Kate Middleton and Prince William just defied King Charles’ royal household tradition
It’s no secret that the Prince and Princess of Wales are doing things their own way as they prepare to take the British throne when their time comes.
From taking pictures with their supporters to posting regularly on social media and sharing personal parts of their lives with fans, Kate Middleton and Prince William have appealed to a Gen Z audience more than other members of the royal family.
Just this week, Kate stopped to take selfies with hospital staff and well-wishers in Colchester as she gave an update on her cancer journey - something that would have been discouraged by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
During a 2016 overseas tour of India and Bhutan, the couple even ditched their security to visit a children's homeless shelter solo.
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And now, the pair have swayed away from the norm once again and defied one of King Charles III’s royal household traditions.
Every year, the royal family releases the Sovereign Grant Report to the public, which simply breaks down their finances throughout the last 12 months, including the funding they'd been given by the UK Government.
It's reviewed every five years in a bid to ensure that the royals receive an 'appropriate' level of funding, as per the official legislation.
This year’s details were issued on July 1 and were published to the royals' official website, outlining their spending for the financial year 2024-25.
The time period covered is from April 2024 to March 2025, during which The King and The Princess of Wales began phased returns to public-facing duties following their respective treatments for cancer.
The report revealed that the grant remained level at £86.3 million for the fourth year in a row.
For those who aren’t aware, the Sovereign Grant is paid annually to the monarch by the government in order to fund the monarch's official duties, including royal engagements and travel costs.
The financial report detailed that members of the royal family undertook over 1,900 public engagements in the UK and overseas and revealed that the Royal Train will be decommissioned, ahead of the current contract expiring in March 2027.
However, there was one small detail that caught the attention of people as it shows how the Prince and Princess of Wales differ from King Charles and the rest of the royal family.
Kate and Will are seemingly being less transparent about their household staff, ending the level of disclosure previously set by Charles.
The King would make sure to include all the details when it comes to royal employees, including how many butlers, housekeepers, gardeners, and chefs were working for him.
But, the new report is quite the opposite and only reveals the total number of staff employed by William’s household, which is 68, leaving out the particular positions and particularities.
The Prince of Wales also chose not to disclose his personal tax bill, as reported by GB News.
It’s important to note that the couple have three young children and maybe want to keep some of their privacy intact before William eventually takes to the throne, hence why he’s not being as open as his dad has previously been.
Prince George is now 11-years- old, while Princess Charlotte is 10, and their youngest Prince Louis is seven.
The report also comes just as Kate opened up about her cancer treatment in a new public appearance at Colchester Hospital on Tuesday (2 July).
During the visit she spoke candidly about the emotional and physical 'post‑treatment phase', sharing that the process has been 'really, really difficult'.
"You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment's done, then it's like, 'I can crack on, get back to normal,' but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult," she explained.
"You're not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you're not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to," Kate continued.
"And actually, someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment, I think is really valuable."
Topics: Prince William, Kate Middleton, Royal Family, Gen Z, UK News
Madison Burgess