What’s up with the current crop of “Prince William is ready to be a despotic king” stories? Do you think they’re coming from Kensington Palace, or are these just filler pieces from royalists talking sh-t for the hell of it? A few days ago, In Touch Weekly had a weird piece about William’s big plans to become the “toughest ruler the family has ever seen.” Fox News decided to piggyback on those claims and discuss how Millennial Peggington will be super-tough on Prince Harry and Prince Andrew. What’s really going on here?

As King Charles continues his battle with cancer, his heir, Prince William, is preparing to be the future monarch – and no one will get in his way. British royal expert Hilary Fordwich made the claim, saying that the Prince of Wales feels the future of “The Firm” looming over his head.

“Prince William is dedicated to duty, as imbued in him by Queen Elizabeth II, who tutored him every Sunday regarding his royal duties,” Fordwich told Fox News Digital. “He’s also under huge generational pressure since the increasing public popularity of the monarchy ranks highest for both him and Princess Catherine.”

Fordwich also claimed that Prince Harry and Prince Andrew are “wary of his wrath.”

“Harry’s whinge fest ‘Spare,’ with its acerbic accusations against the royal family, particularly his denigration of the Princess of Wales, rendered it the ‘final straw’ as William told those around him,” Fordwich claimed. She noted that William feels he and his wife were “bitterly attacked” in Harry’s tell-all. As for the disgraced Duke of York, William believes he “has put the family in jeopardy” over his controversial ties to late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“As a millennial, he won’t and can’t risk public association with disastrous members of the family who merely serve as distractions from public duty,” Fordwich added.

British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that William is determined to revamp the monarchy’s reputation. Last year proved to be a “brutal” one for the prince, as he admitted, due to his family’s health saga.

“The last year has been the hardest in his life,” she said. “Yet, he has emerged with renewed energy and purpose. Prince William is very much a self-assured family man. He is also redefining his role as the future heir to the throne. With his revamped relaxed image, he continues to help people through charitable service, using his platform for meaningful good.”

“He supports King Charles, carrying out state and national duties regularly,” Chard continued. “He has surprisingly taken to the role like a duck to water, commanding center stage at every event. His future role as king is in sight. However, he doesn’t believe all his father’s tenets are gospel. He is his own man and wishes to show a more modern, encompassing face to the monarchy.”

[From Fox News]

“He has emerged with renewed energy and purpose.” He hasn’t been seen anywhere since Christmas Day and he constantly goes missing for weeks at a time. “Prince William is very much a self-assured family man.” There we go. There have been rumors for years about the sorry state of the Wales marriage, and I believe almost all of those rumors. I just don’t believe that William would torpedo his “family man” image without some kind of backup plan or complementary narrative. Whatever has happened in the past year, something was negotiated and agreed to by all parties. Kate turns up here and there, the Middletons are in from the cold and the press runs stories about William looking and acting like a hot single guy. Let’s see how long this compromise holds.

Also, I do not get this statement: “As a millennial, he won’t and can’t risk public association with disastrous members of the family who merely serve as distractions from public duty.” What does his Millennial generation have to do with anything? Will and Kate have never seemed of their generation either – they’ve always seemed like throwbacks to a Victorian or Edwardian era.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.