Prince William Will Be the ‘Toughest Ruler' the Royal Family ‘Has Ever Seen' as He Clashes With King Charles
They've both been going about their business as usual. In the past few months, King Charles and Prince William carried out packed schedules — making official visits to Italy and Estonia, respectively, with William also filling in for his father at the pope's funeral in Rome in April — while occasionally crossing paths for events like Commonwealth Day in March. But William and Princess Kate Middleton's decision to skip a private Easter celebration with the rest of the royals raised eyebrows, with many reports suggesting that the king defied his son's wishes by inviting Charles' scandal-plagued brother Prince Andrew.
A week later, Meghan Markle's continued usage of the HRH title caused a fuss, with the Daily Beast reporting that an 'enraged' William would put a stop to such insolence when he's king — and that a too-complacent Charles has 'lost control.'
There's no doubt William has been flexing his muscles, especially in the wake of Charles' cancer diagnosis. 'William's voice and influence have become louder and more pronounced in recent years,' former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively tells In Touch. 'He is now very much the king in waiting, and his views of how the monarchy should adapt and evolve are being listened to.' And while some insiders insist father and son simply have opposing opinions on how to handle certain hot-button issues, others claim the royal rift goes much deeper — and a tense battle over the crown is underway. As Omid Scobie wrote in his 2023 book, Endgame, the 'brewing power struggle between the favored prince and the unpopular king is Shakespearean — a familial tug-of-war waged both onstage and off that has the potential to unravel the monarchical tapestry.'
Their ideas about managing wayward royals are at the heart of the conflict. 'I believe William was a significant voice in how Prince Harry and Meghan should be treated, and also in how his uncle, Andrew, should be dealt with,' Bond tells In Touch, acknowledging that Charles, 76, may be more forgiving on both counts. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams agrees that William's approach to Harry has 'hardened considerably after the way the Sussexes have attacked the royal family' and tells In Touch that Charles has 'a certain empathy' for his little brother 'which William does not share.'
Charles has even reportedly sided with Andrew over William in the past. In Endgame, Scobie suggested that William, 42, was 'irked' by how Charles and Andrew manipulated Queen Elizabeth II into firing a trusted aide back in 2017, removing the one person who many courtiers believed could have handled Megxit in 2020 without destroying the family. 'It may be that the King regrets' that decision in hindsight, agrees Fitzwilliams.
And yet by many accounts, the scheming behind palace walls continued. Scobie also alleged in Endgame that Charles, 'jealous of Harry's popularity with the media and William's preferred status in the Firm, has been known to turn a blind eye while aides leak details about his sons to the press,' and the 'tussle for the spotlight has only heightened since Charles became king.' Harry made similar claims in Spare, and Scobie has pointed out that the scandals stirred up by headlines detract from the real story 'that's sort of playing out under our noses,' he told Business Insider in 2023. 'I've really noticed this kind of growing divide between Charles and William.'
Their goals are not necessarily aligned. 'Their style is different, so are their ages. William will want a changed monarchy which appeals in the future in a different way,' Fitzwiliams tells In Touch. Compared to his father, William is already said to be 'more diplomatic' says Fitzwilliams, and 'informal,' says Bond. The one person who's caught in the middle? Princess Kate, 43. 'She is solution-focused and is certainly the glue' that holds William and Charles together when they don't 'see eye-to-eye,' royal broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News earlier this year, while royal author Robert Jobson called her a 'stabilizing influence' on William in his 2024 book, Catherine, the Princess of Wales. Most insiders agree that she's helped William prioritize family over duty, which will likely continue when they become king and queen.
And while Bond insists he's in no rush to formally take the throne, William has started making plans. He famously told reporters last year that he wanted to put 'a smaller 'r' in the Royal.' Behind the scenes, he's already taking charge, a royal insider recently told In Touch. 'As soon as Charles bestowed more responsibility on him, William seized the opportunity to make decisions that he feels will benefit the Crown,' said the insider, adding that he's focused on 'trimming the fat' and monitoring spending like never before. 'The word is he's already on his way to being the toughest ruler the family has ever seen.'
Charles knows that most people — even at the palace — are eagerly anticipating William's reign, which only 'adds insult to injury,' Scobie wrote in Endgame, in which he quotes a source as saying that even William sees his father as a 'transitional monarch, paving the way for his arrival.'
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Boston Globe
7 hours ago
- Boston Globe
William Cran, ‘Frontline' documentarian, is dead at 79
He began his career with the BBC, but he mostly worked as an independent producer, toggling between jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. He was most closely associated with WGBH's 'Frontline,' for which he produced 20 documentaries on a wide range of subjects -- some historical, like the four-part series 'From Jesus to Christ' (1998) and 'The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover' (1993), and some focused on current events, including 'Who's Afraid of Rupert Murdoch' (1995). Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up He won a slew of honors, including four Emmys, four duPont-Columbia University awards, two Peabodys, and an Overseas Press Club Award. Advertisement In 1986, he produced 'The Story of English,' an Emmy-winning nine-episode series for the BBC and PBS about how English became the world's dominant language. He, with journalists Robert MacNeil, the PBS news anchor, and Robert McCrum, turned it into a book. Mr. Cran produced two multipart documentaries based on books by historian Daniel Yergin: 'The Prize' (1990), a Pulitzer-winning history of oil, and 'The Commanding Heights' (1998, with Joseph Stanislaw), about the history of the modern global economy. Advertisement These were complicated stories, but Mr. Cran was able to frame them around characters and narrative threads that kept viewers engaged over several nights. 'I learned from him that less is more, that the script is not a shortened version of the book, but rather captions to go with the picture,' Yergin wrote in an email. 'He always stuck to the facts, but he always wanted dramatic tension.' Both documentaries were well-received, despite their potentially dry material. 'Using every familiar element of the documentarian's art, producer-director William Cran has created a masterpiece,' The Washington Post wrote of 'The Commanding Heights.' William Cran was born Dec. 11, 1945, in Hobart, on the island state of Tasmania, Australia. His mother, Jean (Holliday) Cran, was a teacher, and his father, John, was a science lecturer. The family moved to London when William was 6. He studied classics at Oxford, and though he knew early on that he wanted to make documentaries, he also dabbled in theater, directing two plays in London. After graduating in 1968, he became a trainee at the BBC, where he rose to producer, using then-novel techniques such as reconstructed scenes, and pursuing new genres including true crime. One early documentary was '1971 Luton Postmaster Murder,' about two men who were wrongly convicted of killing a British postmaster. But Mr. Cran grew tired of being what he called a 'company man,' and left the BBC after eight years. He moved to Toronto in 1976, becoming a senior producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.'s investigative news program 'The Fifth Estate.' Two years later, David Fanning, an executive at WGBH in Boston, reached out to him about a documentary program he was creating called 'World.' Advertisement Mr. Cran flew to Boston for a meeting -- and got stuck in the blizzard of 1978. While holed up at Fanning's home, the two cooked up an idea for Mr. Cran's first documentary for the program, 'Chachaji: My Poor Relation,' a story of modern India told through the family of writer Ved Mehta. 'What was particular about Bill is that each one of his films is different,' Fanning said in an interview, adding, 'He would do these surprising things. He would say: 'I think I want to build a set. I want to build a bedroom in the studio.'' 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The four-part series built a case that Hoover, who led the agency (and its forerunner) from 1924 to 1972, potentially made concessions to organized crime and other groups to avoid public disclosures of his gay relationships. Advertisement 'Our investigation found that this master of political blackmail was wide open to blackmail himself,' Mr. Cran said. 'There is overwhelming evidence that the mob knew it had nothing to fear from Hoover's FBI.' One of Mr. Cran's most historically expansive documentaries, the series 'From Jesus to Christ' (1998), took shape after Fanning met with a WGBH producer, Marilyn Mellowes, who was working on a documentary to bring more cultural and political context to the life of Jesus and the New Testament. Fanning agreed to bring aboard additional resources, including Mr. Cran as a senior producer and director. 'We make no judgment about faith, and we make no judgments about divinity,' Fanning told journalists. The documentary framed the life of Jesus in the wider realities of Roman-controlled Galilee, described by scholars as a center of Jewish resistance and activism. Jesus, meanwhile, was not raised amid a pastoral idyll - as portrayed in some accounts - but mingled with people from across the Roman world and was probably well aware of the political foment around him, the documentary suggested. Mr. Cran's first marriage, to Araminta Wordsworth, ended in divorce. His second wife, Stephanie Tepper, who worked with him as a producer on several films, died in 1997. His third wife, Polly Bide, died in 2003. He married Vicki Barker, a CBS journalist, in 2014. She survives him, as do three daughters from his second marriage, Jessica, Rebecca and Chloe Cran; his sister, Vicki Donovan; and a granddaughter. Many of Mr. Cran's films continue to be watched. 'Two months ago,' Yergin said, 'I was walking up Madison Avenue and someone -- out of the blue, startled to see me -- stopped me to say that watching 'Commanding Heights' had changed his life.' Advertisement Material from The Washington Post was used in this obituary.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
After reading 'murders and fitba' on STV Shereen Nanjiani never strayed from Scotland
AH, Shereen. Ye ken who we mean. The People's Shereen. Household name an' a' that. Household first name indeed. Shereen Nanjiani used to read the 'murders and fitba'' news on Scotland Today at teatime. Then she went on to present current affairs radio programmes for the BBC. Until last week, that is, when she announced that, after 19 years, she was leaving to 'explore new adventures' and, er, enjoy a nice lie-in. Ach well, she certainly deserves it. Worked hard but it paid off, as she came to be 'much loved', as every newspaper profile acknowledges, on account of everyone finding her warm, nice and trustworthy. One imagines that's what everyone thought on 4 October 1961 when she was born in Elderslie, in the sunshine state of Renfrewshire. She cut her broadcasting teeth on Hospital Radio Paisley in the late 1970s, reading local news cuttings gathered during the week. After graduating from Glesga Yoonie, where she studied philosophy – makes you think, doesn't it? – she became a trainee journalist with STV in 1983, at the age of 22. However, hardly had she got her Biro out of her pocket than she was asked to present the evening bulletin after the regular presenter, Sheena McDonald, called in sick. 'I was aghast and immediately said I couldn't possibly do it,' she told The Herald in 2017. 'This was the main news programme, the big one, with a million viewers.' However, her boss told her reassuringly: 'Don't worry, if you f*** it up you won't be doing it again.' She didn't flip it up. In fact, she was a natural. And she loved it. Live TV: what a buzz! 'It really was a baptism of fire,' she recalled. 'I still hadn't had any training when I started doing the job for real – but I surprised myself how much I enjoyed it.' (Image: Yui Mok) MAKING THE NEWS SOON, she was appointed joint anchor of the main evening programme, and that was her for the next 20 years, reading all the news fit to blurt, as happy families gathered sociably in front of the television. She was Scotland's first Asian-heritage newsreader and, at first, was not chuffed at the channel's press releases majoring on that. 'I remember thinking, 'Oh, is that what you're seeing?' I was quite upset about it. I … wondered whether that was why I got the job. I thought it reeked of tokenism. 'I actually believe I did get the job on my own merits, but I thought it was a bit cynical of them to present me in that way. I spent much of my career railing against it, not wanting that tag to follow me around. And, of course, I was only half-Asian.' However, her feelings on the issue changed when she realised she'd become a role model for a whole generation of Asian Scots. 'So many young Asian people were coming up to me and saying, 'You've no idea what a difference it made seeing your face on TV.'' Of course, she suffered from imposter syndrome. Every genuine professional does. Anyone who doesn't suffer from imposter syndrome is an imposter. Shereen went on to present many programmes for STV, including religious affairs series Eikon, documentary series Secret Scotland, and a number of live debates and election programmes. She also hosted many of The Herald's Scottish Politician of the Year awards. At STV, she covered Lockerbie, Dunblane and the new Scottish Parliament. She also reported from Romanian orphanages after the fall of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, from South Africa after the election of Nelson Mandela, and from Pakistan after the 9/11 terror attacks. However, after 20 years of presenting in the studio, she told The Herald, 'it was beginning to feel like Groundhog Day and I just wasn't enjoying it so much'. READ MORE: Robert McNeil: I detest yon Romans but I dig excavating their wee fortlets RAB MCNEIL'S SCOTTISH ICONS: John Knox – the fiery preacher whose pal got burnt at the stake Rab McNeil: All this talk about celebs and their neuroses is getting on my nerves GAGA FOR RADIO IN 2006, along with colleagues Jane Lewis and Sarah Heaney, she accepted voluntary redundancy from STV She was looking forward to other exciting projects away from live television, she said. This turned out to be live radio, and it was on the BBC, hitherto her rivals. Nanjiani helmed, as they say, Radio Scotland's Friday lunchtime programme, Scotland Live. She then went on to present Shereen, a live news and current affairs programme broadcast every Sunday morning with a 'lively panel' of commentators, a guest in the headlines, and reviews of the latest TV and streaming releases. Last weekend, having by now earned the double-edged adjective 'legendary' (it hints of both achievement and, er, maturity), she announced she was stepping away from the mic. For noo. She said she'd loved being part of BBC Radio Scotland, where she'd made so many good friends. 'They made me laugh and they made me think' – see, that old philosophy degree was not a total waste of time, after all – 'and it's always been a joy to come to work in the morning.' However, she felt now was the time to 'get my weekends back again, have a lie in, and explore new adventures'. BBC Radio Scotland commissioning editor Heather Kane Darling said it had been a pleasure to work with Shereen over the last 19 years, adding: 'I know our teams will miss working with her, and we thank her for her professionalism and dedication during her time with us.' Outwith her professional career, Shereen has undertaken several voluntary sector roles, including Ambassador for St Vincent's Hospice, Children's Hearing panel member, Tron Theatre board member and chair, and National Theatre of Scotland board member. COPPING LAUGHS SHE once appeared as herself in a memorable episode of BBC police spoof comedy Scot Squad, in which she tried – and failed – to present a harassed Officer Karen with a certificate declaring her one of Scotland's community heroes. The first comment under the relevant YouTube clip reads: 'SHEREEN!!!! LEGEND!!!' My understanding is that the number of exclamation marks indicates the strength of emphasis. In 2019, Shereen was invited to join the British Empire, receiving an MBE at Buckingham Palace from Charles, Prince and later King of England and the Other Bits. 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Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Prince William's Hottest Photos Over the Years
For anyone who has been following the royal family for decades, Prince William has grown up before the public's eyes. His tiny debut as the second in line to the throne began on the steps of St. Mary's Hospital in London on June 21, 1982, with Princess Diana proudly (but shyly) sharing her firstborn child with the world as Prince Charles adoringly looked on. The new dad quipped to the press at the time, 'He has the good fortune not to look like me,' per People. Over the years, the Duke of Cambridge became a teen heartthrob and many young adults rushed to get their applications in at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland when they heard he would be attending. Who wouldn't want the opportunity to date a prince? But of course, he met his match in Kate Middleton, who won his heart over pretty quickly — even if they started as just friends. Previously, a study was conducted, per Pubity, that claimed William was 'declared the sexiest man alive,' specifically named the 'sexiest bald man of the year.' In honor of that, let's take a look back at all of his hottest moments as a royal — from a student to a father. He's a military man, an avid sports enthusiast, and he knows how to charm women of all ages during official visits. And as he reminded us all with his bicep-flashing vaccine photo earlier this year, the man is a verified hunk. The Duke of Cambridge has come into his own as a senior royal and he's now embracing the role that has been laid out for him since the moment he was born. Check out these sexy snaps from his last year at Eton College to the family man he is today, and let your thirst for the elder royal brother wash over you. A version of this article was originally published in June 2021. More from SheKnows Prince William & Prince Harry's Life in Photos, From Prep School Playmates to Feuding Royals Best of SheKnows Amanda Bynes, & More Celebrities Who Joined OnlyFans Over the Years Every Woman Prince William Was Rumored To Have Dated Before Marrying Kate Middleton 17 Movies & TV Shows That Educate About the History of American Slavery Prince William is known for many things, including his love for skiing. He's been skiing for decades, as seen with his papa in 2004. He and Kate Middleton have also taken his kids skiing since they both are obsessed with it, per Hello Magazine. During his time at St. Andrews University, Prince William originally enrolled to study Art History but quickly changed it to Geography, per Hello. The teen heartthrob was the apple of everyone's eye. Everyone, from the paparazzi to his fellow classmates, wanted to know more about Prince William. According to Hello! Magazine, William's University friends would use the code name 'Steve' when referring to him to avoid unwanted attention. Prince William loves the great outdoors and everything to do with hands-on activities. According to Reader's Digest, he's an avid surfer and has been to multiple surfing charity events over the years. After taking a gap year, Prince William went to college at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, which saw a 44% rise in applications after they knew the royal was attending. Prince William has always had a soft spot for children. Like his mother Princess Diana, he frequently visits children's hospitals to see the children in need. Prince William and Prince Harry organized a 10th anniversary memorial for their mother, Princess Diana, at the Guards' Chapel in London. They will again honor her legacy with a commissioned statue unveiling on July 1, 2021. It's no secret that Prince William is an Aston Villa football fan (soccer to those of us in the U.S.), so sharing his love of the game with students at St. Aidans primary school in Blackburn was no surprise. He's now president of The Football Association, and we've even seen Prince George at a few matches. Military careers are very common in the royal family and Prince William served in both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. This was a training session for his two-month attachment with the Royal Navy at Britannia Royal Naval College in 2008. The couple got engaged in Kenya in October 2010, but waited until November to make the official announcement. They posed for the media at St. James's Palace in London with Prince William looking lovingly at his future bride, Kate Middleton. Queen Elizabeth was a proud grandmother when she made an official visit to the Royal Air Force while Prince Wiliam was serving. He was on active duty as a flight lieutenant, and then as a helicopter pilot from 2009 until 2013. Prince William and Kate shared a smooch on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after their wedding in London, England, on Friday, April 29, 2011. It was a fairy-tale day for the couple as the entire world watched them get married. Shortly after their wedding, Prince William and Kate enjoyed a U.S. tour that included a fancy night out on the town at the BAFTA Brits to Watch dinner in Los Angeles. A prince always looks good in a tux and his bride looked stunning in a lavender evening gown accented with a sparkling silver belt. Prince William does have an interest in medicine as the president of the Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust. In his charitable work, he was able to observe a breast reconstruction surgery on a patient to see how the NHS is helping U.K. citizens. Prince William is known as a 'defensive' and 'controlled' polo player, according to Hello. Polo is known as the 'sport of kings,' so the field is the perfect place for the Duke of Cambridge to hone his monarchy skills. The Trooping of the Colour honors the Queen's birthday every year, but 2013 was a special year. Not only did Prince George steal the show, but the royals also proudly dressed in their military uniforms and watched the Royal Air Force flow over Buckingham Palace. Despite the current family feud, this photo shows a happier time in the royal family as the brothers came together on Prince Harry's wedding day to Meghan Markle. They both look sharp in their uniforms as they make their way to Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018. If there's one thing that comes with his senior royal role, it's honoring traditions of the monarchy. On June 17, 2019, Dutch, Spanish and British royals gathered for the Garter service, the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry, at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. The Royal Box at Wimbledon has been around since 1922 and can hold up to 74 guests and dress code is described as 'smart,' per the official event website. Prince William last attended in 2019 when he watched the men's singles final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. There's nothing sweeter than mom and dad taking the kids to their first day of school at Thomas's Battersea Prep School in London. Prince George and Prince Charlotte got the best escorts to kick of a brand new school year in 2019. Prince William got to kick back and have some fun with Kate after speaking to small business owners in the tourism industry, who were affected by the pandemic. After the visit, the couple played a competitive round of carnival games on Barry Island in South Wales. Like his gorgeous wife Kate Middleton, Prince William always arrives in style, often rocking sleek looks for red carpet events. He looked particularly dashing at the 2020 BAFTAs. While they are supposed to stay neutral when it comes to politics, the royals do take the time to greet world leaders like they recently did at the G7 summit. Prince William and Kate enjoyed the company of President Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte at the Eden Project in Cornwall, England. Prince William looked quite regal during the St. Patrick's Day Parade in 2022. Back in 2016, during the same parade celebration, he broke royal protocol by handing out gifts, per GoodtoKnow. This century-long tradition was usually done by female royals, but like his mother Princess Diana, William wanted to do it his way to help people. When the royals wear casual wear, they always look so good. During their Caribbean tour in 2022, Prince William and Kate Middleton looked like something out of an action movie while sightseeing throughout Belieze. Prince William was full of pride and passion when he was delivering his speech at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. We loved his loving speech to his grandmother, discussing how they share a love for the environment and optimism.
