Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are supposedly furious over Prince William and Catherine's high-profile appearance alongside Tom Cruise at a London film premiere, according to royal biographer Tom Bower, who claimed the event would have provoked envy from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Bower offered no evidence of the couple's private reaction, and neither Harry nor Meghan has publicly commented on his remarks.
The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the world premiere of Digger at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The event, held as the 73rd Royal Film Performance in support of Britain's Film and TV Charity, brought the royal couple together with Cruise and members of the film's cast and production team.
Bower, a longtime critic of Harry and Meghan, discussed the premiere during an appearance on GB News with presenters Alex Armstrong and Ellie Costello. He portrayed William and Catherine's red-carpet appearance as a public-relations success for the royal family and speculated about how the Sussexes might have responded.
"It was marvellous," Bower said. "One can imagine in the Cotswolds this morning, the Sussexes are pulling their hair out with envy and anger."
His comments were an interpretation of the couple's presumed feelings, not a firsthand account. There has been no confirmation that Harry and Meghan watched the premiere or expressed anger about William and Catherine's appearance.
Bower also argued that more frequent public engagements by the Prince and Princess of Wales could draw attention away from Harry and Meghan's criticism of the royal family.
"Of course, it's business as usual," he said, adding that he hoped William and Catherine would appear more often to "snap the oxygen out of the Sussexes' campaign against the Royal Family."
The biographer's remarks came amid renewed scrutiny of the royal family following allegations in Charles Spencer's memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister. Spencer, the younger brother of the late Princess Diana, has accused King Charles of making insensitive remarks following Diana's death in 1997, an account Buckingham Palace has challenged.
In response, a palace spokesperson said the King was "mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss." Spencer has stood by his recollection, insisting in a BBC interview that he was "telling the truth."
William and Catherine's appearance at the premiere took place against that backdrop. Catherine wore a full-length purple Jenny Packham gown, paired with Princess Diana's pearl-drop earrings and an amethyst sautoir necklace associated with the late Queen Mother. William wore a black velvet dinner jacket and bow tie.
Cruise has maintained a public association with the royal family for years, having met Diana before her death and attended her funeral in 1997. His appearance alongside William and Catherine provided another high-profile occasion for the Prince and Princess of Wales as they continued their public engagements.
Harry, meanwhile, was in New York on Wednesday for the Clinton Global Initiative's annual meeting, where he delivered a speech warning about the risks artificial intelligence and social media pose to children. His appearance was interrupted when a teleprompter malfunctioned roughly seven minutes into his address.
"The damage was already done to a generation of children and parents," Harry told the audience before the interruption. "We do not have years for what comes next."
After the teleprompter stopped displaying his prepared remarks, Harry paused and said, "And that's it." He then put down his microphone and left the stage.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex confirmed that the interruption resulted from a technical fault. Harry returned approximately 40 minutes later, after other presentations, to complete his speech.
"AI got into my speech, so I was asked to come out and finish it," Harry joked when he returned.
His address focused on the growing influence of artificial intelligence on children's lives and the need for stronger protections against online harm. Harry warned that emerging technology could affect young people's relationships and emotional development in ways that differ from traditional social media.
