Since the Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, announced their departure from the royal family back in 2020, Prince William and Prince Harry have not been in contact. However, author and former royal correspondent Valentine Low discloses the heir apparent’s fruitless last-minute attempt to meet with his brother.
When a trailer for the ITV documentary Harry and Meghan: An African Journey debuted in 2019, the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were in the middle of a tour in Pakistan. In the trailer, the couple opened up about their challenges with royal life.
In the “A Right Royal Aide” episode, Valentine says Prince William was quick to reach out to Harry in an effort to have a heart-to-heart after learning about his feelings from the teaser trailers and was “concerned” for his brother.
Harry, however, was concerned about palace leaks, so the meeting was called off.
“When William and Catherine had been in Pakistan, and the trailer for the ITV documentary about Harry and Meghan, in South Africa, was about to come out, that was the one when Meghan was quite clearly having a bad time and spoke about it,” he said to hosts Andrea Caamano and Emmy Griffiths, as well as royal editor Emily Nash. It was also extremely startling. William was worried about his brother when he returned from Pakistan and wasn’t sure what to do when someone told him to “just go around there, go round to Frogmore Cottage.”
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He may have been responding to a WhatsApp message when he picked up the phone. However, it appears that he did talk to Harry and express his desire to visit him. And while Harry was at first somewhat receptive to this notion, he later asked William, “Well, who are you going to tell if you come round?” “Well, you know, I have to tell my private secretary because I have to change my diary,” William remarked. Harry responded, “All right, then, don’t come.” Because he was extremely concerned that it would leak once the staff found out. It was somewhat depressing.
“Now, it could be that Harry was also looking for an excuse to say, ‘Don’t come,'” the former Times correspondent continued. It has been suggested, without a doubt, that this meeting would never have happened. However, the fact that they were unable to have these moments still breaks my heart.”
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Valentine also reminisces about the extremely “rude” remark Prince Harry made to the royal press pack after he and Meghan’s tour of Australia. This extended episode also delves deeply into the identities of the men in grey suits who work with the royal family, including the amazing “techniques” that press secretaries employ to persuade royals to do “the right thing.”
