Prince William is reportedly preparing to modernize the monarchy when he eventually takes over the throne from his father. The Prince of Wales has made it clear that, as King, he plans to prioritize empathy and philanthropy rather than indulge in pomp and ceremony. Commenting on his approach, royal expert Edward White believes that William’s reign will honor his late mother, Princess Diana’s legacy.

As per reports, William’s monarchy will focus on less talking and more action towards real change. White told The Mirror, “Diana said that she was trying to raise a future King that would ensure the monarchy survived into the 21st century – and William is trying to do a Diana reboot of the monarchy, combining the best of his mother and his grandmother.” The author added, “She [Diana] seemed to think that if she wasn’t taking the most extreme course of action to remedy a problem, then she wasn’t actually taking any action at all.” Indeed, like his late mother, William has pledged to focus on charitable causes rather than ‘ribbon-cutting’ ceremonies.

Just a few months back, when the Prince of Wales spoke to reporters after the end of his South Africa trip, he spilled on his plans for when he is King. As per The Telegraph, he said, “I can only describe what I’m trying to do, and that’s I’m trying to do it differently…And to give you more understanding around it, I’m doing it with maybe a smaller r in the Royal, if you like, that’s maybe a better way of saying it.” He also stressed on the importance of ‘empathetic leadership’. Mirroring his late mother’s heartfelt wish, he added that his monarchy would be “more about impact, philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people.”

While William plans to follow in his mother’s footsteps as King, the late Diana reportedly always had full faith in his future reign. Royal expert Jennie Bond recalled a poignant conversation with Diana wherein she predicted her son’s popularity. As reported by Hello! magazine, Bond claimed that Diana allegedly once told her, “William’s alright. The country is very lucky to have William.” Reflecting on her bold prediction, Bond said, “Clearly, William is doing something very right. His informal, approachable way of going about his work is resonating with the public.”