Prince William is positioning himself as ‘the People’s Prince’ and wants to be seen as a ‘recognisable royal prince like Princess Diana’, a royal expert has claimed.
The Prince of Wales, 42, sent royal fans wild on Friday when he was spotted ‘daddy dancing’ along to Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off during the Eras Tour at Wembley.
The royal’s appearance at the sold-out show came just one day after he put on an animated display during England’s Euro match against Denmark in Frankfurt.
Speaking to FEMAIL, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said William is ‘brilliant’ at balancing the ‘formal and informal’ aspects of his role – just like his late mother.
The expert said: ‘The monarchy is often associated with formal events because of its traditions and its place in our unwritten constitution.
Pictured: Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte pose for a selfie with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce before her first show in London on Friday evening
‘Yet it is crucial that royals avoid an image that is too distant and formal. Diana brilliantly carved out her own niche with her amazing charity work and despite personal misfortune, she became iconic.
“People felt they could identify with her and in an unprecedented way the nation showed this when she died.”
Highlighting how the Prince of Wales appears to be following in his mother’s footsteps, Richard continued: ‘William has clearly shown that he can combine the formal and informal brilliantly.
“He can stand in for his father at a D-Day commemoration and visit British troops on the border with Ukraine, as well as pose for a selfie with two of his children, taken by iconic singer Taylor Swift at Wembley, and ‘dance'” to her catchy lyrics during her concert at Wembley Stadium.’
Commenting on the backstage photo with Taylor and his children, the expert said the move will “rejuvenate his image” among younger royal fans and called William the “people’s prince.”
Moreover, the expert also emphasized that William’s love for football makes him “more relatable.”
Richard said: “As president of the FA, William, sometimes alongside George, is a supportive presence. Recent official photos of him are also wonderfully relaxed.’
Pictured: Prince William gave an animated show during England’s Euro match against Denmark in Frankfurt on Thursday evening
According to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, Prince William will follow in the footsteps of his mother Princess Diana and become the ‘people’s prince’. In the photo: the late royal in June 1997
The expert highlighted how these more ‘informal’ public appearances will help William in the long run, adding: ‘When people feel like you’re a more recognizable royal, it’s easier to get across more serious messages, like Diana , in her charity campaigns, has been evident.’
The late Princess of Wales was dubbed the ‘people’s princess’ by former Prime Minister Tony Blair as he gave a speech in honor of the royal family outside 10 Downing Street on the day of her tragic death.
During her lifetime, Princess Diana raised awareness of the AIDS epidemic and the fight against homelessness was another cause close to her heart. Showing her creative side, Diana also delighted the Royal Opera House attendants in 1985 when she took to the stage to dance along to Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl.
Over the years, Kate Middleton has been dubbed the ‘child princess’ by royal fans thanks to her warm approach to young people and her ‘Early Years’ project, which aims to give generations of children the best start in life.
After footage emerged of William’s lavish dancing at the Taylor Swift show, royal fans claimed the selfies with Taylor were ‘throwing shade’ at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan reportedly attended a Taylor Swift concert at the same arena in LA the month before, although no selfies with Swift have surfaced.
Additionally, Taylor also reportedly “rejected a handwritten invitation from Meghan Markle” to appear on her Spotify podcast.
The footage of William dancing seemed very different from Harry’s behavior when he and wife Meghan Markle attended Beyonce’s performance at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles last September.
While the Duchess of Sussex appeared to enjoy the show, Harry appeared dejected and often looked at his phone instead of the stage.