Author and royal expert Penny Junor spoke to Express.co.uk about Prince William and whether he ever felt the same sentiment as his brother Prince Harry to leave the Royal Family. It was claimed by Prince Harry that William and Charles feel “trapped” in the institution with many reports stating Prince William was a “reluctant royal” when he was younger. However, Ms Junor says while William may have had wavering thoughts in his youth it was during a trip to New Zealand in 2011 on behalf of the Queen that she believes his opinions changed.
Ms Junor told Express.co.uk: “In [Prince William’s] mid-20s, I think it was when there was a disaster in New Zealand and he went to work to represent the Queen.
“And he realised that by being there, just because of who he was, he was making a difference there.
“People were feeling comforted by that and I think at that point he recognised that he had a responsibility to use that position to make life better for people.”
In 2011, when Prince William was 28, the royal visited New Zealand after an earthquake caused a huge disaster for much of the Christchurch population.
More than 160 people died from the earthquake as Prince William visited rescue teams and spoke to victims.
Prince William also visited the country in 2019 after the Christchurch shooting and offered whatever support he could to families and locals affected.
Ms Junor added that Prince William lived a fairly normal life while he was growing up and was not strongly involved…
