By going public with his younger brother, Prince Harry, Prince William seems to have conveyed a subtle but clear message.
The casual April appearance of Prince William at a pub in North Norfolk with Princess Kate's mother, Carole Middleton, appears to confront Prince Harry's long-standing worries about his safety in the UK, especially for his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
After losing his government-provided security, Prince Harry has been open about his concerns for the safety of his family since he left the UK in 2020. He wants Meghan and their children to return to Britain, but he doesn't think he can do it without proper protection. This is one of the main reasons why the Sussexes have decided to stay in the US.
British royal author Richard Eden said in The Daily Mail that Prince William's trip to the pub appears to "blow apart" Prince Harry's story. Eden made the observation that, in contrast to Prince Harry's claim to have "fled Britain fearing for our lives," William is able to conduct a somewhat regular life, without being as worried, and enjoys simple outings.
This difference begs the question of why the brothers see life in the UK in such different ways. However, Prince William's behavior betrays a quite different reality, even though Prince Harry has been quite vocal about his concerns for his family's safety. Some may wonder why Harry feels the need for increased protection while the Prince of Wales is free to go about his daily life as he pleases.
Prince Harry was unsuccessful in his challenge to the UK government's handling of his security during his visit to the UK earlier this year at the High Court. His inability to travel to the UK with his family is made much more complicated by this defeat; he still feels insecure without the official security he enjoyed when serving as a working royal.
This announcement comes at a time when Prince Harry is in New York for a series of prominent engagements. While Prince Harry will be in New York, he will not be visiting his older brother, Prince William. On Tuesday, there will be the 2024 Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, which will coincide with Prince Harry's journey.
Prince William attended the 2023 Earthshot Prize event in New York City last year; this is one of his primary areas of focus. The brothers' alleged uneasy presence in New York next month has sparked talk about a possible reconciliation between them. But now we know that Prince William has no plans to visit New York City later this month.
Although Prince William did send a video message to the summit in 2022, he was unable to attend in person due to the royal mourning period following the death and funeral of the late Queen. However, he did attend in 2023.
Business Times has reached out to Prince William and Prince Harry for comments.