King Charles is one of the least popular monarchs in living memory. There aren’t a ton of those for comparison, either.
Even if he surrounds himself with sycophants and toadies, he has to know this. And, according to one report, he does.
Though Prince William isn’t exactly universally beloved, he’s more popular than his infamous dad.
And a new report by a royal author says that Charles is downright envious, feeling that William is “stealing his limelight.” Messy!
For nearly three-quarters of a century, Charles waited to ascend the throne. His mother’s lifespan became the topic of many jokes.
Then, just over one year ago, Queen Elizabeth II passed away. Now, Charles III is living out what people assume are his twilight years as England’s very expensive mascot.
But though Charles is in charge (symbolically), he will never outmatch his mother’s legacy. And his son, William, stands to have a longer and likely more popular reign than Charles could hope for.
Most Americans might not think that much of William if they think of him at all. Most people do like Kate, however.
In the UK, on the other hand, William is more popular than Charles. And Princess Catherine is more popular, stil.
The Daily Express reports that the king feels “very jealous” over his living son overshadowing him nearly as much as his late mother.
The Daily Beast columnist and royal author Clive Irving refers to Charles’ perception of WIlliam “stealing his limelight.”
However, it looks like they’re getting along as well as they can …. for now.
As Irving notes, “the king-in-waiting is stealing some of the incumbent’s thunder.”
“They worked out a kind of accommodation of how much limelight each is going to be allowed,” Irving shared.
He explained that this is “because Charles is always very jealous of the other people stealing his limelight.”
Irving added: “He’s worked out a deal now, whereby Wiliam and Kate can have an allotted percentage of the limelight.”
Irving estimates that, when it comes to dividing publicity: “maybe 40 percent [for William and Catherine] and he keeps 60 percent. That seems to be the working arrangement.”
Meanwhile, about three-quarters of Brits view William and Kate favorably. That’s the highest of any members of their family.
Perhaps it’s because they’re “young” (relatively) and still receiving a sympathy boost after the queen’s passing. Or maybe people are comparing them to Charles.
Simon Delott
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