each other laugh."
While Diana was known for public support of causes like AIDS and landmines, Vigar says Camilla is just as committed behind the scenes: "What we see of her work on domestic violence is just the tip of the iceberg of what she does behind the scenes, because such things are difficult to take a camera crew to, and anyway, Camilla wouldn't want to. She is much better on a one-to-one. She doesn't enjoy public speaking, but she really does want to make a difference, as does Catherine."
