British treasury documents uncovered by the Daily Mail show that Prince William is about to take over a substantial part of the Queen’s duties…

The disclosures come despite months of denials from the Palace that the Queen was planning to step back from her official work in favour of her 27-year-old grandson.

(The Daily Mail) has obtained an uncensored version of the document which confirms that the Queen is grooming William as a ‘Shadow King’. One blacked-out line states that ‘the Princes will increasingly incur expenditure when undertaking engagements on behalf of The Queen’.

Another censored section, stressing the key role for William, says that ‘from next year, it is expected that HRH The Prince William will spend a significant part of his time on official engagements… we need to put the necessary provisions in place in anticipation of that’.

The leak will add to speculation that the Queen believes William, rather than Charles, represents the best long-term interests of the monarchy, and will raise new questions about the timing of William’s long-anticipated engagement to his girlfriend Kate Middleton.

The Age reports that Prince William could make his first official tour to Australia and New Zealand as early as January next year…

The second in line to the throne is expected to take the Queen’s place on a trip to Australia and possibly New Zealand as the British monarch scales back her overseas travel, The Mail on Sunday reported.

A senior aide told the newspaper: “The Duke is 88 and he and the Queen have decided that travelling long-haul is too much for them. It is hard work and the thought is that the younger royals should be carrying out more duties.”

A source at the prince’s Clarence House office said: “William sees it as an honour to be asked to carry out an official duty on behalf of the Queen.

He sees himself as stepping up to his role as shadow King. He has put off official visits for long enough and is ready to embrace his duty.”