Prince William ‘Didn’t Really Want to Be King’ However He Has Now ‘Grown Into the Role’ After Kate Helped Him

Even though Prince William initially didn't want to be King of England, Duchess Kate helped him grow into the role. Prince Harry, sixth in the line of succession to the throne, offered to be King instead of William.

The end of an era is coming: Prince Charles is expected to become King of England when Queen Elizabeth dies. Prince William is second in line, but he didn't always want to be King.

Princess Diana reportedly talked to a friend about her oldest son's thoughts on the role when he was younger. Luckily, his wife Kate helped him accept his future, but he needed a long time.

GROWING UP AS A PRINCE

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, has been dealing with the pressure of being second in line to the British throne since he was born in June 1982.

He is also the first child of Princess Diana, the most beloved member in the Royal family's history, so William became a celebrity the second Diana announced her pregnancy.

Such a vital fate comes with many privileges, but he has also faced media scrutiny, tragedies, and heartbreaks. Diana knew that could happen, and she prepared him and his younger brother, Prince Harry, to live in the real world.

She would take them on public transportation and make them visit orphanages, hospitals, and homeless shelters to help them learn about life outside Kensington Palace.

Diana supposedly told British broadcaster Jeremy Paxman that William didn't want [to be King] when he was younger.

The first significant hardship in William's life came at ten years old: Diana and Prince Charles separated. Former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond revealed William comforted his mother when Diana was supposed to look after him.

It wasn't surprising, though, because William always tried to protect his mother. Diana's biographer Andrew Morton pointed out that William once told her he wanted to be a policeman when he grew up to "look after" the People's Princess.

Harry, who already knew about his and William's destinies, chimed in and said that was impossible because William had to be King. Still, William served with the Army and the Royal Airforce and trained with the Navy.

DEALING WITH DIANA'S DEATH

William's life took a tragic turn at 15 when Diana passed away in a car crash in Paris in 1997. He was at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, when he learned about her passing. He confessed that Scotland was the source of some of his happiest memories and the saddest. William added:

"['Mummy' is] now really just a word – hollow and evoking only memories. […] life is altered as you know it, and not a day goes past without you thinking about the one you have lost."

A few years after losing his mom, William went to college at St. Andrew's University, where he met his future wife, Kate Middleton. Unlike Harry and Meghan Markle, who married shortly after their relationship went public, William and Kate had a long journey.

They would run into each other on their way to class, and since they both studied art history, they developed a beautiful friendship. Kate and William bonded over their shared love for skiing, and he realized she was special as soon as they met.

However, they didn't start dating right away. One year into Kate and William's friendship, they moved into an off-campus apartment with two more friends where he tried to impress her to no avail.

Kate and William's romance began a few months after moving together, but media outlets confirmed it in March 2004 when they were photographed skiing together in the Swiss Alps.

PARTING WAYS BRIEFLY

The couple kept dating after graduating from college in 2005 and were frequently spotted together at charity events and some London hotspots.

In early 2007, they parted ways. William was finishing his military pilot training, and Kate was working in London. William admitted they were very young and trying to find themselves. He added:

"It was very much trying to find our own way, and we were growing up, and so it was just sort of a bit of space and a bit of things like that, and it worked out for the better."

In 2010, after dating for about six years, William proposed and gave Kate a sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring that Diana previously owned.

He popped the question during a holiday in Kenya. Since they talked about marriage before, it was not a huge surprise. Still, he made it memorable by taking her to a nice spot in the African country. They married on April 29, 2011.

[William] has already developed a few plans to modernize the monarchy.

Nowadays, William and Kate are raising three children. Prince George, the eldest, was born on July 22, 2013. He is third in the line of succession to the British throne, so he is expected to be King one day.

Princess Charlotte joined the family on May 2, 2015. She has a sassy personality and is drawn to the arts. Prince Louis is the youngest, and he was born on April 23, 2018.

Although William loves being a father of three, he doesn't want to enlarge his family even more. He once told Kate not to get "any ideas" about having more kids.

ACCEPTING HIS FUTURE ROLE

It is important to remark that a large portion of young Britons want William to be King over Prince Charles. However, he needed time to embrace his destiny.

Diana supposedly told British broadcaster Jeremy Paxman that William didn't want the role when he was younger. A young Harry offered to take the job if his older brother didn't.

William has matured so much that he has finally embraced his responsibility as future King of England, and Kate has helped him in "different ways" to accept his role. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward admitted the couple is getting prepared to step to the throne every day.

Kate is also ready to become Queen Consort and support her husband when the time comes. A Royal family friend pointed out that she was "perfect" for the job, especially because she is a focused and professional woman who becomes more impressive over time.

MODERNIZING THE MONARCHY

Although William still has to wait years to be King, he has already developed a few plans to modernize the monarchy and be more relatable while respecting protocols and traditions.

One of the things William already accepted was that being in the spotlight is part of the job. Still, he and Kate created a balance of being in the public eye while keeping a sense of mystery.

Moving to a corner of Berkshire to start a quiet life in the country is part of the plans to maintain that balance. They consider it is the perfect place to raise their three children.

Apart from that, they would be closer to Kate's parents and the Queen, meaning that they are getting ready to take on more responsibilities as Royal family members. Way to go!