The monarchy and the king have endured a tough time recently

Prince William is said to be quietly mapping out major changes to the royal family for when he one day takes the throne, after what insiders describe as an extraordinarily difficult stretch for King Charles.

Charles became monarch in September 2022 following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. He was crowned the next year alongside Queen Camilla.

But the years since have tested both the king and the wider royal household in ways few could have predicted.

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Prince William set to ‘make changes’ after ‘terrible’ chapter for King Charles

According to a royal source who spoke to The i Paper, the king has faced “so many terrible things” during the early part of his reign.

There has been the continuing fallout from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s departure from royal life, coupled with serious health battles at the heart of the family.

In February 2024, King Charles announced his cancer diagnosis. Just a month later, the Princess of Wales revealed she was undergoing chemotherapy after cancer was discovered following abdominal surgery.

More recently, the monarchy has again found itself under an uncomfortable spotlight due to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s past links to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Last October, the king stripped his younger brother of his royal titles and honours amid mounting public criticism. And just last week, Andrew was taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The source said the king’s cancer diagnosis, alongside the Princess of Wales’s treatment, marked a particularly painful chapter for the institution.

It is this backdrop, insiders suggest, that is shaping Prince William’s long-term vision for the Crown.

“The big changes will come with William,” the source claimed, as reported by GB News. “The challenge is bringing about gradual change in an institution that is supposed to represent continuity.”

William himself has openly acknowledged that reform is on his mind. During a surprise appearance on Eugene Levy’s The Reluctant Traveler, he made clear that “change is on my agenda”.

“Change for good. I embrace that and I enjoy that change. I don’t fear it,” he told Eugene last year. “That’s the bit that excites me. The idea of being able to bring some change.”

What could Prince William’s reign look like?

Behind palace doors, some of that future-facing thinking is already said to be in motion.

In late 2025, Prince William and Princess Kate relocated with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, to Forest Lodge in Windsor. The move was widely seen as a signal of a quieter, more family-centred approach to royal life.

The Windsor property is understood to be central to William’s long-term plans, with reports suggesting he favours it over Buckingham Palace as a working base when the time comes.

The decision followed an emotionally draining period for the Wales family. After undergoing preventative chemotherapy in 2024, Kate confirmed in January 2025 that she was in remission.

Writing last month, Daily Mail Royal Editor Rebecca English reported that the future king is expected to scale back royal pageantry, with plans to simplify more “archaic” traditions and potentially shorten certain ceremonies.

Public engagements could also evolve, shifting away from routine ribbon cuttings and towards fewer but more substantive commitments.

Even so, insiders insist that William and Kate are “traditionalists” at heart. Key fixtures such as Trooping the Colour and future coronations are not expected to disappear.

For now, the changes remain prospective. But with the monarchy navigating one of its most testing modern chapters, it appears the Prince of Wales is already thinking carefully about how to steady the ship while gently steering it in a new direction.

Kensington Palace has been contacted for comment.