Prince William has stuck to two unofficial royal mottos throughout his life: Keep Calm and Carry On and Never Complain, Never Explain. These phrases often connect to the Royal Family have kept him grounded and guided him through the difficult day of royal gossip and tabloid news. “William and Kate have had a policy of never complain, never explain,” Phil Dampier said to the Daily Mail, explaining how Prince William employs this policy in his royal role. “We saw it earlier this week when a reporter asked him [about Earl Spencer’s book] and he didn’t reply, and that’s the way they’re going to play it.”
“William and Kate have had a policy of never complain, never explain.”
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“The worst year of his life gave him perspective and inner strength.”
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“The worst year of his life gave him perspective and inner strength,” Dampier explained, referring to 2024, when Princess Kate and King Charles both faced cancer diagnoses while Prince Andrew’s name made regular headlines. “Catherine’s got that inner contentment that she’s seen off the worst,” referring to the princess’s commitment to mental wellbeing following her own cancer treatment. “I think both of them, having come through that, are stronger for it,” Dampier said.
“William had the worst year of his life, which he has talked about himself,” Dampier reflected. “He had all the problems of Harry and Prince Andrew swirling about, causing problems for the monarchy that he will be heading in not a very long time.” Dampier described Prince William’s daily life as a “goldfish bowl,” and said that the Prince and Princess of Wales’s discipline and boundaries are protecting their three young children—and their own mental wellbeing.
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Prince William wants to protect his children from the “goldfish bowl.”
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Prince William and Princess Kate have found renewed strength after recent years.
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The strict adherence to the unofficial family mottos allows the Prince and Princess of Wales to keep their private lives private, and to focus on their royal work within their public role. ‘Never complain, never explain’ allows the prince to maintain clear boundaries with the press and with the public, and often shows up in Prince William’s public life when choosing what to respond to and what to ignore. “William is preparing for when he becomes king and he’s setting the standard for how he wants to play it,” Dampier explained.
