Prince William feels sadness over his rift with his only brother Prince Harry. As the latter announced, along with his wife Meghan Markle, that they want to reduce their roles in the royal family, the Duke of Cambridge confirmed that he and the Duke of Sussex are now "separate entities."
According to the Sunday Times, Prince William apparently said that while he has put his arms around Prince Harry all their lives, he can no longer do this with their separation. He hopes, however, that they will one day be on the same page and play for the same team.
Prince William's statement comes as he is about to go on a face-to-face meeting with Prince Harry. Queen Elizabeth summoned her grandsons to Sandringham, along with their father Prince Charles, to thresh out the Duke of Sussex's issue with his royal role.
In a statement last Wednesday, Jan. 8, Prince Harry and Meghan said that they want to be released from the Sovereign Grant that pays for their royal duties. This means that they will no longer be using taxpayers' money to fund their lifestyle and work.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also want to be out of the royal rota, which includes a pool of journalists covering stories about their work and lives. Essentially, if they are released from the Sovereign Grant, they are no longer accountable to the public and the media who writes stories about the royal.
Instead, Prince Harry and Meghan want to be able to choose which publication or journalists can do the stories about them. They also said that they will be releasing information on social media instead of doing press releases or giving them media exclusives.
According to PR Weekly, Prince Harry and Meghan's motivation to drop out of the royal rota is laudable. However, it may also backfire if they want to have a quieter life away from the prying eyes of the media.
One analyst said that the intrusion from the press will not stop. As it is, there are apparently members of the paparazzi who are reportedly planning to move to Canada and follow the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The British tabloid press will also not stop writing about their lives, which means their problems with the media will not go away.
Another analyst said that what they want is a Hollywood media strategy. Their decision to step down has disrespected the institution that has given them the platform and the fame.
