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William is currently second-in-line to the throne after his father Prince Charles, and has been training all his life to one day become the sovereign himself. His younger brother, Prince Harry, was unlikely to ever become king, especially after William’s three children were born. Harry’s decision to step away from life as a working royal was not as monumental as it would have been had William made the same decision — especially as the Duke of Sussex is still sixth-in-line.

Yet, William has previously been accused of being a “reluctant royal”.

During the documentary, ‘Prince William at Thirty’ uploaded to YouTube in 2012, those once close to the Duke of Cambridge suggested where he may have ended up if his destiny was not to become the monarch.

During his gap year in 2000, William flew 8,000 miles to Chile for his three month volunteering trip with Raleigh International.

Malcolm Sutherland, an expedition leader for the non-profit, told the documentary: “He’d still be there if we’d given him the chance.

“He just loved it.”

The 2012 documentary also showed a clip where William explained why he had loved life in Chile.

He said: “I don’t like to be treated any differently at all, I don’t like special treatment at all.

“Which is why I think I get along with these guys so well.”

Mr Sutherland also said: “We worked with him [William] and his team to ensure that you know, that his experience was going to be like any other person.”

Indeed, fellow volunteer Paul Coward explained during the documentary that William was “just like one of the lads” as he was “really friendly” and everyone could “have a laugh with him”.

Royal fans have claimed in the past that William finds his royal duties overwhelming, and just wants a “normal life” away from the public eye.

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He was even dubbed the “workshy prince” after it was found the Queen carried out more engagements than William, Kate and Harry combined.

Yet, in 2016 he told the BBC: “I am going to get plenty of criticism over my lifetime.

“It’s something I don’t completely ignore, but it is not something I take completely to heart.”

He added: “When the Queen decides that she is going to hand down more responsibilities, I will be the first person to accept them.”

William has acted on this promise in recent years, as he and his wife Kate relocated to London in 2017 and are now at the centre of royal life.

During the pandemic, the couple also took centre stage, providing support to the country through regular video calls and being among the first royals to resume royal engagements as lockdown lifted.

Some royal fans have even expressed hope in recent years that the line of succession could skip Charles when the Queen’s reign ends, meaning William would take the throne next.

However, this would only happen in the unlikely scenario that the Prince of Wales decided to abdicate.

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