An insult to the Queen: Prince William was left ‘reeling’ by Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview, friends say
- Prince William was furious at Harry and Meghan’s treatment of the Queen on TV
- Harry’s claims of William being ‘trapped’ were way off the mark, one source says
- The Royal Family is still trying to pick up the pieces from the couple’s interview
Prince William was left ‘reeling’ by his brother’s bombshell television interview, with friends insisting that claims he was ‘trapped’ were ‘way off the mark’.
The Duke of Cambridge was also said to be furious at Harry and Meghan’s ‘insulting and disrespectful’ treatment of the Queen and thinks they ‘blindsided’ her before quitting royal duties.
The Royal Family is still trying to pick up the pieces from the couple’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, which was broadcast earlier this month.
Harry’s claims that William and his father Prince Charles were ‘trapped’ in their royal roles were also said to be ‘way off the mark’, with a source insisting that William does not see it that way
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a series of damaging allegations – including implications of racism with claims that a family member asked how dark their son Archie’s skin might be.
They also claimed that Meghan had suffered suicidal thoughts and had been given little support by the Palace.
Prince William was left ‘reeling’ by his brother’s bombshell television interview, with friends insisting that claims he was ‘trapped’ were ‘way off the mark’. They are pictured above in 2017
It has now been reported that William was left ‘reeling’ in the immediate aftermath of the programme, with a source close to the duke telling the Sunday Times Magazine: ‘His head is all over the place on it.’
Harry’s claims that William and his father Prince Charles were ‘trapped’ in their royal roles were also said to be ‘way off the mark’, with a source insisting that William does not see it that way.
‘He has a path set for him and he’s completely accepting of his role. He is very much his grandmother’s grandson in that respect of duty and service,’ they said.
The relationship between the two brothers, who were once so close, has been strained for some time now and appears to have only got worse following the interview.
But, according to the newspaper, it was William who initially tried to smooth things over, playing peacekeeper in the tense run-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018.
The Duke of Cambridge was also said to be furious at Harry and Meghan’s ‘insulting and disrespectful’ treatment of the Queen and thinks they ‘blindsided’ her before quitting royal duties
They finally divided their households in March 2019 following a series of disagreements about Harry’s role but William was still said to be shocked and upset when his brother decided to moved to America a year later.
Harry and Meghan’s controversial departure, dubbed ‘Megxit’, saw them choose to step back from senior roles and become financially independent.
Sow, has green-fingered Kate found a new calling?
As a royal who’s truly engaged with gardening, the Duchess of Cambridge could take advantage of a seed-swapping scheme based in a disused red telephone box on her own doorstep.
It is just 200 yards from Kate’s home at Anmer Hall on the Queen’s 20,000-acre Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
The estate, which owns most of Anmer’s houses, bought it for £1 under a BT scheme that lets residents choose a new community use for the boxes.
It is understood the Duchess has yet to use the kiosk, but she revealed last June that her children loved growing plants from seeds.
The Duchess of Cambridge could take advantage of a seed-swapping scheme based in a disused red telephone box on her own doorstep
After the infamous ‘Sandringham summit’ – when the Megxit deal was hammered out – William and Harry went for a walk to clear the air. However they did not part shores as friends, it was reported.
William was said to have been particularly aggrieved by the couple’s surprise launch of their ‘Sussex Royal’ website before the summit last January.
Later, when the Queen decreed they could no longer use ‘royal’ in their future ventures, Meghan and Harry hit back with a bold statement saying they did not intend to use ‘Sussex Royal’ or ‘Royal’ even though there was ‘not any jurisdiction’ over its use overseas.
A senior royal source told the newspaper that both the content and the fact the statement is still online is ‘staggering’.
The source added: ‘That was it for William, he felt they’d blindsided the Queen in such an insulting and disrespectful way.’
The issue was said to still be on William’s mind at the Commonwealth Day service last year – the Sussexes’ final engagement as working royals – when tensions between the brothers were palpable.
Despite this, it has been reported that William still hopes to heal the rift. A friend of William’s said the relationship was still ‘raw’, adding: ‘He’s very upset by what’s happened, though absolutely intent that he and Harry’s relationship will heal in time.’
The comments come amid reports that the Queen is considering appointing a diversity tsar to modernise the Monarchy.
As part of a major drive, aides will speak to a range of businesses and individuals about how the Monarchy can improve representation, The Mail on Sunday reported yesterday.