This year's Trooping the Colour event was likely a sign of what's in store for the British monarchy's future.
In the past, Queen Elizabeth II invited countless members of the royal family to stand on the balcony for the festivties to show the country their united front, but she changed her policy to include only working royals allegedly so she had an excuse not to bring Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and the controversial Prince Andrew out.
Her son King Charles stuck to this plan when he took over the throne, and expert Richard Eden noted that Prince William will do the same.
Eden told a news outlet he was recently talking to a friend of William's, explaining that what the pal said to him made the expert "worried about the future of the monarchy."
"He told me: 'When the older members of the family retire, His Royal Highness won't be inviting anyone else to become working royals. It remains to be seen if he will even want his two younger children to be working royals,'" he added, referring to how unlike future king Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte will likely never reign.
"That is what William wants," the expert continued. "He sees the small European monarchies as the model for the future."
However, Eden pointed out that Charles' original plan for a smaller monarchy was made a decade ago when Prince Harry was still in the picture. Now that he's not involved, the monarchy under William's reign will be smaller than ever, which Eden thinks "would be a mistake."
"[William] should ask his cousins, such as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and the Earl of Wessex, to share the burden with him when the time comes," he suggested. "Queen Elizabeth, who asked her own cousins to help her carry out engagements, showed that the monarchy is stronger when it's a team effort."
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As OK! reported, some thought Charles looked "somber" at the 2024 Trooping of the Colour, with body language expert Darren Stanton telling a news outlet the dad-of-two appeared "deep in thought" and "quite distracted from time to time, which is understandable given the great importance of events like these to his late mother Queen Elizabeth."
On the other hand, Stanton felt Charles' wife, Queen Camilla "came across as stoic and a power figure."
"I get a sense she stepped in to lead the way for Charles when he was feeling nervous," he said. "There were signs of Camilla holding a lot of dominance, particularly by holding herself upright with her arms by her side and standing tall."
"She didn’t appear distracted like Charles — she looked comfortable standing still and was in control of her movements," he noted. "She always remains composed and is a reassuring figure for Charles."
Daily Mail spoke with Eden.