William and Kate’s ‘Old-School’ Approach: Harry and Meghan Are ‘Not a Priority’
The media is obsessed with Prince William’s years-long feud with his younger brother, Prince Harry. But the future king of England and his wife, Kate Middleton, are not losing sleep over the rift, sources say. Nor does Kate feel the need to play peacemaker between the brothers.
Kate Middleton won’t play the peacemaker for Prince William and Prince Harry
Royal expert Omid Scobie weighed on the brothers’ current relationship in Nightline’s new documentary, Harry & Meghan: The Return of the Prince.
“There’s always this talk of Kate potentially being the peacekeeper, the one that could bring the two brothers together,” Scobie said. “If I’ve learned anything over the years from covering them, it’s that Kate has very little to do with that relationship between the brothers.”
The Duchess of Cambridge is taking a “keep calm and carry on” approach to the family feud, another expert said. Harry and Meghan might now be living in the U.K., but they might as well still be living in California as far as William and Kate are concerned.
“Palace insiders have told People that William and Kate behind the scenes have decided to take a very old-school royal approach to this,” People magazine senior editor Erin Hill said. “So right now, Harry and Meghan, they’re not a priority for them, and they’re very much looking to the future.”
William and Harry’s father is another story, however. King Charles III appears open to repairing his relationship with his younger son, who stepped away from his life as a full-time working royal in 2020.
“I think we’ve seen with Charles things have moved forward and that iciness has thawed out,” Scobie said. “There’s a warmth there. With William, I don’t see it will ever change.”
Prince William cannot ignore the Prince Harry problem forever
However, others have argued that the Duke of Cambridge will not be able to ignore his younger brother forever.
“Prince William is not simply Prince Harry’s brother. He is the heir to the throne. And when he eventually becomes King, the Sussex question does not magically disappear,” royal reporter Alicia Liberty wrote in a recent commentary for Express.
William does not need to completely forgive Harry for his past transgressions or welcome him back into his life with open arms. But an appearance of reconciliation and the ability to act cordial together in public will become increasingly important, Liberty argued.
“Harry and Meghan remain non-working royals, and that boundary can stay exactly where it is,” she wrote. But Harry, as well as his two young children, are still part of the royal family.
“Their return to Britain makes that reality harder to ignore … A functioning monarchy does not require everybody to be best friends,” she continued. “But a future King, permanently estranged from his only brother, leaves an unresolved family drama sitting beside the institution he is trying to modernise. That is hardly ideal.”
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