With his dashing beard, relaxed open-neck shirts and crisp white trainers, Prince William has definitely struck an image of a thoroughly modern royal. Increasingly standing out for his devotion to select causes close to his heart rather than hundreds of charity engagements, William is seemingly hitting his stride.

A leading royal commentator has recently lauded the Prince’s newfound confidence in a conversation with OK!, noting how he appears to be embracing his role with a certainty reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth II as he matures in life and rank. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond shared her insights on the Prince’s evolution with the magazine, saying: “William looks and sounds like a man who has found his place in life. He seems assured and confident in his role, both as a future King and as a happily married family man.”

She added, “I think he is clear in his own mind these days that he can justify his position in life by using his platform to try to make the world a better place. He’s proving that with his Earthshot project, his campaign to help the homeless and his work on mental health.”

“And that the same confidence is evident in his private life. Catherine’s battle with cancer has almost certainly brought them even closer together. If they needed a reminder, they now know only too well that life is short and every day is precious. It is delightful to see how openly loving William is around his wife: they adore one another and they are happy for the world to see it.”

The act of someone so senior in the Royal Family changing their approach following the passing of such an influential figure in their lives is not new as it is often said that Queen Elizabeth II’s altered parts of public persona following the passing of her mother in 2002.

Jennie explains: “You probably could draw a parallel with the way the late Queen loosened up after her mother died. There was always the feeling that things had to remain pretty much the same during the Queen Mother‘s lifetime – she was extremely conservative and no one wanted to shock her.”

“People say that the Queen would never have taken part in the James Bond skit at the Olympics, or the Paddington Bear sketch at the Platinum jubilee, if her mother had been alive. I suppose she felt there was no one to judge her, after the Queen Mother‘s death.”

Comparing him to the late Queen, Jennie suggests: “And perhaps there is something of that in William these days. Everyone was always in awe of the late Queen. I remember Harry once saying to some students that they shouldn’t worry about being nervous if they saw the Queen because that’s how everyone felt – including him. So perhaps William feels a bit freer these days to express his feelings and emotions publicly, which makes him all the more relatable.”

Jennie’s insights are supported by comments from the late royal commentator Christopher Warwick, who shared his thoughts with MyLondon News on how Queen Elizabeth II’s public persona evolved after the passing of The Queen Mother.

Speaking back in 2022, Christopher explained: “One thing is that as the Queen’s got older, she is referred to much more as ‘Her Majesty’ whereas she had always been known as the Queen when the Queen Mother was alive. I think that is a mark of greater respect, of almost reverence. The Queen herself is much more relaxed since the death of her mother and I cite two examples for this.”

“Had the Queen Mother still been alive, the Queen would never have done the Daniel Craig James Bond skit for The Olympics because Mummy wouldn’t have thought it was the right and proper thing to do. The other example is in Angela Kelly’s book where the Queen posed with her hand in her pockets – that would never have happened if Mummy had still been around.”

The Queen Mother captured hearts nationwide, earning affectionate nicknames like ‘The East Ender’s Angel’. Christopher revealed: “The public perception of the Queen Mother was of this little old lady in her crossover bodices, her floaty chiffons, her feathered hats but, as we all know, she was an iron fist in a velvet glove which is why, of course, the Queen was aware of what Mummy would have thought.”