Prince William’s Ultimatum: Harry Must Stop Monetizing Royal Status to Reconcile
Prince William and Prince Harry’s estrangement is no secret. The future King and his younger brother have been at odds for years, as they’ve reportedly clashed over their diverging royal roles, Harry’s relationship with his wife, Meghan Markle, and her treatment by the rest of the family, and William’s sense of betrayal over his brother’s memoir, Spare.
The once-close siblings have not spoken in several years, insiders say. And that’s not likely to change anytime soon.
“The prospects of reconciliation are pretty remote,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, told The Wall Street Journal earlier this year. “There are just so many wounding and damaging revelations.”
Prince Harry’s Australia tour rubbed Prince William the wrong way
Recent events have dimmed the prospects of the brothers patching things up even further. William is allegedly upset over Harry and Meghan’s quasi-royal tour of Australia.
“It seems they are trading on old connections in a way that shouldn’t be acceptable because they are no longer working members of the royal family,” an insider told Us Weekly.
“There is frustration over the royal tours they are doing. Every single time William and Kate [Middleton] think they have turned a corner with them, something else pops up. It’s taking steps forward then steps back.” the source continued. “Their media omnipresence is something that has created continued strain. It’s been a barrier to repair the relationship. Just when the flames of controversy die down they have an uncanny ability to start another one.”
Harry and Meghan have to take on ‘money-making ventures’
William is particularly put off by Harry and Meghan’s efforts to monetize their royal fame through ventures such as their Netflix partnership and Meghan’s As Ever brand, sources claim. But for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, not working is not an option.
“[Harry and Meghan] have a big security bill and a lifestyle to maintain, so it’s not surprising they’re taking on money-making ventures,” Kylie Walters, a royal correspondent for Australia’s WHO magazine, told People.
But some of the attempts to make money come off as gauche, experts say. During her Australia trip, Meghan revealed she’d partnered with OneOff, an AI tool that allows users to identify and purchase her outfits.
“It was shocking to see her go to the hospital and then sell the clothing she was wearing. I’ve never seen anybody in the royal family do that. I can’t imagine it went down well with the palace,” said Sally Bedell Smith, author of the Royals Extra Substack.
An insider confirms that William has a problem with Harry and Meghan’s efforts to earn a living.
“What Harry and Meghan are doing is a nonnegotiable for William,” Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary Ailsa Anderson told People. “He wouldn’t countenance any acceptance of it.”
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