Prince William’s role is changing – what does he really want to do with it?

When Prince William presented the men’s FA Cup trophy at Wembley last weekend, he’d have been forgiven for thinking how life can come at you fast – compared with when he appeared at the same fixture last year.

A year ago he was still in the summery afterglow of the Coronation, in which the Prince of Wales had played a central role, rather tenderly supporting his father the King. The pair had been seen joking together during rehearsals.

Fast forward to summer 2024 and there have been massive unexpected pressures. Within the quartet at the heart of the monarchy – King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Catherine – both the King and Princess of Wales have had cancer diagnoses.

“There can’t be too many people whose wife and father have been diagnosed with cancer so close together. It must feel as if he is in a lonely place at times,” says royal commentator Richard Palmer.

It’s meant that Prince William has focused much of his attention on looking after his wife and young family, understandably putting many of his other engagements on hold.

The need to avoid the politics of the UK’s general election has meant even more of his plans being curtailed, including a visit that would have focused on tackling homelessness

While the King has returned to work with a burst of energy, it’s unavoidable that there will still need to be adjustments for his health. That’s going to mean Prince William being pushed ever more clearly into the role of heir, sharing the burden.

“It must feel like the weight of the world is on him. The future of the monarchy rests on his shoulders,” says royal author Prof Pauline Maclaran.

It doesn’t help that there’s an ocean-wide gap between Prince William and his brother Prince Harry.

And swirling around the Princess of Wales’s illness, as she continues with cancer treatment, has been a toxic swamp gas of social media gossip and crazy speculation.

It must have felt as though the royal world, used to travelling at the sedate pace of a carriage, had turned into a white-knuckle ride.

At the centre of this storm, what does Prince William himself want to achieve? If you turn off all the background noise about the royals, what does he want to do with his role?

The key word, according to sources close to the prince, is “impact”. Rather than ribbon-cutting, photo opportunities and easy gimmicks, he wants to deliver projects that make a tangible, measurable difference.

“He’s asking: ‘How can I use my platform for good, to create positive change,” says a royal source.

“He has big ambitions for what he can deliver.