NEED TO KNOW
- Prince William says there will be changes in stores once he takes the throne
- The comment comes during his conversation with Eugene Levy in the Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler
- “I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda. Change for good,” the royal says
Prince William is thinking ahead to what kind of leader he’d like to be when he accedes to the throne.
In the third season of Eugene Levy’s Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler, the Prince of Wales, 43, speaks at length with the actor, reflecting on the changes he’s planning to implement during his reign.
In the episode titled “Living the Royal Life in the U.K.,” the pair delves into a deeper conversation after their introduction at Windsor Castle, during which Prince William jokes, “I heard you were in town, so I thought why not get you over here. I was a big fan of your earlier films, Eugene, all the American Pies.”
Levy recalls that his family was perhaps the first on their block to have a television set, which allowed him to watch the coronation of Prince William’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth, who died in 2022. Her eldest son and William’s father, King Charles, then acceded to the throne.
“You will one day be King of England. Do you think about that at all?” Levy asks.
“It’s not something I wake up in the morning and think about, because to me, being authentic and being myself and being genuine is what drives me,” William answers.
“And then you can attach whatever labels and kind of roles that come on top of that, but if I’m not true to myself, and I’m not true to what I stand for and believe in – then it doesn’t really matter who you are, it gets lost,” William continues. “I take my roles and my responsibilities seriously, but it’s important, like I said to you earlier, you don’t feel they own you – you have to own them.”
Levy also inquires whether the monarchy would shift in a “slightly different direction” under Prince William’s leadership.
“I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda. Change for good. And I embrace that and I enjoy that change — I don’t fear it,” William says. “That’s the bit that excites me — is the idea of being able to bring some change. Not overly radical change, but changes that I think that need to happen.”
Earlier in their conversation, the duo reflects on the legacy of Windsor itself.
“Ever get overwhelmed, just by the sheer history of the place?” Levy asks.
“When you say it like that, it sounds like I should say yes!” William responds as they both laugh.
“But no, I wouldn’t say history overwhelms me. Other things overwhelm me, but not history, no. Because I think if you’re not careful, history can be a real weight and an anchor around you, and you can feel suffocated by it, and restricted by it too much,” William continues.
While history may not feel daunting to the Prince of Wales, he opens up about what does weigh on him.
“Stuff to do with family overwhelms me, quite a bit,” William says. “You know, worry or stress around the family side of things that does overwhelm me quite a bit. But in terms of, you know, doing the job and things like that, I don’t feel too overwhelmed by that.”
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A press release from Apple TV+ notes, “The eight-episode season follows host Eugene Levy as he sets out to discover what the ‘ultimate travel bucket list’ is all about, and he gets a little help from a very special guest, the Prince of Wales.”
The Reluctant Traveler’s U.K. episode premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday, Oct. 3.
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