Prince William ‘followed Diana’s playbook’ with his down to earth New York trip – which showed he has an ‘open side’ and is ‘spontaneous’, experts tell PALACE CONFIDENTIAL

Prince William’s down-to-earth and candid trip to New York this week revealed glimmers of his late mother Princess Diana – although she was sometimes ‘clumsy’ and ‘cautious’, experts tell Palace Confidential.

Richard Kay, editor of the Daily Mail, pointed out that the Prince of Wales’s willingness to get involved in activities such as collecting oyster shells on the Hudson River showed the public that he had a “side open “.

Speaking to Daily Mail news editor Richard Eden and host Jo Elvin, Kay commented on the “spontaneity” of William’s itinerary during his trip to the US.

He particularly noted the 41-year-old’s casual jog through Central Park one morning, which he said was an act “straight out of Diana’s playbook.”

However, he noted that while the Prince of Wales appears comfortable during some engagements, he is “still learning,” meaning he may appear less fluent at times (for example, when meeting world leaders).

“One of the problems with William is that he’s not a natural stander. He’s a little clumsy on his feet. He’s cautious – he always has been, Kate too – and he’s trying to show that he has a more open side, he can be a little more spontaneous.

Kay also highlighted the success of William’s trip to the United States, which he said could have been overshadowed if Princess Kate had joined him.

Speaking to her panelists, Kay said: “The thing is, it becomes less of a fashion show (if Kate is there)… it’s more about him and what he wants to say.”

Elvin and Kay suggested William was keen to emphasize his climate change ambitions during the trip by meeting high-ranking figures during his time in New York.

Kay said the Prince of Wales had shown “spontaneity” by going jogging in New York, as his mother would have done.

Some of William’s activities in the Big Apple were “straight out of Diana’s playbook,” Richard Kay said.

Citing names such as Earthshot supporter Mike Bloomberg and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Kay said William wanted to make an impression on “powerful figures”.

He added, however, that the Prince of Wales was “much more comfortable meeting people like (Bill) Gates, who are sort of on board with his Earthshot project, and much more uncomfortable when he met with presidents.

During the meeting with Ecuadorian President Lasso Mendoza, William’s conversation with the world leader was “stilted,” Kay said.

“On these occasions, William does not have the fluidity of his father who was so wonderful in these kinds of encounters.

“But he learns, and he learns, and it was impressive.”

Eden also highlighted the differences between William and his father, King Charles, this time in how they approach their commitment to environmental protection.

While King Charles has always been a negative “dark prophet” when speaking about climate change and environmental damage, he said the Prince of Wales had captured the “positive spirit” of the American people.

“That’s what the Earthshot Prize is for,” Eden said.

“Prince William, on the other hand, has always tried to be much more positive and the question is, ‘What can we do to make a difference?’

Elsewhere in the episode, the panelists discussed the King and Queen’s state visit to France this week, where they appear to be forming a very close friendship with the Macrons.

They highlighted the difficult relationship that King Charles has with the city of Paris, where he went in 1997 to collect the body of Princess Diana after her death in a car accident in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel .

However, during this visit, Kay said the public saw a “completely different Charles.”

He said: “You can see it in his body language. He is much more comfortable in his role as king.

He added that, now that he is a monarch, there is less risk of him being “overshadowed” by his partner, as he was during a trip to Paris in 1988 when Princess Diana stole the star “through no fault of his own”.

Daily Mail Diary editor Richard Eden (pictured) said Prince William’s trip to New York was “calm”, unlike Prince Harry’s trip there, which was “chaos”.

Prince William (pictured) took a solo trip to New York this week to announce the finalists for his Earthshot Prize.