Melania Trump, Prince Andrew, Gwendolyn Beck and Jeffrey Epstein at a party at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, in 2000. Photo / Getty Images
Prince William and Princess Kate are primed to bring fresh ideas to The Firm, according to royal reporters.
For the first time in more than 60 years, Britain has a new Prince and Princess of Wales as announced by King Charles III in his first address.
According to Daily Mail royal editor Rebecca English, Prince William, the new heir to the throne following the Queen's death at 96, has a clear plan on how he'll approach his role.
The future King will bring his passion for mental health awareness, homelessness support and advocacy for climate change action to the forefront, while remaining "very hands-on" and wishing to be defined by "a sense of optimism", according to sources.
He'll also endeavour to help his father keep the royal family's recent scandals at bay — no longer dwelling on his feud with Prince Harry, and ensuring disgraced Prince Andrew doesn't succeed in his hopes for a comeback.
William to keep Prince Andrew 'blocked' from duty
William certainly has no intention of allowing Prince Andrew to return to duty, despite his apparent longing to get back to royal life.
The disgraced Duke, 62, was somewhat protected by his mother before her passing, with reports Charles and William lobbied the Queen to ensure he was kept away from the public eye.
"Frankly, he would have pushed for things to have happened a lot faster than they did, just like (King Charles) would have if they could have operated freely. But it was complicated with the Queen and her son," a source now tells the Daily Mail.
In July, it was reported Andrew asked Queen Elizabeth II to return his patronages and his HRH title before she died.
He lost his titles amid the highly damaging alleged sexual abuse case brought against him by Virginia Giuffre, 38, which led to a multi million dollar payout — believed to have come, in some part, from the Queen – in February.
Andrew was given a brief return to royal life on March 29 this year as he escorted his mother into Westminster Abbey for the service of thanksgiving for the life of his father Prince Philip.
The Duke of York was reportedly "confident" he could make a comeback with the Queen by his side. Now, Charles and William will be far too aware of public backlash and damage to the monarchy if he was ever invited back to seniority.
Following the Queen's devoted footsteps
Insiders say William — who only recently emerged in throwback photos on a raucous night out with his now-wife Kate — is embarking on the role with a renewed sense of duty following his devoted grandmother's death.
"The duke was incredibly close to his grandmother, he looked up to her like no one else," they told the Daily Mail.
"And that service and duty that she epitomised is something that will very much be a characteristic of his future role."
Another source said: "The mechanisms have been in place for a long time but his head is in the right place now too … A couple of years ago I think it's fair to say he wouldn't have been ready. He is now."
The source added that while his well-reported feud with Prince Harry was once an area of great concern, and "a lot of time, energy and emotion was spent on his brother" from 2019 onwards, he is now laser focused on his career as a working senior royal.
While "painful," the source added, he is "thinking about the future".
William to focus on the Earthshot Prize
In particular, William has spent time carefully "future-proofing" his charitable empire, the Royal Foundation, ahead of his new appointment, to ensure his major climate change project, the Earthshot Prize, is able to operate independently without his scrupulous involvement.
"He believes that as Prince of Wales he can continue to make a significant contribution, particularly in the area of housing and homelessness," a friend of the 40-year-old said.
"He knows he needs to tread carefully but he won't be silent. He's inherited a lot of his father's campaigning zeal.
"He shares his father's willingness to speak if there's something he believes in for the long term. The Prince of Wales was ridiculed for his views on climate change and look at him now. William wants to bring that to his own work," they said, adding that while the royal doesn't wish to "court controversy" he "is not afraid of taking risks".
Another friend told the Daily Mail that William and Kate will bring "a sense of optimism" to their roles.
"(William) thinks that is the essence of the job of the Royal Family. He and Catherine both feel there's not a lot of optimism in public life and it can feel pretty dreary at times.
"There are some incredible people in our country doing amazing things and they believe it's their job to counter pessimism and highlight the good."
Kate compared to Princess Diana
Kate's title of Princess of Wales is the first time it has been used since the death of William's mother Diana in 1997.
It is one which Camilla opted not to use due to its popular association with Diana.
Kate, however, "wants to create her own path," according to sources.
"The new Princess of Wales appreciates the history associated with this role but will understandably want to look to the future as she creates her own path."
The two women have similarities in their approach to royal life.
Like Diana, Kate is popular with the public, bringing a natural informality to royal events such as sitting on the floor to chat with children and hugging fans.
Kate's focus as Princess of Wales will continue on issues such as early learning and mental health, like her husband.