Prince William rattles across Windsor Castle’s soft gravel paths on an electric scooter — his go-to mode of transportation on castle grounds.
William, who is the successor to the British throne, rode his scooter to the entrance of Windsor Castle, where he met actor Eugene Levy for a rare, candid interview touching on his personal life and intentions to change the monarchy.
He’s not afraid to embrace a little modernity, such as riding an electric scooter across the nearly 1,000-year-old Windsor estate.
“If you’re not careful, history can be a real weight and an anchor around you, and you can feel suffocated by it and restricted by it,” William told Levy during a lengthy appearance on the actor’s reality series, “The Reluctant Traveler.”
Levy, the host of “The Reluctant Traveler,” is known for his comedic roles in the sitcom “Schitt’s Creek” and the film series “American Pie.”
“If you’re too intrinsically attached to history, you can’t possibly have any flexibility, because you worry that the chess pieces move too much, and therefore, no change will happen,” William continued. “And I like a little bit of change.”
The prince added that tradition still plays an essential role, but noted it is useful to examine traditions and decide if they are still making a valuable impact.
During the 40-minute episode, William took Levy on a tour of Windsor Castle, which he clarified is not his residence, but a place to work and hold meetings. He shared stories of his childhood, experiences raising his own three children and other light topics.
The pair closed their visit at the nearby Two Brewers pub, where William spoke candidly on his future role as king and the impact illness has had on his family — both his wife, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and his father, King Charles III, underwent treatments for cancer last year.
Levy leaves just one sensitive topic untouched — the state of William’s fractured relationship with his brother, Prince Harry.
Here are some of the biggest reveals from William’s interview with Levy.
‘Change is on my agenda’
For a second time during their visit, Prince William spoke with Levy on how comfortable he feels with change.
“It’s safe to say that change is on my agenda. Change for good. And I embrace that,” William said. “I enjoy that change. I don’t fear it.”
“That’s the bit that excites me is the idea of being able to bring some change,” he added. “Not overly radical change, but changes that I think need to happen.”
Still, his future role as monarch is not “something I wake up in the morning and think about,” William said earlier during his conversation with Levy.
He prefers to set his focus on something more important. “If I’m not true to myself and I’m not true to to what I stand for and believe in, then kind of it doesn’t really matter who you are,” he said.
William did not specify what sorts of changes he has in mind as the future monarch, but hopes to leave an impression on his own son, Prince George, who is second in line to the throne.
“I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do, a world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better.”
The impact of Kate’s cancer
When asked how his wife, Kate, is recovering post-cancer, William said “things are good” and “progressing in the right way.”
Kate announced in January that her cancer had gone into remission, months after the Princess of Wales revealed she had completed her chemotherapy cancer treatments.
It’s been over a year since Kate underwent a “planned abdominal surgery,” which led to doctors detecting and diagnosing her cancer in early 2024.
Since her diagnosis, Kate has maintained a minimal public profile and is gradually returning to royal duties.
“I’d say 2024 was the hardest year that I’ve ever had,” William said. “It’s important my family feel protected and have the space to process a lot of the stuff that’s gone on last year, and that was tricky trying to do that and keep doing the job.”
“But you know, we all have challenges that come our way, and it’s important to keep going.”
Levy also asked how Kate’s illness has impacted her and William’s three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.
“Everyone has their own coping mechanisms for these sorts of things, and children are constantly learning and adapting,” William said. “We try to make sure we give them the security and the safety that they need.”
He continued, “We’re a very open family, so we talk about things that bother us, and things that trouble us, but you never quite know the knock-on effects that it can have. And so, it’s just important to be there for each other and to kind of reassure the children that everything is OK.”
He is willing to ‘fight against’ media
One of the tougher aspects of being part of the royal family is the “scrutiny” and “speculation” from the media, William said.
He said that while his parents were young, he watched the destructive impact of “intrusive” and “insatiable” media in their lives.
“You let that creep in, the damage it can do to your family life is something that I vowed would never happen to my family,” William said.
“I take a very strong line about where I think that line is, and those who overstep it, you know I’ll fight against.”
William closed his conversation with Levy with a brief reflection on the last year.
“Life is sent to test us,” William concluded. “And it definitely can be challenging at times, and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are.”
“I’m so proud of my wife and my father for how they’ve handled all of last year. My children have managed brilliantly as well.”