EXCLUSIVEREBECCA ENGLISH: Yes, Prince William is thinner and has been showing the strain but he's in a better place now and being with him on this trip has been such a joy
At times of crisis you draw your loved ones closer.
Which explains why the Prince of Wales hasn’t left his family to go abroad since December last year.
During an unimaginably challenging ten months, during which both his wife and father have faced their respective cancer battles, William will have undoubtedly been to some dark places as a husband and son.
Indeed, yesterday he even described the last year as ‘bleak’.
On top of that he has had to protect his three young children as a ‘papa’ who could, at any sad turn, find himself acceding to the throne, thereby turning their relatively sheltered little lives upside down.
At times of crisis you draw your loved ones closer. Which explains why the Prince of Wales hasn’t left his family to go abroad since December last year
During an unimaginably challenging ten months, during which both his wife and father have faced their respective cancer battles, William will have undoubtedly been to some dark places as a husband and son
Yes, he is thinner, more drawn around the face. Noticeably so, in fact. The new lines and shadows make clear that the trials and tribulations of the last year have taken their toll
The Princess of Wales in September. William yesterday even described the last year as ‘bleak’
Which is why it has been such a joy to accompany him on his trip to South Africa this week.
Yes, he is thinner, more drawn around the face. Noticeably so, in fact.
The new lines and shadows make clear that the trials and tribulations of the last year have taken their toll.
But the prince has also been more animated, energised and, yes, even joyful than I have seen him for a very long time. It is clear he is still worried that his father is taking on too much and his ‘amazing’ wife is not, as she said herself, ‘out of the woods yet’.
In fact William almost sounded surprised when it was remarked on yesterday how relaxed he seemed.
But all that withstanding, he really does seem to be in a better place.
Whether hiking along Cape Town’s stunning Atlantic coastline or chatting intently about the environmental benefits of sustainable seaweed farming (it may surprise people to know seaweed is as big a passion project for him as his beloved Aston Villa!) there has been a renewed sense of self-confidence, an aura of assurance and a general sense of greater happiness that has been impossible to ignore.
Of course he’s deep in the weeds of something that fires him: his Earthshot Prize Awards.
The Prince of Wales has had a difficult year following Kate and the King's cancer diagnosis
I’ve always said that becoming a father changed William fundamentally, giving him the secure familial boundaries he had always craved
And the prince has been touched by the way in which Cape Town, not to mention the rest of Africa, has taken his ‘green Oscars’ to their hearts.
Four years in and the world is sitting up and taking this multi-million prize to develop the most positive solutions to the global environmental crisis seriously.
But it’s more than that. While William appears to be a man who has found his groove both as an innovator and heir to the throne – sitting far more comfortably in his royal skin than ever before – he’s one whose personal future seems far brighter than it has for a while.
He’s even had something of make-over, ditching the tried and trusted ‘chinos and crew-necked jumper combo’ so beloved of the country set for a stylish ‘eco-hipster’ look.
Recyclable white trainers, rugged eco-friendly over-shirts and even ties made from plastic bottles and jackets thrifted from vintage stores in London, have all been on display, along with his clearly here-to-stay stubble. And the most important accessory going? The adorable friendship bracelet bearing the word ‘Papa’ made for him by his nine-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte.
Despite the strictures of being brought up in the Royal Family, William is unashamedly a ‘girl dad’ – and he doesn’t care who knows it.
I’ve always said that becoming a father changed William fundamentally, giving him the secure familial boundaries he had always craved. And friends tell me he’s been talking non-stop about his children on the trip.
Whether hiking along Cape Town’s stunning Atlantic coastline or chatting intently about the environmental benefits of sustainable seaweed farming there has been a renewed sense of self-confidence
‘He’s in a very positive space,’ one assured me. ‘He has been talking about how funny and happy the children are. And he couldn’t be happier with Earthshot. He’s in a good place.’
This weekend the prince will be back in more formal mode as he joins his father and step-mother – and I understand, happily, his wife – for the weekend’s Remembrance events.
It’s a reminder after the fun and freedom of Africa of the ‘other’ side of his life.
But if the past week is anything to go by, William will approach it with a renewed spring in his step.
