Prince William: Finding a role fit for a Prince

Courtiers are beginning the process of finding Prince William a future role as he begins the long wait for the throne. It is reported that on the completion of his military service William will go to work in the Foreign Office. Working as a civil servant in the FO is hardly glamorous work, but it is something which seems to suit William who in the past has worked short stints in office buildings in Central London. The first time as a teenager at Eton and later during his Gap Year and a third time after graduating from University.

Reports the Times, "The FO job will give him a grounding in the workings of departments which will one day act in his name. It is an ideal element in his continuing preparation for kingship. It could also be beneficial to constructive relations between the government and a future heir."

Although still unofficially confirmed Palace officials are said to be currently finalizing plans with the Foreign Office although he is not likely to start until 2009 after training with the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. William is said to be eager to go to work for the FO. The work is to condition and familiarize him with his future role as King. A role which he is not likely to inherit for many long years. This puts William (and his advisers) in the awkward position of finding him a position! Because William as the Prince of Wales eldest son has no official role in the monarchy although he is expected to fullfill certain duties and charity work. So what is the second in line to the Throne to do to fill the unknown amount of time between having no official role and having the highest role in the land?

Given his brother was not allowed to go to War in Iraq thereby putting his plans to be a career solider in jeopardy, it is even less likely that William will stay on in the Army after his commission ends. Friends of the Prince say it is unlikely that he ever planned to stay on for long anyway saying, "He is never going to be as committed to the army as his brother. At Eton the cadets were never a passion for him." If not making a career in the Military Prince William needs to being the long process of finding a useful (and hopefully personally fullfilling) role during what is likely to be a decades long wait to become King. In this he is not the first Prince to find himself in a state of suspension. During the 63 year reign of Queen Victoria her son and heir was heard to muse, "I don't mind praying to the eternal Father but I must be the only man in the country afflicted with an eternal mother."

Recently plans to install William as Australia's Governor General were refused by Australian Prime Minister John Howard who prefers a born Australian to fill the position of representing the Queen in Australia. Said the Prime Minister, "I do think the practice of having a person who is an Australian in every way and a long-term and permanent resident of this country is a practice I would not like to see altered."

The Republican opposition leader MP Kevin Rudd to a less serious approach to the suggestion saying that having the young British Prince as Governor General would lead to just "party, party, party". Although many Australian Monarchists agree with the Prime Minister's idea that the position of Governor General should be filled by an Australian they were annoyed by the Republican opposition leader's comment calling it disrespectful. However there are those in Australia who think it would be a good role for William saying that the fact William will one day be their King makes him perfect for the role as well as lending a little spice to the position. The group Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, which lead the successful 1999 referendum campaign to retain the monarchy, said, "The appointment of Prince William would be very popular and attract international attention."

Prince William was said to be hoping to be given the role and is disappointed by the decision to block it. If he had been given the role he would have lived and worked in Australia spending his time between the G-G's two official residencies in Government House in Canberra and Admiralty House in Sydney when not preforming official functions elsewhere in Australia. His formidable responsibilities would have included appointing ministers and judges, dissolving Parliament, giving Royal Assent to legislation, issuing writs for elections and bestowing honours. He would have also been the President of the Executive Council, Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Forces and act as vice-regal representative to the Australian Capital Territory as well as serving in ceremonial roles throughout Australia. A weighty task certainly! And arguably perhaps not well suited for such a young man with little experience in politics and law--Australian or otherwise.

The role of Governor General was also presented and refused to make Prince Charles the Governor General in the 1980s. The last (and only) British Prince to hold the position of Australian Governor General was HRH Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester who served from 1945 to 1947.

With courtiers saying William will not be taking on a large amount of Royal Duties until the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 William has some years to fill--more or less--as he chooses. It remains to be seen wether he will suffer the same pit falls of the many heirs to the throne before him who were accused of laziness (and worse) while waiting to become King. Prince Charles is one of the few heirs who has largely escaped this accusation given his widespread involvement in numerous charities and programs many of which he created himself.

Until William starts taking on the predictable round of royal duties he still has a chance to follow his own interests and it will be a clever adviser indeed who can find a role for him which will not only reflect his interest but also prepear him for Kingship. It may well be William's last chance to answer the "what if" question posed to him by Matt Lauer when he was asked what he'd do with his life if he were not a Prince. William answered, "I don't know. It's a really tricky question. It goes through my head lots. I'd like to fly helicopters, definitely. I'd like to be some sort of heli pilot, you know, working for the UN maybe or something like that. Go off and do some, you know, I'd have to be doing something active, outside and doing sort of fun stuff but with an edge to helping people."