Prince William makes life ‘tough’ for King Charles after already dethroning him

The worst ways in which Prince William could make King Charles’ life really difficult? By confirming that despite his old man’s influence throughout his life, he is really and truly the son of Princess Diana and oh, by snatching away that crown he waited eons to wear.

Prince William was visiting the City of Love to attend the Notre Dame Cathedral’s reopening ceremony. However, the trip may have had another purpose: a meeting with a person you would avoid under normal circumstances — Donald Trump. They sat down and had a conversation that left the U.S. President-elect impressed. Apparently, the Prince of Wales was so charming that Trump started idolizing him. Trump called the prince “a good man” and said he was doing a “fantastic job.” Maybe they are now both united in the desire for revenge on Prince Harry.

But Trump’s one-liner shouldn’t matter, right? Trump calls anyone who shakes his hand “a good man.” Why is this in the headlines? Well, this meeting can be considered as a sign that William is stealing the spotlight his father wanted for decades. King Charles spent most of his life waiting. He was first overshadowed by his mother’s reign, and now he is being upstaged by the younger generation. “It must be tough for Charles, a man who waited over seventy years for the big gig, to play second fiddle to his son,” said royal expert Dr. Tessa Dunlop.

Judging by Trump’s standards, the meeting was actually quite modest. They exchanged a handshake, and Trump made a comment about the prince’s excellence. According to Tessa, “Height wasn’t the only in-built advantage that William enjoyed; he exuded the untouchable confidence that comes with future kingship.” Should we be surprised by this? After all, William is the son of the late Princess Diana. And just like his mother, he has a calm presence, and the public loves him.

Tessa explained why a royal son with no immediate throne might still outshine the actual monarch: “These days, the Prince of Wales effortlessly blends his mother’s charisma with a careful study of the late Queen’s canny constitutional rule. Less is more, especially when the ‘less’ is delivered with a certain aplomb.”

Evidently, William’s brand — warm and accessible — played really well in this high-profile moment. That’s the “magic of royalty,” as Tessa calls it. “Magic” that impressed the upcoming president of the United States and made him gush about the future king of England like a smitten school girl.

What does all this do to King Charles’ public profile? It may be that every event reminds him that he’s dealing with a new attraction. “Time and again recently, William has grabbed the headlines,” said Tessa. Gun salutes in Commando uniforms, delivering meals at homeless shelters, rubbing shoulders with Trump. Even the King’s cancer battle hasn’t drawn as much attention as William’s photo ops. “The King… now finds himself outperformed by his eldest son, with William’s weekend jaunt in Paris another painful reminder of who holds royalty’s trump card,” Tessa added.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Nobody’s swiping crowns as long as King Charles is alive and well. But, as Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones used to say, “Any man who must say, ‘I am the king’ is no true king.” In the eyes of the public, William’s the king. He’s got that Diana effect; he can flash a smile, give the cameras a nod, and boom — he’s all anyone wants to talk about.