Prince William Warned His Nanny When He Was 4 Years Old: “When I Am King, I Will Have You Punished!”

/ Celebrities, Entertainment, News / By

On April 26, 2022, Tina Brown – an English editor who founded The Daily Beast – published a book titled The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor–the Truth and the Turmoil. In that book, she made some never-before-heard revelations about the Royal Family, including a shocking story about Prince William.

Apparently, behind the scenes, Prince William was quite the problem child – which might shock a lot of people because it was Prince Harry that was often considered the ‘outcast’ (or ‘spare,’ if you will) in the family. In fact, things got so bad that even Queen Elizabeth II complained that he was ‘out of control.’

Growing up, Prince William knew he was likely to be named King someday – a claim that seems more and more likely by the year – and would often use that to his advantage. “She was not amused that he loved to say, ‘When I am king, I’m going to make a new rule that…,’” Tina Brown wrote in her book. 

RELATED: King Charles Celebrates Father’s Day With a Royal Throwback Photo With Prince William and Prince Harry

Princess Diana – William’s mother – wasn’t mum to it, either. In 1983, while speaking to Tina Brown after a royal tour in Canada, Diana described how Prince William was turning into a ‘holy terror’ and would run about the house ‘bumping into tables and lamps, breaking everything in sight.’ He was just one year old. 

“By the time he was four, he had the unattractive habit of yapping at his nanny, Barbara Barnes, ‘No one tells me what to do! When I am king I will have you punished,’” Brown wrote in her book. He would go around squirting Highrove guards with water guns and even earned the nickname ‘Basher Wills’ in school.

It wasn’t until he turned six years old that he started to behave normally – at that point, it was Prince Harry who started to act out, often at the expense of others. For example, he once smeared sheep feces all over his father’s (now-King Charles III) suit just moments before boarding a helicopter for an official trip. 

The older William got, the more he became Diana’s ‘most trusted confidant’ and her ‘little wise old man.’ He once slid some tissues under Diana’s bathroom door following a fight with Charles and told her he hates to see her sad. “William understood Diana more (than Harry), but idealized her less,” Brown wrote. 

Is Prince William Actually Going to Be King Someday?

At a young age, Prince William wasn’t blind to the fact that he would likely be King someday. He knew Queen Elizabeth II (his grandmother) wasn’t going to live forever and the older she got, the older his father got. With him being next in line to the throne, he just had to be healthy enough to outlive them. 

Sure (and sadly) enough, Queen Elizabeth passed away on September 8, 2022 – paving the way for her son, then-Prince Charles, to be named King. And now that Charles (who turns 75 years old in November) has taken the throne, Prince William is next and the entire world is aware his day will eventually come.

Of course, a lot can happen over the next few decades – let alone five years. While both King Charles and Prince William appear to be in good health, it’s very possible that William wouldn’t become King until he’s 60 years old (he turned 41 years old in June). Hopefully, he and his nanny are on good terms!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Prince Harry Opens Up About the Necklace That Allegedly Broke After Prince William Attacked Him

Nonetheless, the current line of succession belongs to Prince William and then his son, Prince George – both of whom are likely (but not guaranteed) to become King someday. For now, King Charles III is very much in control of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.

About Mamas Uncut

Mamas Uncut is THE online place for moms. We cover the latest about motherhood, parenting, and entertainment as well – all with a mom-focused twist. So if you're looking for parenting advice from real parents, we have plenty of it, all for moms from moms, and also experts. Because, at the end of the day, our mission is focused solely on empowering moms and moms-to-be with the knowledge and answers they’re looking for in one safe space.

-->
Scroll to Top