It is hardly unusual for a young man to graduate from university without being entirely sure what he will do next. It is exceptional, however, for the young man to know that he will, in all probability, at some point become the Prince of Wales and then a king. The degree ceremony that Prince William undertook yesterday was more of a rite of passage for him than for his contemporaries at the University of St Andrews. Over the next decade he has to prepare himself for a role that will last a lifetime. Whether he both enjoys and stretches himself in this period will largely determine his future.
Clarence House announced yesterday that the Prince will undertake a series of “work experience placements” before making a decision on his intentions. He will spend a few months with a financial institution in London, learn more about land management on a country estate and provide assistance to a mountain rescue unit. This is an admirably varied set of activities. It would be shrewd, nonetheless, for him to be placed with a cutting-edge City firm and not a more traditional institution and for the country estate concerned to be associated with innovative land management methods and not simply a large amount of land.
The Prince is also actively considering joining, or at least spending some time, with the Armed Forces and has passed preliminary examinations that would allow him to apply for officer training at Sandhurst. It is an open secret that many in the Royal Family would like him to pursue that course, in part because they think that a tour of duty in the military is essential training for a person who would be head of state and, nominally, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Services. It is thought that the Prince is inclined to accept this advice and that argument.
In many senses, this is logical. He will meet as many, if not more, very interesting and intelligent people through the Army as he would in the City, on an estate or up a mountain. The notion that military service is an important part of being prepared for the responsibilities of serving as head of state may sound old-fashioned, but it has been accepted in the “bicycling monarchies” of Benelux and Scandinavia, even though troops in such nations are less likely to be involved in combat than those of this country. A year or two in the Army would be a valuable part of a rounded education. If that is what the Prince wishes to do, he would be wise to pursue it.
After that, though, he should be encouraged to follow his own instincts. If he would prefer to remain in the Army beyond the call of duty as a member of the Royal Family, he should make that his vocation. If, on the other hand, as he has sometimes indicated, he would like to create his own version of The Prince’s Trust, or work for a humanitarian agency in Africa, he should be allowed the freedom to engage in that instead. The Prince will spend much of his life involved in duties that while stimulating and of value may not always be his personal preference. In the meantime, he must have an opportunity to be himself.