His use of the word “smallest R in royal” is a glimpse into Prince William’s view of his role in public life.

The pomp and ceremony of royalty doesn’t always suit Prince William, nor do some of the leaders he has seen around the world.

“It’s more about impact philanthropy, collaboration, bringing people together and helping people. And I’m also going to add empathy to it, because I really care about what I do. It helps to have impact people’s lives. And I think we could do that with more empathetic leadership around the world.

I spent last week with Prince William during his visit to South Africa.

It’s the longest time he’s spent with the media this year and he’s been more open than many of us might have expected.

He was quite relaxed and spoke freely about his family and his role as Prince of Wales, both officially and unofficially.

The conversation was often light-hearted: how he settled into his wardrobe of sustainable clothing, the dangers of having a beard when your daughter doesn’t like it, and the “dad” bracelet she made for him when he took her children to see Taylor. Fast.

But the impact of the past year has also been visible.

Seeing and speaking to Prince William up close, it’s clear that this has taken a toll on his wife and father who are undergoing cancer treatment.

As he put it, it was “the hardest year of my life.”

Add to that the burden of being a senior royal and future king weighing heavily on Prince William.

The formality that comes with the job and the need to live part of your life in the public eye is sometimes not comfortable.