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Historian: King Charles and Prince William Are at Odds Over the Monarchy’s Future

09:40 AM, 12/05/2025
Historian: King Charles and Prince William Are at Odds Over the Monarchy’s Future

Historian Andrew Lownie tells NewsNation that King Charles and Prince William are at odds over how the monarchy should change: Charles favors traditional pomp, while William worries the institution is losing relevance. Lownie says William is frustrated by the slow handling of Prince Andrew’s conduct, which officials reportedly flagged years earlier. The dispute highlights a broader debate about modernisation, accountability and how the royal family responds to reputational crises.

Historian Warns of a Rift Between King Charles and Prince William

Royal biographer Andrew Lownie told NewsNation’s Paula Froelich that a growing disagreement has emerged between King Charles and his eldest son, Prince William, over how the monarchy should evolve in the 21st century.

“There are always tensions between the Prince of Wales and the Monarch,” Lownie said. “They’re different, you know, there are different generations.”

Lownie characterises Charles as attached to the monarchy’s traditional pomp and ceremony, while William is reportedly more inclined toward modernisation and worried that the institution risks becoming irrelevant or a subject of ridicule. According to the historian, those generational and stylistic differences have created friction over the pace and nature of reforms.

Frustration Over Prince Andrew

The historian also says Prince William has been frustrated by what he sees as slow or insufficient action over the conduct of his uncle, Prince Andrew. Lownie contends that officials had briefed senior royals about Andrew’s behaviour years earlier, and that the issue should have been addressed sooner.

According to Lownie’s account in his book, diplomats, politicians and members of the security services allegedly raised concerns about Andrew with the late Queen Elizabeth II, but she did not take decisive action at the time.

Prince Andrew’s association with financier Jeffrey Epstein remained a major reputational problem for the royal family. In 2019, following a widely criticised interview on the BBC’s Newsnight, Queen Elizabeth II removed Andrew’s public responsibilities. The controversy stems in part from Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea to state charges, after which he was released in 2009 under a controversial agreement — matters that have continued to shadow those connected to him.

What This Means for the Monarchy

Lownie frames the disagreement as part of a broader internal debate about modernisation, accountability and how the royal household should respond to scandals that threaten its public standing. Whether the monarchy will shift toward William’s more streamlined vision or retain Charles’s emphasis on ceremony remains an open question, the historian says.

Note: These observations come from Andrew Lownie’s comments to NewsNation and his recent book, as cited in the exclusive interview.

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