Why Prince William Is Unlikely to Leave the U.K. While King Charles Is in Australia

"That might not be wise at this particular juncture."

King Charles and Prince William pose while wears matching blue, red and white ties
(Image credit: KIN CHEUNG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

King Charles is currently on a royal tour of Australia and Samoa with his wife, Queen Camilla. However, don't expect Prince William to be jetting off anywhere while his father is out of the country.

Prince William's children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—are enjoying a two-week break from school over Halloween. While William and wife Princess Kate could technically take their kids on vacation, the Prince of Wales apparently takes his duty as the heir apparent very seriously.

Editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, Ingrid Seward, explained the reason Prince William won't want to travel outside of the U.K. until King Charles returns. "I suspect they will be in Norfolk rather than Mustique as the King is out of the country," Seward told The Sun's Fabulous of Kate and William. "William is a counsellor of state so needs to be in the U.K. when his father is not around."

King Charles and Prince William laugh while walking together wearing suits and matching ties

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

In 2022, Princess Anne and Prince Edward also became counsellors of state, meaning that they are able to stand in for King Charles when he's away. As a result, there are members of the royal family other than William who can handle official matters while Charles is away.

"So strictly William does not have to be here if they are," Seward told the outlet. "He could go abroad but [that] might not be wise at this particular juncture."

The Royal Family's official website also lists Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, and Prince Andrew as counsellors of state who can step in for Charles. For now, at least, it seems likely that William will remain in the U.K. until Charles returns home, though.

Mike Tindall, a former rugby player who is married to Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, recently opened up about Princess Kate and Prince William's appearance on his podcast.

In an excerpt from his book, The Good, the Bad & the Rugby—Unleashed, serialized in the Daily Mail, Tindall explained, "They came across as down-to-earth, fully engaged, funny and knowledgeable." He continued, "It was a far more enlightening chat than I expected, not because I thought they’d be dull (I already knew that they weren’t) but because I know how everything to do with the royal family is so carefully controlled."

He also teased, "I think the podcast humanized them a little bit, and I kind of wish they’d let us put the uncut version out, because it would have blown the public away."

Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.