Prince William is already thinking about the kind of monarch he wants to be — and the world he hopes his son, Prince George, will inherit.
In the third season of Eugene Levy’s Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler, the Prince of Wales, 43, sits down for a candid conversation with the actor and comedian, reflecting on his future role and the evolution of the monarchy.
Levy recalls how, as a child, he watched Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation — a historic moment that sparked his fascination with the royal family. That memory sets the stage for a direct question: “You will one day be king of England. Do you think about that at all?”
“It’s not something I wake up in the morning and think about,” William replies. “Because to me, being authentic and being myself and being genuine is what drives me. You can attach whatever labels or roles that come on top of that, but if I’m not true to myself, and I’m not true to what I stand for and believe in, then it doesn’t really matter who you are — it gets lost.”
The heir to the throne says that while he takes his responsibilities seriously, he tries not to let them define him. “You don’t feel they own you — you have to own them,” he adds.
When Levy turns the conversation toward William’s eldest son, asking whether he ever thinks about George eventually becoming king, William pauses before answering.
“It’s an interesting question, and it’s a big question,” he says thoughtfully. “Obviously, I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do — a world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better.”
He also makes a subtle reference to the challenges he and Prince Harry faced growing up in the public eye. “That is caveated with, I hope we don’t go back to some of the practices in the past that Harry and I had to grow up in — and I’ll do everything I can to make sure we don’t regress in that situation.”
Asked whether his reign will steer the monarchy in a “slightly different direction,” William doesn’t hesitate.
“I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda — change for good. And I embrace that,” he says. “That’s the bit that excites me, the idea of being able to bring some change. Not overly radical change, but changes that I think need to happen.”
According to Apple TV+, the new eight-episode season of The Reluctant Traveler follows Levy as he explores what makes the “ultimate travel bucket list” — and gets a little help from the Prince of Wales himself.
The U.K. episode featuring Prince William premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday, October 3, with new episodes released weekly.