William allegedly refused to attend Jimmy Carter's funeral
William's lower engagement count raises questions about his approach to royal duties
Prince William, heir to the British throne, is reportedly reluctant to take on a heavy schedule of royal engagements and allegedly refused a direct request from King Charles III to attend the funeral of US President Jimmy Carter in January 2025 — because it fell on Princess Catherine's 43rd birthday.
The claims were made by royal expert and author Norman Baker, speaking to the Daily Mail, who said William carries out significantly fewer official duties than either his father or his aunt, Princess Anne. Prince Edward, currently 14th in line to the throne, was sent to represent the Royal Family at the Carter funeral instead.
'Unlikely to cut a ribbon'
Baker was pointed in his assessment of William's approach to public duties. "If you are looking for a royal to cut a ribbon, you are unlikely to secure the attendance of Prince William," he told the Daily Mail. He added that William's engagement count consistently falls short of what might be expected from the future King when compared with the workloads of both Charles and Anne.
Carter funeral snub claims
The Carter funeral, held in Washington in January 2025, presented a natural opportunity for William to step in given that King Charles's health prevented him from making the transatlantic journey. Baker suggested that Charles did in fact push his son to go.
"We might have expected William to represent the royals at events like the funeral for US president Jimmy Carter, given his father's health ruled out transatlantic travel," Baker said. "It is rumoured that Charles ordered him to go, but he refused as it was [Princess] Kate's 43rd birthday [on January 9, 2025]...Prince Edward, 14th in line to the throne, was dispatched instead."
