The Prince and Princess of Wales have been tipped to take on more responsibility due to their “unique position” in being able to boost the monarchy.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has said that he thinks the couple will likely take on a slightly increased workload, and hold a “unique cachet” for doing so.
The couple, who are often deemed two of the most popular royals, are currently patrons for 50 charities, as well as running their own projects on the side.
In June, William launched Homewards, a project which, according to the Royal Foundation website, is a “five-year locally led programme which will demonstrate that together it is possible to end homelessness: making it rare, brief, and unrepeated”.
Back in January, Kate launched Shaping Us, which aims to raise awareness of the critical importance of early childhood in shaping the adults we become and has been deemed the royal’s “life’s work”.
According to the Gert’s Royals website, which is the Encyclopaedia Britannica crossed with the Doomsday Book of royal watching, the couple have taken on 40 joint engagements so far this year.
This information, which was collected last month, shows that the couple’s number of engagements appear similar to that of 2019.
This has sparked questions as to whether the couple will take on more than they previously have done, particularly now that their three children are growing older.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Mr Fitzwilliams said that he believes they will increase their workload, adding: “I would think William and Catherine might well take on more, those they have taken on certainly have a unique cachet.”
Despite the engagement numbers, Mr Fitzwilliams added: “After the Queen’s death and after the Sussexes and Andrew ceased to carry out royal engagements, the Palace announced a review of royal patronages.
“With fewer of them and only four working royals under 70 expect fewer royal engagements.”
Speaking of the engagement numbers, he added: “This is comparatively few numerically compared to the usual number senior royals such as Princess Anne have been involved with, but [Kate and William] are in a unique position to boost the profile of those they are attached to.”
Mr Fitzwilliams went on to point out the couple’s solo projects, adding: “Examples are William’s Earthshot Prize for the environment and campaign against homelessness and Catherine’s Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.”
Writing in her column for news.com.au, royal commentator Daniela Elser wrote that the couple’s circumstances “have changed considerably” since 2019, when all three children were under seven years old.
Due to this, the expert seemingly urged the couple to take on more engagements, writing: “But today all three of the Wales kidlets – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – are at school, leaving William and Kate with far more non-peanut butter-smeared time in the day to go out and fly the royal flag all over the UK.”
The couple are currently set to spend the remainder of the school summer holidays at Balmoral with their three children – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.
The family-of-five will join King Charles at the Scotland-based estate, his first time hosting summer there as monarch.
