“His Absences Have Not Gone Unnoticed”: Questions Raised Over Prince William’s Royal Workload

Prince William may be widely regarded as a devoted husband and father, but criticism continues to emerge regarding the amount of time he dedicates to official royal responsibilities. Royal commentator and author Norman Baker has reignited the debate, arguing that the Prince of Wales carries out significantly fewer public engagements than many other senior members of the Royal Family.

In comments made to the Daily Mail, Baker highlighted statistics suggesting that William’s public workload falls well below that of his father, King Charles III, and his aunt, Princess Anne. According to the figures cited, between January 1 and June 15 of this year, Prince William attended 57 official engagements. By comparison, King Charles, despite ongoing health concerns and being more than three decades older, completed 76 engagements during the same period. Princess Anne, who has long been regarded as one of the monarchy’s hardest-working members, reportedly carried out 100 engagements.

Baker, whose 2019 book And What Do You Do? What the Royal Family Don’t Want You to Know examined royal finances and operations, suggested that William is rarely the first choice when organizations seek royal representation.

“If someone is hoping to have a senior royal attend an event or perform a ceremonial opening, Prince William is often not the person who appears,” Baker argued.

According to him, this pattern is not limited to 2025. He pointed to official engagement figures from the previous year, noting that Princess Anne completed 474 public duties in 2024, while King Charles attended 372. Both totals averaged more than one engagement per day. William, by contrast, reportedly carried out only 166 public engagements throughout the year, equating to fewer than one event every two days.

Baker also emphasized what he described as William’s noticeable absence from several high-profile royal occasions. One example frequently cited by royal observers was the Easter service held at St George’s Chapel in Windsor in 2025. The event saw most senior members of the Royal Family gather publicly, yet William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were absent.

He further questioned why William did not represent the monarchy at the funeral of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Given King Charles’s health situation, which reportedly limited his ability to undertake long-distance travel, some observers expected the heir to the throne to attend on behalf of the Royal Family.

Reports at the time suggested that William declined the trip because it coincided with Princess Catherine’s 43rd birthday. Instead, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, who is much further down the line of succession, represented the monarchy at the event.

Baker argued that while William has repeatedly stressed the importance of prioritizing family life, there remains a legitimate question about whether the future king can consistently reduce his public commitments to the extent that he has.

“Putting family first is admirable,” Baker suggested. “However, it raises questions about how much flexibility an heir to the throne truly has when it comes to stepping back from public duties.”

The author also challenged the notion that William’s lighter schedule reflects a lack of available time. Since inheriting control of the Duchy of Cornwall following Charles’s accession to the throne, William has reportedly become deeply involved in overseeing the estate’s operations.

According to Baker, William maintains regular communication with Duchy staff through phone calls, text messages, and WhatsApp conversations, often contacting employees even during weekends. He is also said to require detailed weekly reports from senior officials overseeing the Duchy’s activities.

Supporters of the Prince of Wales have described this involvement as evidence of his commitment to modernizing the estate and ensuring it operates responsibly. However, Baker remains skeptical of that interpretation.

He argued that much of the public messaging surrounding William’s management of the Duchy portrays his involvement as primarily driven by social and environmental concerns. Yet Baker pointed out that one of William’s earliest actions was reportedly the establishment of an investment committee designed to increase the Duchy’s profitability.

According to his analysis, many of the individuals appointed to leadership positions within the organization have backgrounds in property development, finance, and investment banking. For Baker, this suggests that William’s focus is directed as much toward financial performance as broader social goals.

As a result, Baker offered a sharp assessment of the prince’s priorities. In his view, William appears reluctant when it comes to carrying out traditional royal engagements but highly engaged when overseeing the financial affairs associated with his private estate.

The criticism echoes comments made by other royal observers. In 2025, several experts interviewed by The New York Times discussed William’s public role and evolving approach to royal work.

Royal historian Ed Owens acknowledged that William has occasionally been labeled “workshy” by critics. However, Owens argued that the prince appears increasingly focused on larger, high-profile initiatives that attract substantial media attention rather than undertaking a high volume of routine engagements.

Owens contrasted William’s style with that of King Charles, who has continued to maintain a demanding public schedule despite health challenges. According to some royal watchers, Charles’s determination to remain active reflects either a strong recovery or a recognition that his time as monarch may be more limited than originally expected.

Despite criticism surrounding his workload, Prince William remains one of the most popular members of the Royal Family, particularly in the United States.

A YouGov survey conducted for The Times found that 63 percent of American adults hold a favorable view of William, while only 10 percent view him negatively. This made him the highest-rated living royal in the survey.

His younger brother, Prince Harry, also performed relatively well, receiving positive ratings from 56 percent of respondents and negative ratings from 21 percent.

The most popular royal figure overall was their late mother, Princess Diana. Nearly three decades after her death in 1997, Diana continued to enjoy extraordinary public affection, with 79 percent of respondents expressing a positive opinion and only 4 percent holding a negative view.

Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022, ranked second overall. The late monarch achieved a favorable rating of 73 percent, compared with just 8 percent unfavorable.

William therefore ranked third overall, followed by Harry in fourth place.

The survey also revealed that Harry was viewed more favorably by Americans than his sister-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales. Catherine received a positive rating of 49 percent and a negative rating of 6 percent.

King Charles III recorded similar positive numbers, with 48 percent of respondents expressing a favorable opinion. However, his negative rating was significantly higher at 27 percent.

Meghan Markle, despite being the only American-born individual included in the rankings, scored lower than William, Harry, Catherine, and Charles. She received positive ratings from 41 percent of respondents and negative ratings from 25 percent.

Princess Anne and Prince Edward recorded identical positive ratings of 38 percent, although Edward’s unfavorable rating was slightly higher.

At the bottom of the rankings were Queen Camilla and Prince Andrew. Both received substantially more mixed reactions from the public, with Camilla recording a 26 percent positive rating and a 33 percent negative rating. Prince Andrew, whose reputation has been severely damaged by controversy in recent years, received similarly poor results.

While critics continue to debate Prince William’s commitment to public duties, public opinion remains largely supportive. Nevertheless, questions surrounding his balance between family life, estate management, and royal responsibilities are likely to remain a recurring topic as he moves closer to eventually becoming king.