After his behavior in a viral video, fans wondered whether Prince William’s public persona and his natural self behind closed doors were the same.
The heir to the British throne was captured at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, cheering Wales on as they beat Italy 31-17 in the Six Nations rugby match.
“Why does he always look so miserable and rage-filled?” one commented on the viral clip.
Highlights
- Prince William was captured at the Principality Stadium during the Six Nations rugby match.
- He was seen cheering Wales and singing the Welsh national anthem.
- A viral clip from the match made netizens think he was getting “into character” for the camera.
- “I think he’s just talking to himself” one commented online.
Viewers wondered whether Prince William’s public persona and his natural self were the same after a viral video
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Prince William faced a fresh wave of scrutiny for his demeanor during the Six Nations rugby match on Saturday, March 14.
The 43-year-old prince attended the annual international tournament in his role as patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.
He was seen supporting the Welsh side, singing the Welsh national anthem, and cheering the players on from his seat.
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Some claimed he was captured getting “into character” when he realized the camera was on him.
He was then seen making conversation as the cameraperson continued to focus on him.
“Late entry for the #Oscars - gets straight into character the minute he spots the camera,” X user Brendan May wrote alongside the video.
Netizens claimed he was getting “into character” when he realized the camera was on him
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“All they seem to do now is attend sports fixtures. This is a job?” Brendan further asked in the comments section of his tweet.
Netizens piled on with their speculation, and some claimed the prince didn’t look like he wanted to be there to support the Welsh side.
“It's like he doesn't want to be there. The patron should be from the country,” one said, while another quipped, “He never looks in the direction of the camera.”
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“How pathetic…his eyes saw he was on camera, he was quick to start acting…Acting was on the agenda,” another wrote.
Others took a different tone with their comments, saying, “What a silly thing to say. That camera is about 60m away, at least, so it's unlikely to see them. Maybe the camera was on him, waiting for any motion.”
“I think he’s just talking to himself,” one commented online
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“If he sits there silently, he’s ‘stiff, bored, and out of touch.’ If he leans over to make a comment to a guest, he’s ‘performing for the cameras,’” another wrote.
“When every micro-expression is scrutinized, there is literally no ‘correct’ way to sit in a chair,” they added.
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Prince William took on the patronage of Welsh rugby in 2016. Meanwhile, his wife Kate Middleton became the patron of the Rugby Football Union in England in 2022.
This often puts the royal couple in friendly rivalry, with even their kids, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, taking part in the rugby fever.
Rugby has become “quite the thing in the house,” but “[I’m] trying to stay out of it,” Prince William once joked to the Sunday Times about the rivalry at home.
Prince William and his wife have a friendly rivalry over their competing rugby teams
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The Prince of Wales honored Mother’s Day in the UK on Sunday, with a post dedicated to his mother.
Sharing a childhood snap of him with Princess Diana in a field of flowers, the prince wrote: "Remembering my mother, today and every day.”
“Thinking of all those who are remembering someone they love today,” he added. “Happy Mother’s Day. W.”
While he continues to fulfill his royal duties, Prince William still carries a “great deal of sadness” over his fractured relationship with his brother Prince Harry, according to royal editor and biographer Russell Myers, whose new book William and Catherine, The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story was published on March 10.
Russell wrote about how both Prince William and Princess Diana were uncomfortable with the way the royal family would treat the “heir and spare,” as if they were “completely separate entities.”
While he carries on with royal duties, Prince William still carries a “great deal of sadness” over his brother, Prince Harry
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Prince William, the firstborn child and heir to the throne, would be put on a pedestal and given preferential treatment.
Meanwhile, younger siblings like Prince Harry would be treated as the “spare.”
Russell claimed that Princess Diana used to put her best efforts into changing the differential treatment of her two sons.
Prince William saw “fundamental problems with the different treatment he was given as a child to his brother” and believed it “wasn't healthy,” Russell wrote.
The author said he and Kate Middleton do not bring up their three children in the same way.
“The camera is on me now, I’ll ask a nonsense question,” one commented online
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