Commentary: Now William may have to forfeit day job to build on success

 
Robert Jobson19 November 2012

It is no great shock that Prince William tops the royal popularity poll. He is young, compassionate and appeals to a wide section of the British public.

He is also part of the most famous double act in the world right now following his marriage to Kate.

Added to this he has at last started to do more official duties interacting with the public as well as doing his day job as a search and rescue pilot.

It is a surprise to me, however, that he pipped his grandmother to the top spot, especially as our poll comes at the end of her Diamond Jubilee year.

Perhaps the poll shows that after all the pomp and ceremony and flag-waving, people are now looking to the future and to a different type of monarchy, less stuffy, more hands on, more all-encompassing.

Also I believe that the princes — for so long known as “the boys” — have grown into their royal roles and become men with real purpose. No longer are William or Harry in the shadow of their mother. Her life and death is consigned to history.

Her sons, her legacy, are now very much continuing the royal story. Kate’s lower ranking suggests what many have been saying, she has made a good start but still has more to do.

She is still finding her feet and will have to do more engagements and embrace more charities to win hearts and minds.

The fact that Charles and Camilla rank way down the list will not concern them unduly. As I witnessed on their tour of Australia and New Zealand, they are just happy to do their bit for Queen and country.

Polls, while watched avidly by courtiers, are not monitored with any great intensity by members of the royal family themselves.

They are, after all, not politicians whose career and livelihood depend on the electorate. They are an intrinsic part of our system of constitutional democracy.

William and Kate are undoubtedly the future. They will spearhead a modern monarchy. But there will be no fiddling with the line of succession to match the findings of this exclusive poll, or any other polls.

What it does suggest is that if the Palace mandarins want the monarchy to continue in its present popularity, William will have to do more public engagements. Perhaps his beloved job as an RAF pilot may have to be forfeited for royal duty.

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