The Prince and Princess of Wales are not particularly fond of royal tours abroad. One author has noted that William and Catherine do not even look forward to them, preferring to stay closer to home.
In a heartbreaking twist, Prince William is scheduled to visit France at the last minute tomorrow at the request of the British government. He will attend the opening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, five years after a fire nearly destroyed it. Donald Trump will also be in attendance, as Prince William represents King Charles and the government. Several heads of state, including US President-elect Donald Trump, have accepted French President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to attend the ceremony. Notre Dame has been undergoing renovations since April 2019, following a fire that devastated the cathedral’s oak roof beams and supporting structure.
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This visit is the first time in five years that Prince William has met the president-elect. Their last meeting was in 2019 during Trump’s state visit to the UK, hosted by the late Queen. Author Tina Brown explains that William and Catherine dislike royal trips abroad, not just because of the travel or busy schedules but because it disrupts their family life. Being away from their children is especially difficult, cutting into what William calls “me time.”
The Welsh family currently lives at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor with their three children. Their most recent major royal tour was in spring 2022, followed by shorter trips to Boston in late 2022 and Jordan in June 2023. In March 2022, they embarked on an eight-day tour for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, visiting Jamaica and the Bahamas. The trip aimed to present a modern image of the monarchy in a region where republican views are growing.
However, the couple returned to Britain amid accelerated talk of replacing the Queen as head of state. Despite many cheerful photos and videos, the trip was ultimately seen as a public relations failure. The British royal family is making subtle but significant adjustments to its approach, shifting away from traditional ribbon-cutting ceremonies to more socially relevant causes. Members of the royal family, including Prince William, King Charles III, Princess Catherine and Queen Camilla, are aligning themselves with a variety of social causes they support.
According to royal writer Rihan Mills, Prince William stated during his tour to South Africa that he intends to focus on impactful royal tasks. This year, he has highlighted homelessness and mental health, while other senior royals have backed a variety of causes: Catherine has focused on projects for young children, Camilla has worked to combat domestic abuse, and Charles has raised awareness of food waste and poverty on his birthday.
