Prince William is ordinarily tight-lipped about his personal affairs, preferring them to remain exactly that: personal. But of late, the future king has had a lot on his plate, what with dealing with his wife’s cancer diagnosis, his feud with brother Prince Harry, and even his father the King’s cancer diagnosis and treatment all being in the public eye.
But apparently, his Herculean control over his overwhelming emotions has reached its limit.
As part of his Earthshot Prize Awards, William made a tour of South Africa. The Awards, dubbed the “Oscars of the environment,” are given to people and organizations for their contributions to aiding in the climate crisis. But the Awards took a backseat when the Prince, normally refusing to air his feelings, made headlines for rather more personal reasons.
In a rare show of emotion, William gave a remarkably candid interview to members of the U.K.’s print media after his visit to Cape Town for the Earthshot Prize Awards. As reported widely, including in The Guardian, the interview covered a range of topics from the responsibilities that came with his promotion to Prince of Wales to more personal topics. The Prince usually steers away from speaking about his personal woes, or those of his wife, but broke his silence during the Cape Town interview.
When asked about the troubles of the past year, William answered truthfully: “Honestly, it’s been dreadful,” adding, “it’s probably been the hardest year in my life.” After losing his mother at such a young age and in such a difficult manner, this is no small statement and offers a rare glimpse into the inner world of the future monarch. But moving swiftly on from his own worries, the Prince was full of pride for his father and wife as they faced their problems head-on.
William received praise and sympathy for his heartfelt statements. In a GB News interview, Royal biographer Angela Levin described the Cape Town discussion as “the most amazing and touching interview.” Levin was effusive in her praise for the Prince of Wales and noted how unusual it was for him — who she says prefers that personal things remain “very secret” — to open up about his worries. But she wasn’t focused on William, as the Royal biographer had much to say about his brother, Prince Harry — and none of it was positive.
Levin, who has spoken about Harry and Meghan’s relationship worries previously, claimed that the Duke of Sussex “should be ashamed of himself” for maintaining his distance from the Royal family during such a trying time and went on to criticize his “rude” behavior towards the King and William. Going so far as to say that the King “can’t trust” Harry, Levin pulls no punches as she speaks about the estranged prince, even addressing rumors about his visa situation now that Trump will return to power.
From the outside looking in, it does seem like Harry could have done more to help — even just leaving more things unsaid. But it’s worth remembering that the feud is a two-way street. Harry has spoken about “disrespectful” comments made regarding Meghan, and there are suggestions that his calls home go unanswered.
For all that the situation has its roots in tradition and constitution, the feud between brothers is a family problem, and family problems are notoriously messy. It stands to reason that a family fight writ large through the international media is even messier than usual.
Published: Nov 10, 2024 10:46 am