Royal Editor Russell Myers on Prince William and Kate's popularity
Prince William has been told he has some "catching up to do" if he wants to be as beloved and popular a Prince of Wales as his father King Charles, according to a royal author. BBC journalist Huw Thomas, author of Charles: The King and Wales - which focuses on the monarch's relationship to the country and its people, said William could be about to launch a "supercharge" effort to win over the Welsh.
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William became Prince of Wales last September upon the death of Queen Elizabeth, when his father Charles who had held the title for over 60 years, became King.
Unlike Charles, William has not had an official investiture ceremony, which saw the now-King be formally presented to the people of Wales as their Prince on July 1 1969 at Caernarfon Castle.
Prior to the ceremony, Charles had spent a term studying Welsh culture and learning the language at Aberystwyth University, and his love and attentiveness to Wales and its needs never faltered after that.
Mr Thomas told an audience at Hay Festival that William was "lagging behind" in his duties as Prince of Wales, reported The Times.
He said: "He’s [William] got a lot of catching up to do in terms of the public perception of him as a Prince of Wales.
"The impression I get as well is that, after the Coronation, there’s going to be a bit of a supercharge on the relationship of William with Wales. We’ll see what comes."
It is not thought likely that William will have an investiture ceremony of his own, however he and his wife Kate, now Princess of Wales, did live in Anglesey for two years after their marriage while he worked as an RAF search-and-rescue pilot.
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William drew some criticism during a Football World Cup match in Qatar between England and Wales, as the Prince is known for his devotion to the English team.
Welsh actor Michael Sheen expressed his displeasure at William sending a message of support to the England side.
Mr Thomas added that William has already begun adapting to the role and trying to fashion the title Prince of Wales to suit his own public image.
He said: "Maybe now there’s a focus on mental health initiatives or outdoors. It’s a bit more targeted to make sure William is seen to be doing stuff that suits William."
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Both Kate and William have made several trips to Wales in recent months, including one to Aberfan which poignantly saw them remember the 28 adults and 116 children who were killed in the landslide disaster in 1966.
Mr Thomas added: "You had a link being forged between the new Prince and Princess of Wales and the Aberfan community.
"Somebody who was there said that William and Kate were very touched, as anybody would be, when they had a private moment in the cemetery, seeing the memorials to all those children who died."
But it will still take some time before he is held in such high regard there as his father, who on a trip to Japan in the 1970s suggested Sony Corporation open a factory in Wales.
The Sony factory in Bridgend opened in 1974 and still operates as Sony UK Technology Centre to this day.
