Prince William appears to be ripping up the royal rule book to focus on a strategy that could revolutionise the monarchy.

For months, the prince has been spending less time in public carrying out “traditional” royal engagements to focus on behind-the-scenes work creating a “tangible impact” away from the glare of news cameras.

The prince’s family has been subject to intense scrutiny over the last few weeks after a “personal matter” forced William to pull out from an important engagement with 45 minutes notice, sparking overwhelming speculation about his wife’s health who continues to recover from abdominal surgery.

This led to the Princess of Wales’s privacy being invaded when a paparazzi photographer secretly snapped a picture of her in a car, which was sold to a gossip website in the United States.

London-based startup, Notpla, won the “Revive Our Oceans” category in 2022, which produces plastic-free food and drink packaging made from seaweed.

Its ocean-friendly products will now be used to sell refreshments in more than 50 sports stadiums and entertainment venues around the country.

The future King appears to have taken a shine to the company, which he previously showcased in front of leading global figures in New York, and visited their factory in Hackney.

Last year, the Prince visited a restaurant, built on Duchy of Cornwall land, which now uses Notpla’s packaging.

It is understood the Prince has been extremely hands-on behind the scenes and played a “pivotal role” in helping to secure the deal between Notpla and Levy, part of his mission to restore the planet for future generations.

For William, it is about scaling up the solutions, and he hopes his global influence will have a real-world impact.

Anti-monarchy groups frequently point out that the average public engagement only lasts an hour, and question if this constitutes a full day’s work.

I can reveal Prince William has been working seven days a week supporting the Earthshot Prize winners and finalists, even if we haven’t seen him in public.

There is a danger this strategy could upset the status quo, as millions of fans around the world cry out for fresh pictures of Prince William and Catherine.

The late Queen famously thought royals “had to be seen to be believed”, so working behind palace gates, however noble the intentions, may not be palatable.

Royal aides assure me William’s new strategy will not replace public engagements, but his focus is very much on work that creates impact – which appears to mean a lot of time spent behind closed doors.

The yearly tally that ranks members of the Royal Family by the number of public engagements frequently brands William’s aunt, Princess Anne, as the “hardest working royal”.

Perhaps the Prince would argue most of his “hard work” is done in private and can be measured through “impact” rather than time spent in front of cameras.

The Prince of Wales is spinning a lot of plates, and it is understood he wants different aspects of his work and the Duchy of Cornwall to collaborate under “one team”.

William is already introducing mental health and homelessness initiatives, key passions of his, into his Duchy work and its thought today’s announcement adds Earthshot to his growing Duchy portfolio.

On Monday, The Prince will do something no member of the Royal Family has ever done before, celebrating a new online matchmaking platform which he wants to speed up the impact the Earthshot Prize finalists are having on the environment.

“Launchpad” will match Earthshot winners with investors and philanthropists looking to collaborate, with a view to help unsuccessful Earthshot applicants in the future.

More than 2,000 applications have been received for this year’s Earthshot Prize, due to be held in Cape Town in November, which is a new record.

The Prince of Wales is taking a gamble, hoping his work behind the scenes will excuse him from carrying out more public engagements.

It looks like we will have to wait to see if mental health provision, homelessness prevention and environmental protection have indeed benefitted from the future King’s drive and ambition.