Prince William is planning a major monarchy shake-up

But one day, he will wear the crown as Head of State, representing an institution that stretches back almost a thousand years. He will be expected to fully devote his life to duty and the service of his 15 realms and territories. The monarchy's very survival, however, also depends on the character and resilience of future generations.

Prince William's emphasis on family, it appears, could be part of his strategy to future-proof the Royal Family. During the course of the one-hour episode of The Reluctant Traveler on Apple TV+, Prince William is clear that he will change the monarchy when he ascends the throne.

"I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda. Change for good. And I embrace that and I enjoy that change - I don’t fear it. That’s the bit that excites me, is the idea of being able to bring some change. Not overly radical change, but changes that I think need to happen." The question is, how much "not overly radical change" will we see under the future King William V?

"I think it’s very important that tradition stays," he tells Canadian actor Eugene Levy, "but there’s also points where you look at tradition and go, is that still fit for purpose today? Is that still the right thing to do? Are we still doing and having the most impact we could be having? So, I like to question things is what I’m really getting at."

So, how safe are grand British traditions like Trooping the Colour, Coronations, and royal weddings? Before you panic, I have it on very good authority that the Prince of Wales plans to have a Coronation when the time comes and, yes, he will be wearing a crown.

However, it is expected to look a little different from his father's Coronation - just as His Majesty's differed from Queen Elizabeth II's. Trooping the Colour and similar occasions are also safe, but it is unclear if William will try to scale down or alter the pomp and pageantry to appear more in touch with his subjects. This could run the risk of upsetting traditionalists and paying tourists.

As Duke of Cornwall, Prince William has already enacted major changes to his 688-year-old Duchy of Cornwall estate, inherited from King Charles in 2022. Following backlash over charging rent for public organisations, His Royal Highness ordered the waiving of rent for grassroots organisations, and offered up to 50 per cent discounts for other local charities. His "era of deep change" also aims to end ancient restrictions on land ownership in certain areas, and prioritise social impact and community well-being.

Could a future King William demand similar reforms to the Duchy of Lancaster and the running of the Royal Household? The size of the institution could become a focus for William; the 2024 - 2025 Sovereign Grant paid 539 staff salaries - an increase of £2million from the previous financial year.

Therefore, it is possible the Prince of Wales could be considering cutting the number of royal staff; sources remain tight-lipped on this. In a cost-of-living crisis, valets and full-time footmen may appear outdated in a modern monarchy.

Devout monarchists, however, will likely argue that all traditions are part of the institution's unique selling point on the international stage, keeping Great Britain firmly on the map. Prince William is still only heir to the throne, but choosing to talk about his plan for change is an opportunity for him and his team to assess the public mood before he's propelled into the top job.

Public opinion could influence how much change the future King plans to carry out when the time comes. Prince William has not specifically set out his plans for how he intends to run the monarchy, but his comments have opened the doors to speculation.

The transition between the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III was relatively smooth, and not much has changed when it comes to the day-to-day running of the monarchy. However, the Prince of Wales is of a different generation - raised in a completely different way to his father and grandmother. At the same time, he is raising his own children in a far more stable household than he and Prince Harry were brought up in.

"The most important thing in my life is family, and everything is about the future and about if you don’t start the children off now with a happy, healthy, stable home, I feel you’re setting them up for a bit of a hard time and a fall."

The Prince and Princess of Wales try to schedule most of their engagements when their children are at school, meaning they can do the school run and spend time with them during the holidays. Although some brand Prince William "work shy" for doing this, it's possible to argue that the focus on children's wellbeing will strengthen the monarchy in the long run.

"My parents got divorced...You take that and you learn from it and you try and make sure you don’t do the same mistakes as your parents. I think we all try and do that, and I just want to do what’s best for my children, but I know that the drama and the stress when you’re small really affects you when you're older." This appears to be a subtle dig at how the institution used to approach marriages: unions for duty, rather than love.

Prince William, now providing a loving household alongside Catherine, appears to be giving his three children as normal a life as possible. This could mean the royal children are also far better prepared for an adult life in the spotlight and better equipped to handle the media.

Prince William said: "[The media] wanted every bit of detail they could absorb [when he was growing up], and they were in everything, literally everywhere. They would know things, they’d be everywhere. And if you let that creep in, the damage it can do to your family life is something that I vowed would never happen to my family."

Prince William's strategy to prioritise his loved ones could be his attempt to avoid future scandals. Prince Harry's troubled childhood, for example, partly motivated him to air his grievances in a published memoir and a number of media interviews.

The heir to the throne clearly has a different strategy than his brother used to have: "You have to work with the media, they’re all there. So, you have to have a grown-up sort of situation with it as well. It’s about knowing where the line is and what you’re willing to put up with."

So, why has Prince William decided to take part in an extended interview about the future of the monarchy in 2025? I understand the episode was filmed in February, so the timings would have been carefully planned out over a number of months.

His father, King Charles, still undergoes a weekly cycle of cancer treatment, but there is no suggestion that his health is significantly declining. One day, however, it is inevitable Prince William will ascend the throne - when that happens, I suspect the monarchy will receive its biggest shake-up in centuries.