Britain's Prince William talks to Chinese students during a visit to a Premier League training camp at Nanyang Secondary School in Shanghai. Photo: IC

A leading British commentator said relations between China and the UK look promising following Prince William's historic visit to China.

"Like any ambassador … everything will be discussed upon his return," Robert Jobson, a leading royal commentator, dubbed the "Godfather of Royal Reporting" by The Wall Street Journal, told the Global Times.

During his three-day visit, Prince William was warmly welcomed by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He also presented the Chinese president with an official invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to visit the UK later this year.

He then went to Shanghai to open "The GREAT Festival," which promoted British innovation, and headed to an elephant sanctuary in the southwestern province of Yunnan, to call attention to the illegal wildlife trade.

Significant relationship



"It shows the importance the British government places on the relationship between China and the UK," Jobson said, adding that the visit is very significant, because the queen was the last senior royal family member to visit China in 1986.

"Prince William, second heir to the throne, is now preparing for his role as the future King," Jobson said. Looking forward, the relationship between China and the UK is hugely important in terms of trade, diplomacy and cultural exchanges. So a visit to China was very important, he added.

The British royal family has been on a charm offensive toward China. Right before the visit, Prince William sent greetings in Mandarin for the Chinese New Year on Chinese television, and Prince Charles and Camilla visited London's Chinatown to celebrate Chinese New Year.

The timing of the visit was ideal, as China-UK relations have made great strides in recent years. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Britain in June got a royal treatment, by being welcomed by Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. The visit coincided with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-UK comprehensive strategic partnership. The two countries took the opportunity to boost bilateral ties to a new level, with about £14 billion ($21 billion) of trade and investment deals signed between UK and Chinese firms.

The meeting in London in 2015 will also be remembered as the first UK-China Year of Culture Exchange. Prince William opened the event that highlighted the very best of UK culture in China and Chinese culture in the UK.

Although it was a pity that the Duchess of Cambridge could not come with the Duke of Cambridge due to her pregnancy, and the royal baby's "diaper diplomacy" could not reach Chinese audiences, "the positive side is that William succeeded in discussing issues in a mature way," Jobson said.

Super ambassadors



Senior members of the royal family are like the UK government's "super ambassadors," Jobson explained.

Prince William gained wide media coverage in China. The British Embassy gave tips on "how to encounter Prince William" on its official Weibo account.

The article suggested that the Chinese people could try their luck going to the Long Museum in Shanghai and Shanghai Film Museum, where Prince William was scheduled to launch the GREAT Festival and attend the Chinese premier of the British-produced children's animated film Paddington.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping acknowledged when he met Prince William, "The British royal family has great influence not just in Britain but across the world."

Traditional and modern, the British royal family has a global influence. "They get major media coverage for whatever they do. Whoever they visit will get more publicity. This is very important both for the host country and the royal family," said Jobson.

The Queen is a very "active" woman. Even at the age of 89, she is very busy serving the nation and Commonwealth. She starts her day very early and gets briefings. She travels across the country to meet people of all walks of life. She reads government documents and is kept up-to-date. Once a week, she meets with the prime minister, and has one-on-one discussions on political issues.

On September 10, Queen Elizabeth II will break Queen Victoria's record and become the longest reigning monarch in British history. "That will be a historic moment," said Jobson.

In fact, the queen has already broken the record as the oldest monarch in British history. Queen Elizabeth II started her reign at the age of 25 while her great-great grandmother Victoria started at 18.

Ever since the royal wedding in 2011, which was watched by around 2 billion people worldwide, the British monarchy has embraced a new era. The birth of Prince George in 2013 caused a media frenzy, boosting the couple's profile. In 2014, Prince George led a trend of "diaper diplomacy" during his first foreign visit to New Zealand and Australia.

As the author of The New Royal Family: Prince George, William and Kate, the Next Generation, Jobson believes the new generation has changed people's perception of the British monarchy.