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Prince William has been criticized for his work ethic, but not this week.
The Prince of Wales is booked and busy, coincidentally the same week that Prince Harry is in the U.K. for his annual WellChild Awards visit. That means that the British tabloids can stop the speculation as to whether the feuding siblings will reconcile during the trip.
William even made a subtle statement by having his wife, Kate Middleton, make an appearance at his Monday, Sept. 8 royal appearance. Anytime the Princess of Wales is out and about, it’s an instant show-stopping moment — and likely lessens the Harry headlines.
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King Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry.
Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty Images.
This avoidance trick by William isn’t surprising, though, many royal experts have asserted that he isn’t interested in healing the family wounds with Harry. According to the Daily Beast, the Prince of Wales thinks it’s a “terrible, terrible idea” for King Charles to meet with Harry because he believes it makes his father look “weak.”
On the other hand, the Duke of Sussex is coming from a place of peace. He’s had enough with the royal rift. “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” the Duke of Sussex told the BBC in May, “I don’t know how much longer my father has.”
King Charles’ battle with cancer has likely put everything into perspective for Harry, but William won’t budge. While the Duke of Sussex has received plenty of criticism for airing his family’s dirty laundry in his 2023 memoir, Spare, William is not without criticism either.
Going back to 2022, royal expert Duncan Larcombe told the Daily Beast, “If William wants to be a future king, a great leader giving inspiring addresses about the environment to two billion people, then the public are within their rights to expect him to be able to sort out a frankly pretty minor dispute with his brother.”
In December 2024, a palace insider called William “petty and ridiculous” for not finding a way to at least get along with Harry from a distance.
“It’s extraordinary how what was essentially a family argument has got completely out of proportion and is now causing immense damage not just to Harry’s reputation, but also to the king, who looks weak for not being able to crack his sons’ heads together, and the future king, William, who looks petty and ridiculous,” the source told the media outlet. “Whether or not it is the case, it looks very much like William refused to attend the awards after hearing Harry was making a video appearance. Is this how he is going to rule the country?”
With the feud now over seven years old, it’s at a point where William might need to step up and show what his future leadership will look like by forgiving Harry once and for all.
Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s milestones since leaving the royal family.
