Prince Charles, the heir apparent, is first in line to the throne, followed by his eldest son, Prince William. Over the years, it has been reported that Charles has worked hard to prepare his son for his role as the Prince of Wales when the time comes.
In recent years, the pair are believed to have developed a very strong bond, as it has been claimed by Emily Andrews of the Mail on Sunday that the father and son 'have become much closer, their bond much stronger. Partly, this is natural as they get older and realise their shared values — a current Prince of Wales and his successor — in protecting the monarchy.
'But, also, it has been a necessity as the institution has suffered blows to its reputation.'
During the 2019 ITV documentary, Prince Charles: Inside the Duchy of Cornwall, the future King saw Prince William talking to a second-generational farmer, Mervyn Keeling, about his private estate - and one offhanded comment from William really surprised Charles.
William said: 'I’ve started to think about how I will inherit the Duchy one day and what I do with it. I think it’s really important, about the family angle, I really do.'
Mr Keeling said: 'And you’ve got children yourself, to pass it onto, so that's what it’s all about.'
William responded: 'Yeah, absolutely.'
Viewers then saw a clip of Prince Charles who reflected on the conversation his son had with the farmer.
He revealed: 'When I saw it, I couldn’t believe it, I was deeply touched and moved by what he said. Frankly, it reduced me to tears. It did, really.
'Because, I suddenly thought, well, just hearing that from him has made the last 50 years worthwhile.'
How sweet!
