Will Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Royal Duties Change Now That They’re the Only Working Royals of Their Generation?

Prince William and Kate Middleton are two of the royal family’s most important members. But together, alongside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the four of them had been carrying out royal duties on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.

However, Harry and Meghan recently announced their departure from the family. With that, they will no longer serve the queen. But how will this affect William and Kate’s jobs as working royals?

Harry and Meghan originally wanted to continue to serve the queen

When Harry and Meghan first told the world they were stepping down, they wanted to split their time between the United Kingdom and North America. With this, they would be able to continue to serve the queen.

Once the two were in the thick of their exit, though, they realized that their want for financial independence (one of the reasons they chose to leave) meant they would no longer be able to work on behalf of Harry’s grandmother. The public essentially pays for the royals to be royals, and without receiving public funding, Harry said it wasn’t feasible for the two to continue their royal duties.

William and Kate’s Instagram page has been more active than ever

Since Harry and Meghan’s recent departure, the Kensington Instagram account has become even more active. Last year, it wouldn’t be odd for the Cambridges to go two or three days without posting to the account. But since Harry and Meghan have left, William and Kate have been posting more than ever — often more than once per day. It’s unclear if the reason has to do with Harry and Meghan leaving, but it wouldn’t be surprising if that were the case.

They will likely step up their royal duties in some capacity

Though Buckingham Palace has not made any kind of official announcement on how the royal family will shift now that Harry and Meghan are gone, it wouldn’t be surprising if William and Kate took on new duties in some capacity. The two are already third in line for the throne, but so many royal engagements on their Instagram account could be the palace’s way of dealing with the fallout of Harry and Meghan — and it could mean that William and Kate’s jobs are about to become even more intense.

It’s unclear if the queen will announce new working royals 

Harry and Meghan were doing a lot of charitable work for the royal family before their departure. The couple completed a massive tour of Africa, among many other things, in 2019. Now that they’re no longer with the family professionally, it’s unclear if the queen will ask two new royals to step up.

Eventually, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will become working royals, but they are far too young right now. In order to balance the work load, the queen might suggest the current royals take on more engagements. Or, she could appoint other family members, such as Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, to the senior royal status. Right now, nothing is set in stone, but the family will need to find its way after this major change.