Prince Charles did double his son’s work 30yrs ago as Wills and Kate are slammed for shirking royal duties
PRINCE William has been slammed for attending less than half the number of official events this year compared with his dad at the same stage of life.
Stats this week showed Wills made 188 appearances in 2016 and wife Kate 140 but in 1985 dad Charles made 404 official appearances and mum Princess Diana 299.
It will reinforce the view that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are not as busy.
One royal insider said: “The Cambridges are the reluctant royals.
“They would much rather be at home with the children but so would most British parents.
“Unfortunately, ordinary people don’t get the choice.”
William and Kate, both 34, insist they are concentrating on raising their children, Prince George, three, and Princess Charlotte, one.
But in 1985, when William turned three and his brother Harry turned one, their parents made a combined total of 703 official appearances.
This year, Charles has been at 530 events and wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, 221.
The Queen has attended 332 functions, the Duke of Edinburgh 219.
Even the little-known Duke of Gloucester, 24th in line to the throne, made it to 205 engagements.
Royal author Phil Dampier said: “I have long thought that William and Kate are not doing enough.
“The Queen and Prince Philip are in their 90s, and Charles and Camilla are pushing 70, so it is time the younger generation stepped up.
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“William would never dream of letting his gran down by shunning his royal duties, but has tried to put them off for as long as possible.
“It’s getting to a point now where he and Kate need to knuckle down to the job William was born for.”
The figures were compiled by Timothy O’Donovan, 84, from the Court Circular, Buckingham Palace’s official daily list of engagements. Timothy, of Datchet, Berks, has totted up royals’ attendance at events every year since 1980.
He then submits his list to The Times for publication.
Timothy said: “Anybody can do it, you just have to be mad enough to cut out the Court Circular each day.”
A pal said William, second in line to the throne, “does not accept that he’s not pulling his weight”.
Supporters point out that William and Kate are not yet the Prince and Princess of Wales and royal duties are shared now by three generations.
A source said: “William and Kate want to do it their way.
“But with the Queen and Duke increasingly suffering bad health, how long can that last?”
Kensington Palace declined to comment.
They need family life
PRINCE Charles’s wish was for William to enjoy his family first, writes Ingrid Seward, Editor-in-Chief of Majesty magazine.
William and Kate are not shirking, they are doing what Charles encouraged them to.
Charles and Diana spent a lot of time apart from their children, and I think Charles regrets that now. The Queen also wishes she had spent more time with her children.
William has his whole life to do royal engagements. He should be praised for concentrating on his young children.