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· collected 2026-08-06 · by Stephanie Nolasco, Ashley Papa
Prince William has faced criticism for being "work-shy", but a royal expert claims he is actually running the monarchy like a CEO, prioritizing his family and key engagements over tradition. Dan Wakeford of Celebrity Intelligence says William sets boundaries to protect his family's privacy and mental health, rather than being lazy or uninterested in royal duties. The number of working royals has decreased significantly in recent years, with Prince Andrew stepping back from public duties in 2019 and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaving their roles as working royals in 2020. According to Wakeford, William's strategy is paying off, with him remaining extremely popular among the public despite criticism of his approach.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Prince William has been branded "work-shy" for years, but one royal expert says the heir to the British throne is quietly executing a CEO-style strategy designed to secure the monarchy's future.
asserted
heir → brand → future
Dan Wakeford, founder of Celebrity Intelligence, told Fox News Digital that the father of three isn't fazed by critics as he continues to prioritize his family while placing less emphasis on tradition and more on key engagements aimed at strengthening the institution.
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he → tell → institution
"William is extremely good at setting boundaries and not working during the holidays, protecting his kids’ privacy and his wife’s mental health," said Wakeford.
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Wakeford → set → privacy
Some critics snipe at that and think that he’s ‘work-shy’ or a little bit lazy.
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he → snipe → that
But I think William is working more like a CEO and being very strategic with his time.
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William → think → time
"
"He studies the monarchy in a way to help make it survive and keeps a boundary around his real life and his relationships so that he doesn’t get burned out, and he can do the best job possible," Wakeford shared.
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Wakeford → study → job
"And the poll numbers show that he’s extremely popular, and he’s doing a good job."
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he → show → job
The royal family’s working ranks have grown increasingly slimmed down in recent years.
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ranks → work → years
In 2019, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor stepped back from public duties following a disastrous televised interview in which he attempted to explain his friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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he → step → Epstein
He lost his title of prince and other honors in 2025.
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He → lose → 2025
In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, made their exit as working royals and moved to California.
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Harry → make → California
While King Charles has maintained a full schedule, he continues to undergo cancer treatment.
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he → maintain → treatment
WATCH: PRINCE WILLIAM'S BOUNDARIES ARE STRENGTHENING THE MONARCHY:
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BOUNDARIES → watch → MONARCHY
EXPERT
Catherine Mayer, author of "Divide & Rule," previously told People magazine that the senior royals "are all stretched thin — and none of them are young," adding that "William and Catherine carry the whole thing."
"William is the very antithesis of 'work-shy,'" Christopher Andersen, author of "Kate!" told Fox News Digital.
"The Prince and Princess of Wales want to make a real impact by raising awareness of mental health, cancer research and other causes they're prioritizing," Andersen said.
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Andersen → divide → health
"Does William want to be the first king to run the monarchy like a CEO?
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William → want → CEO
Well, it's been called 'The Firm' for decades, hasn't it?
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it → call → decades
The royal family is worth billions, including extensive prime real estate holdings.
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family → include → holdings
To say it should be taken seriously as a business enterprise is a colossal understatement.
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it → say → enterprise
William has long faced criticism for taking on fewer engagements than other senior royals, earning the "work-shy" label.
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William → face → label
Last year, The Sunday Times reported that Princess Anne wanted her nephew to take on more "bread-and-butter" engagements as he prepares for the throne, citing unnamed sources close to the princess.
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he → report → princess
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment at the time.
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Digital → reach → time
Journalist Emily Andrews previously reported that William once confronted her about an article she wrote titled "Work Shy Wills."
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Work → report → article
According to Andrews, William told her there were "a lot of things we hadn't seen behind the scenes."
uncertain
we → accord → scenes
"Princess Anne will always do more engagements," British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
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Chard → do → Digital
"That’s her job.
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That → ’ → ?
But William has the monarch’s permission to prioritize his young family.
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William → have → family
"Preparing to run the monarchy like a CEO doesn’t mean less work.
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Preparing → prepare → work
It means different work.
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It → mean → work
We’re getting 10-year projects.
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We → get → projects
We’re talking about big goals, big partnerships and measurable, real outcomes.
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We → talk → goals
"King Charles is like the custodian," Chard continued.
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Chard → continue → custodian
"His mission is to preserve and consider a slimmed-down monarchy.
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mission → preserve → monarchy
Prince William, the strategist, is making the monarchy indispensable for the next 50 years.
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monarchy → make → years
The traditional charity work is not going anywhere.
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work → go → ?
Charities still need royal visits to raise money and profile.
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Charities → need → money
Wakeford noted that William's workload cannot be judged solely by the number of public appearances he makes.
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he → note → appearances
The royal family's website says the Prince of Wales carries out official duties in support of the king while overseeing charitable projects in Britain and abroad.
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Prince → say → Britain
He leads long-term initiatives, including Homewards and the Earthshot Prize.
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He → lead → Homewards
He's also responsible for leading the Duchy of Cornwall.
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He → lead → Cornwall
The Times also reported that William plans to sell about 20% of the Duchy of Cornwall's estate over the next decade to help fund housing, environmental and renewable energy projects.
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William → report → projects
…and 15 more, not listed.
