Kate Middleton and her husband Prince William have come under fire for their failure to undertake more overseas travel, particularly in the Commonwealth, as their family commitments clash with their royal duties.
The Prince and Princess of Wales severely mocked by Australian press for their lack of overseas travel as the couple have not visited Australia and New Zealand for almost a decade.
Australian columnist Daniela Elser has warned that Kate and William may lose standing or respect amongst the Commonwealth nations if they continue to shun extended visits.
The expert, in an article, wrote: “If the Prince and Princess don’t pull their finger out on the Commonwealth front, then by the time they have matching thrones, the land over which King William V presides will be so reduced he will be able to fly from one end to another in under an hour.”
She made the point that despite being the future of the monarchy, the Waleses appear less than keen to go out and get to know the people of all their realms.
“If the Prince and Princess might be a little gun shy about venturing forth, out into these here Commonwealth wilds, well, that might be understandable. But, that does not excuse them from continuing to stay away, whether out of lethargy or nervousness or unwillingness to have to go barefoot on so many beaches,” she added.
The last royal tour abroad that William and Kate made was to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas in March 2022, which was marred by controversy due to protests over independence and slavery reparations.
Kate, this year, has only left the UK a handful times, once for a royal wedding in Jordan and two trips to Marseille to watch England play in the Rugby World Cup.
“They [Kate and William] are meant to be the peppy, youthful face of the monarchy, if you can say that about two people in their 40s, who look like they haven’t seen the wrong side of 11pm since their wedding reception. The Prince and Princess are supposed to be the exciting future of the crown, all big ideas, slick Instagram videos and their new-found penchant for selfie posing,” Elser wrote for news.com.au.