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Princess Diana had always wished that her sons will be close and that Harry will help his elder brother William navigate the rigors of royal life, especially since he is the future monarch. But recently, the brothers, who were once so close, have hit a hard rock in their relationship and they’ve drifted apart.
Royal biographer Andrew Morton believes that if Diana were still here, she would be doing everything in her power to resolve the differences separating her sons, but maybe the memory of her would be strong enough to mend the rift between the brothers.
For the second time in a little over two months, Prince William and Harry will reunite to pay homage and to unveil a statue of their beloved mother on Kensington Palace grounds. The brothers will reportedly walk out together in honor of her memory and deliver their own speeches. While the rift still exists, let’s take a look at how Harry and Meghan’s absence are affecting Kate and William’s public image.
The Impact Of Harry And Meghan’s Criticisms Against The Royal Family
“How difficult is it for Harry to make these return visits to the U.K. following the interview that he and Meghan did with Oprah?” Correspondent Holly Williams asked.
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“Oh, it’s incredibly difficult,” replied Ayesha Hazarika, a journalist and former political advisor. “They are like pariahs in this country. They are treated abysmally by the press. They are criticized left, right and center.”
According to Hazarika, the royal family certainly felt a blow by the alleged racism made public by the couple: “There’s a lot of younger people, a lot of people in Black and Asian communities that look at that. They took that very, very personally. They felt really ashamed of the royal family and quite embarrassed about Britain.”
Hazarika believes that since Meghan and Harry are not only on the sidelines of royal affairs, but have taken a definite stand against the institution with fierce blames and criticisms, Kate and William have been forced to adjust their PR strategy.
“William and Kate are really being pushed to the fore in terms of publicity, particularly Kate Middleton,” said Hazarika. “I think what the PR machine behind the royal family is trying to do is turn William and Kate into the new Meghan and Harry. They’re trying to make them a bit sort of rock star-like.”
Kate Middleton And Prince William’s Cozy Family Video To Celebrate Their 10th Wedding Anniversary Was Certainly A New And Unheard-Of Move For The Royal Family.
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It was also Kate Middleton who met up with U.S. first lady Jill Biden during her visit to the U.K. this month. And Kate’s been prolific with her work as a royal and she’s been the one to do zoom calls with members of the public.
“Harry and Meghan were very, very popular and they sucked up an awful lot of the oxygen,” a royal correspondent for BBC News, Jonny Dymond said. “And so, with them off the scene, there is certainly more attention paid to William and Kate.”
The Future Of The British Royal Family
Earlier this month, Dymond reported on the Sussexes’ decision to name their daughter Lilibet, the Queen’s private nickname used by very close relatives. The couple claimed that the Queen supported their move to use the name, and were later publicly humiliated when a Palace Source confirmed that the Queen’s blessings hadn’t been sought.
“When I first reported on it, I said, ‘That is a mark of great love and respect,'” Dymond said. “Then, I was told a slightly different story from the palace. It has not made people feel any better, I think, on either side of the Atlantic.”
The majority of British citizens still side with the monarchy, but studies show that younger Britons are likely to be sympathetic to Prince Harry and Meghan. According to a recent poll conducted by YouGov, 40 percent of people aged 18-24 say they’d prefer an elected head of state.
Even some of the Queen’s subjects are beginning to think that they can do without her presence. “I’m pretty agnostic about the royals,” Jane Wilson said. “I appreciate some people love them, and they’re here. But I don’t personally see the need for them, or think Britain would be a lesser country without them.”
Williams asked Wilson, a public relations expert, to analyze Kate and William’s new video. “It was like an ad for an insurance company or some country living company,” she remarked.
“Do you think it was at least in part explicitly done to counter the narrative pushed by Harry and Meghan?” Williams asked.
Wilson replied that she certainly believes so, adding, “I think it started a sort of soft-power charm offensive for the family, for Kate and Will in particular.”
A family rift is once again threatening the existence of the institution that’s got more than a thousand-year history backing it.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that there is debate in the palace about the future of the monarchy,” Dymond said.
As for whether the monarchy is worried about its stance in the modern world, Dymond said that he isn’t sure they are, but thinks that they should be. “They know they have no God-given right to survive. They know that they are here with the forbearance and with the support of the British people. I don’t think they’re terrified, but yeah, without a doubt they think about it.”
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