Prince William’s Partying: A Break Before A Tough Trip To City Where Diana Died

Prince William’s partying school days are over, but he still gets schooled by the press nearly every day. As E! News writes, whatever Prince William and Kate Middleton do, wherever they go, the couple is the cynosure of all eyes.

When Kate and William appear separately, the internet explodes with rumors and worries that all is not well in the Cambridge household. When Prince William uncharacteristically lets off a little steam, royal watchers sit up and take instant disapproving notice.

Prince William has worked 13 days this year and away partying with some blonde
The Queen is getting a £140m for new house #Indy2 #Yes

— Celtic Collectibles (@CollectCelticFC) March 15, 2017

Prince William let off more than a little steam recently when he spent the weekend hanging out with friends on the ski hill in Verbier.

While his grandmother Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family were getting ready for Commonwealth Day services, William was off partying in a nightclub and out on the slopes. He skipped out on Monday’s Commonwealth Day events after jetting back home to Kate Middleton late Sunday night.

Queen Elizabeth attended the service, which is Britain’s “largest interfaith gathering,” along with her husband, Prince Philip, their son and heir, Prince Charles, and his youngest son, Prince Harry.

What’s that? Lovable rapscallion Prince Harry was at church with the family while his responsible big brother was recovering from a night out clubbing with friends?

Prince William is supposed to be the “perennially reliable elder prince, the family man who is also second-in-line to the throne after his even more serious father, Prince Charles. Prince Harry seems to have moved on from his early problems with bad decision-making but to see Harry carrying out royal duties while William hits the slopes and the clubs makes for instant criticism of Prince William.

But the reality is that Prince William and Kate Middleton do not regularly take part in Commonwealth Day events. The Prince has only been to two of the services in his whole life. He and Middleton are ramping up their royal duties as they step into several additional patronages assigned to them by Queen Elizabeth, and they have taken on a busy schedule of obligations since the New Year.

The sun has labelled Prince William as work shy – a ridiculous label – he has served his country & flown the air ambulance #irresponsible

— Lefktro UK Ltd (@Lefktro) March 15, 2017

For the next several months, Prince William will continue his part-time job as an air ambulance pilot, and he returned to work in East Anglia on Tuesday.

According to the Independent, Kate Middleton and Prince William have a packed diplomatic schedule when they visit Paris at the end of this week, where rumor has it they are supposed to help heal some of the festering Brexit wounds on the continent. ITV reports that, so far from partying, Prince William and Kate are making the trip “at the express request of the Foreign Office.”

The trip to Paris is undoubtedly weighing on Prince William’s mind in a way that would awaken sympathy if he were not a privileged prince with more money than most people even dream of. Prince William has not visited Paris since his mother, Princess Diana, died after a horrific car accident when William was 15-years-old and Prince Harry only 12-years-old.

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of Diana’s tragic death. If Prince William needed a breather before heading into a full work-week culminating in an emotionally charged visit to the place where Princess Diana died, that’s completely understandable.

Prince William is visiting Paris for the first time since his mother, Princess Diana, died there twenty years ago. [Image by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images]

On top of the Duke and Duchess’ regular duties and the upcoming challenge of the visit to Paris, they are also fiercely protective of their children in a way that is highly reminiscent of Diana herself,

Prince William and Middleton are very aware of how vulnerable small children are to the atmosphere around them, and they are determined to give Prince George and Princess Charlotte a “semblance of normal life” while they still can.

IMO Prince William and Kate are such role model parents as well as role model husband and wife #ETnow ??

— Kelly Ann Scovell (@Draculababe) January 20, 2017

On a previous occasion when Prince William was criticized for a lack of dedication to his royal job, he spoke his mind about the importance of sometimes putting mental health and family first.

“I take duty very seriously and I take my responsibilities very seriously, but it’s about finding your own way at the right time and if you’re not careful, duty can sort of weight you down an awful lot at a very early age.”

The “so-called scandal in Verbier” seems to have more to do with a desperate attempt to stir up trouble than with any reality. Prince William’s partying was goofy, but not bad – except for William’s party dance that can only be described as dancing “like a dad.”

Prince William dancing to 'I got 5 on it' is hilarious ?? leave him alone he's letting his hair down ????????

— danielle lowe (@daniellelowe21) March 15, 2017

But dancing aside, the general consensus on Twitter is that even a prince deserves a break now and then, and videos of the partying prince in Switzerland was a welcome glimpse of the fun-loving but responsible guy Kate Middleton married.

Good on Prince William. A couple of days with friends? Leave him alone. He has a lifetime of duties ahead.

— Alison Bates? (@alisonbates200) March 15, 2017

[Featured Image by Alastair Grant/WPA Pool/Getty Images]