PRINCE William is being tagged with the most cutting accusation in modern royal life: ‘work-shy’. It’s a label that lands with a thud in a family where public duty is practically a second surname — and it’s the kind of chatter that sticks, whether fair or not.

But a new report points to a very different reading of the Prince of Wales’ working style. A royal expert suggests William is, in fact, running the monarchy like a CEO — a framing that swaps the familiar image of relentless ribbon-cutting for something sharper, more strategic and a lot less visible.

That’s the tension at the heart of the story: what counts as “work” for a modern royal? For some, it’s the steady drumbeat of appearances, handshakes and photo calls — the tangible optics of service. For others, the job is leadership, direction-setting and decision-making, with less emphasis on being constantly seen.

The CEO comparison is telling. It implies a focus on management and outcomes rather than sheer volume of engagements — and it neatly explains how someone can be criticised for not doing enough while still, in another view, being deeply involved in shaping how the institution operates.

The criticism itself matters because William isn’t just another member of the family firm: he’s the future. Scrutiny around his work ethic isn’t gossip in a vacuum; it becomes part of the broader argument about what the monarchy should look like now, and what it must look like next.

Ultimately, this is a branding battle as much as anything else. Call him ‘work-shy’ and you’re judging royalty by yesterday’s metrics. Call him CEO-like and you’re accepting that the job may be changing — even if the public hasn’t agreed on the new job description yet.