Prince Harry’s plight often grabs the headlines, as there’s a clear tragedy to the Duke of Sussex being estranged from the Royals, even if it is an exile of his own making. What we don’t often hear about, however, is the loneliness that comes from growing up within the gilded institution that is the Royal family. Something Prince William knows all too well.
William has remade himself into a dedicated family man, as husband to Kate Middleton and father of three young children, but what Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis know is far different from the childhood their father experienced. With his parents divorcing, his mother dying, and his dad’s duties keeping him busy, William didn’t exactly have a stable home life. Although it seems he was able to learn the importance of family later in life, when he was taken in by another, closer-knit clan.
Prince William was taken “under the wing” of another family — and you know their name
Although he resisted tying the knot for years, and was lucky she was willing to take him back after he broke her heart, marrying Princess Catherine is likely the best thing to happen to the Prince of Wales for many reasons. That includes the fact that he was able to find an adoptive, loving family in the Middletons.
Kate’s brother, James Middleton, is releasing his autobiography this September. Titled Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, the book is something of an “anti-Spare” — although written by the younger brother of a Royal, James’ memoir is nowhere near as scathing as Harry’s. In contrast, it depicts the Middletons as a close, supportive family unit, who were able to help him through difficult times. The book also makes clear how close the Middletons are to both William and his and Kate’s children.
James Middleton’s memoir has only increased interest in William’s relationship with his wife’s family. One expert claims that they mean a lot to the prince as they were able to be there for him when the now-king could not.
“They took him [Prince William] under their wing from the very beginning and provided the kind of family atmosphere he had never had and probably yearned for,” said Majesty Magazine’s Ingrid Seward, author of My Mother & I: The Inside Story of the King and Our Late Queen (via The Telegraph). “Lots of laughs, lots of family games and sharing of outdoor pursuits as a family. Just being there for him when his own father was far too busy and unable to provide this.”
Seward credits the Middletons with installing a “family conscious” mindset in William, which is supposedly something that Charles approves of, even though he was not able to offer this to his son himself. “This has made him very ‘family conscious’ which was exactly what King Charles wanted for him as he never had it himself,” she notes.
That said, the Middletons may be close to William and his family — they were included in the Princess of Wales’ recent candid video message, after all, when Charles and Queen Camilla were not — but they will always come second to the Royals. “The royal side will always come out on top however influential your family is or has been,” Seward stresses. “William is very family-minded because of this but he can’t beat the system.”
Maybe we now know why mending fences with Harry isn’t all that important to William — because he’s got plenty of family in his life as it is.