EXCLUSIVE: Queen Elizabeth Went to Her Grave Fearing William Would Be a 'Celebrity Monarch' and 'Lazy King'
The late Queen feared William might become a celebrity-style, lazy monarch.
Nov. 8 2025, Published 11:00 a.m. ET
Queen Elizabeth died fearing her grandson Prince William might one day become a "celebrity monarch" rather than a dutiful sovereign, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Details of her anxiety are laid out by royal biographer Robert Jobson in his upcoming book The Windsor Legacy, in which he writes the late monarch, who died in 2022 aged 96, privately worried William, 43, could allow the trappings of fame and modern popularity to overshadow his sense of royal duty.
Queen Feared Fame Could Overshadow Duty
Queen Elizabeth privately worried Prince William could become a 'celebrity monarch.'
Her concerns, he says, reflected her lifelong belief that service must always come before self. Jobson said: "Although she loved William and saw much to admire, she told insiders that she feared he might become a 'celebrity monarch' rather than a dedicated one."
He added her doubts were shaped by a series of incidents in her final years, including moments when she felt the Prince of Wales was "too rigid" and not yet ready for the relentless demands of kingship.
Disappointment Over Hospice Visit
Princess Anne stepped in for her mother at the Queen’s final engagement in England.
One such moment came in July 2022, when the Queen, then frail and increasingly reliant on walking sticks, was due to open a new 29-bed facility at Thames Hospice near Windsor.
It was an engagement she was reluctant to cancel, having a personal connection through a retiring staff member who once cared for the birds at the Royal Aviary.
According to Jobson, when the Queen asked William to stand in for her, he declined, citing family commitments. The decision left her disappointed and irritated.
"She is said to have scoffed: 'Isn't that what nannies and policemen are for?'" Jobson writes.
In the end, Princess Anne accompanied her mother to the event – the final official engagement the Queen carried out in England.
Concerns About William's Work Ethic
Aides said the Queen adored William but feared he treated duty like a job, not a calling.
A royal aide told RadarOnline.com: "The Queen adored William but worried he sometimes treated royal duty like a job with fixed hours, rather than a calling. She often said that being sovereign isn't about convenience – it's about constancy."
She died worrying William would simply want to become a celebrity king and would be rather lazy.
After the death of Prince Philip in 2021, the Queen's inner circle grew smaller. She spent her final year largely at Windsor Castle, her health declining and her days marked by solitude.
The now ex-Prince Andrew – who has been stripped of his royal titles over his Jeffrey Epstein scandal – and his former wife Sarah Ferguson were among her most frequent visitors, while King Charles and Camilla often stayed overnight.
William and Kate, living nearby at Adelaide Cottage, provided her with some comfort by bringing along their children on visits.
Final Reflections on Duty and Legacy
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In her final summer, she broke protocol to bid farewell to a local friend in Scotland.
But even as she delighted in watching her great-grandchildren play, the Queen confided to courtiers her unease about the monarchy's future direction.
A palace source said: "She worried that the monarchy she'd devoted her whole life to could one day become more focused on appearances than on genuine duty and service."
Elizabeth's deep sense of duty persisted even in frailty.
When staff suggested she rest during the final weeks at Balmoral, she insisted on keeping her promise to meet outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his successor Liz Truss on September 6, just two days before her death.
In her last summer, Jobson writes, the Queen found solace in the Scottish Highlands.
"Time was running out, it seemed, for everything she wished to accomplish before it was too late," Jobson writes.
One morning at Craigowan Lodge, she broke her own rule by inviting local grocer George Strachan for breakfast.
Jobson said: "Breaking her strict rule of no breakfast guests outside family, she made herself available. She simply wanted to say goodbye: a quiet gesture of loyalty and grace."
It was a meeting that signified Elizabeth's reign would end as it had begun – defined by duty, restraint and an unshakable belief in service over self.
