From the heart of the British Monarchy, a photograph of Prince William has captured public attention and unleashed a whirlwind of commentary. During his recent trip, the prince visited Cardiff to celebrate the seaweed industry and food innovation in Wales. The heir to the throne made a trip by train, with Kensington Palace releasing a photo of the royal making the journey this morning.

The image shows the future monarch in transit to Wales, reflecting the intensity of his royal schedule. William was pictured on social media sitting on a train, looking out the window, with his phone and a red binder on the table in front of him. The binder featured his royal monogram on the cover: a “W” topped by a coronet, which is used on official documents. At first glance, the scene seems free of anomalies. However, a mistake has been immortalized in the shot.

According to royal fans, the design featured a mistake as it had not been updated to reflect his new role after King Charles’ ascension to the throne but still had the coronet of a child of the Prince of Wales. People magazine was the first to spot the inconsistency in the prince’s monogram visible on the folder on the desk. William’s badge, commonly employed in correspondence and official documents, still retains the crown insignia of a son of the Prince of Wales, a vestige of an earlier era that has yet to be updated. It is guessed that they’ll only replace it once they need to.

Meanwhile, King Charles III presented his new royal cipher just a few weeks after his proclamation as monarch. This minor mismatch in royal iconography has not gone unnoticed, and it is expected that the appropriate modifications will soon be made to align Prince William’s monogram with his current position in the royal hierarchy. The son of King Charles III has resumed his agenda with unusual energy, accumulating official acts and extending his stays outside of the palace. This symbolizes a period of renewed vigor in William’s royal duties, contrasting with the months following the surgery of the Princess of Wales, during which the prince reduced his public appearances to support his wife.

He is once again set to step into a crucial role to support his father, King Charles, later this month as the monarch hosts his first state visit since returning to public-facing duties. Despite the general election from Buckingham, this dynamism is interpreted as an unmistakable sign that things are going according to plan, especially with regard to the health of the Princess of Wales and King Charles, both undergoing treatments for cancer.

As the royal family continues to wind down its slate of public engagements in the run-up to the general election, one event that is still scheduled to go ahead is the state visit of the Emperor and Empress of Japan later this month. From June 25th to June 27th, King Charles and Queen Camilla will host Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako during their visit to London, with Prince William also taking a key role in the proceedings. The visit was confirmed back in late April when the king officially returned to public-facing duties after undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer at the start of the year. It will mark the monarch’s first state visit since the announcement about his health was revealed to the world.

As part of the proceedings, the Emperor and Empress will conduct a series of private engagements during their three-day trip, with Prince William himself tasked with welcoming the duo to their hotel on June 25th. The Prince of Wales will then escort both dignitaries to Horse Guards Parade in London for their ceremonial welcome. Previously, Kensington Palace also confirmed on June 12th that the Prince of Wales will attend the UEFA Euro 2024 group stage match between England and Denmark on June 20th. This trip to Germany marks Prince William’s second international engagement in just three weeks.