“Prince William’s been quite vocal about what he wants to do when the time comes,” a source with ties to the palace tells PEOPLE

Prince William and Kate Middleton Share Family PhotoPrincess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince Louis, Prince George and Prince William at Trooping the Colour on June 14, 2025.Credit : The Prince and Princess of Wales/Instagram

Prince William is committed to revitalizing the monarchy that his children are destined to inherit one day.

For the heir to the throne and his wife, Kate Middleton, though, change doesn’t mean upheaval but rather modernization — a monarchy more emotionally attuned and grounded in everyday life.

“Prince William’s been quite vocal about what he wants to do when the time comes,” a source with ties to the palace tells PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story. “[To be] more accessible, more approachable.”

And he’s not thinking only of his own reign — the Prince of Wales is imagining the future for his kids, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.

Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince George, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte watch the flypast to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 05, 2025 in London, England.

Prince William, Prince George, Prince Louis, Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on May 5, 2025.Samir Hussein/WireImage

“I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do,” Prince William, 43, told Eugene Levy about George in the Oct. 3 episode of the Apple TV+ series, The Reluctant Traveler. “A world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better.”

George follows his father in the direct line of succession to the throne and as both a father and future King, William views preparing George as a key priority.

The Prince of Wales opened up like never before in the rare TV appearance, where he spoke with candor about Princess Kate and King Charles’ cancer diagnoses, raising his children and his vision for change when he becomes King.

Prince William People Magazine Cover

PEOPLE Magazine, Oct. 20, 2025.

The episode saw William lead Levy on a personal tour of the nearly 1,000-year-old Windsor Castle and pop into a local pub, a poignant appearance that was in some ways a quiet reintroduction.

The spot was a chance to reframe the Prince of Wales’ public image after years of headlines surrounding family rifts and the fallout from the departure of his brother, Prince Harry, and sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, from the royal fold in 2020.

It was also a chance to put Windsor, his home for the past three years, front and center. The Prince and Princess of Wales will soon move to Forest Lodge on the Windsor Castle estate, a “forever” home even after he becomes King one day.

Eugene Levy and Prince William on The Reluctant Traveler

Eugene Levy and Prince William in “The Reluctant Traveler” on Apple TV+.Ian Gavan/Apple TV+

As the tour drew to a close (and not without banter about American Pie), William emerged not just as heir to the throne, but as a father and husband trying to redefine it.

“He struck me as one of the lads,” says royal biographer Andrew Morton, author of Winston and the Windsors. “That’s different from previous generations. He seems very much one of us, even though he is the future King.”

And that may be the point. Between pints of cider and the echo of centuries-old walls, Prince William showed a monarchy that feels more human — and a monarch-in-waiting intent on keeping it that way.