Is Prince William ‘Controlling’ and ‘Standoffish’ In Person?

When we think of Prince William we think of the smiling, easy-going future king of England. But could it be that this royal with the beautiful wife and adorable children isn’t anywhere near as nice as we think he is?

Here’s why some people who have met William in person aren’t using the best adjectives to describe what he’s like.

Prince William is described as ‘controlling’ and ‘standoffish’

Some journalists and royal experts are opening up about what Prince William is really like in person and the reviews of the duke are not good.

The documentary Reinventing the Royals interviewed several correspondents about Prince William and Kate Middleton’s first major public engagement in Australia in 2014 and their impressions of William weren’t great.

Daily Telegraph Australia columnist Sarrah Le Marquand claimed that the Duke of Cambridge was “very standoffish” in character.

“[He is] not quite the warm and fuzzy character that maybe some of the people lining up in the streets think he is,” she explained. “For all of his easy-going façade, Prince William is obviously a very controlling character.”

ITN royal correspondent Tim Ewart also revealed details about the visit and claimed William and Middleton refused to acknowledge him.

“These are the first people I’ve ever covered who will not speak to me at all,” he said. “More than that, the people who represent them will brief me about their movements, about where I can go and where I stand, but they won’t tell me anything about what these people think.”

Other journalists apparently “weren’t so comfortable” around the couple either.

Reason for the tense relationship

The documentary did note that there may be an underlying reason for William’s “standoffish” attitude towards members of the media and it could have to do with his mother, the late Princess Diana.

One of the most complicated relationships the royals have is with the press. The family has argued time and time again that their privacy is invaded far too often.

In 1994, Prince Charles was photographed in the buff while vacationing in France, and years after that the paparazzi snapped a picture of the Duchess of Cambridge sunbathing without a top on. But the deepest wounds go back to Princess Diana and how the press constantly hounded and chased her around to her death in 1997. And these days because of the 24-hour media cycle, there is even more of a lens on the family which William is very mindful of.

William is still one of the most popular royals

Despite these claims, William remains of the most popular royals so much so that much of the British public has long requested that the crown pass over his father and go directly to him. In fact, according to an Ipsos MORI poll done in 2018, Prince William was voted the favorite royal by 62%.

When it comes to favorable opinions and impressions of the royals though his brother, Prince Harry, had a slight edge over him with 87% of the vote compared to William’s 83%.

Read more: Why Prince Harry Doesn’t Smile Much Anymore

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