Prince William and Princess Kate have kept their distance from royal engagements in Wales, as Prince Harry briefly met with King Charles.
The Duke of Sussex met with his father for the first time in 19 months, but his older brother, Prince William, and his wife, Princess Kate, were far away from Buckingham Palace as they attended a royal engagement in Cardiff instead.
William and Kate have so far avoided Harry while he’s in the UK on charity visits. Instead, they are pictured at joint engagements, and William attends solo appearances. It comes after ‘disturbed’ Prince William got angry with Meghan Markle over the missing Princess Diana diamonds.
The Prince of Wales’s most recent appearance was visiting a new mental health hub being built in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
While Harry’s meeting with his father was the first time the pair had met in 19 months, Harry and William have been at the same event more recently. The brothers both attended the funeral of their uncle Lord Robert Fellowes last August, although they remained separated.
The pair are said not to be on speaking terms, and their relationship has deteriorated since Harry stepped back from royal duties in 2020. He and his wife, Meghan Markle, have been open in interviews and the press, not holding back in their comments about the royal family. From their 2021 Netflix documentary series to Harry’s memoir in 2023, the pair have been vocal about the alleged racist comments to Meghan Markle and treatment within Palace circles.
Previously a PR expert has revealed that William and Kate could be staying in the public eye with busy events as part of a ‘PR campaign’ and because of fears that ‘Harry could outshine them’.
Fiona Harrold, PR expert, explained, “Prince Harry has arrived back in the UK for a charity walk, and William and Kate are everywhere. They’re on the front pages of every newspaper in the UK, attending events, changing hair colour, and appointing a new CEO for their Royal Foundation.
“They appear to be launching a PR campaign to stop Harry from stealing the limelight. Harry was the most popular member of the Royal family until he left and moved to the US. There is a lot of affection and sympathy for Harry in the UK, and if he wished to spend more time in his homeland, he would be welcomed.”
She added, “William has never enjoyed the warmth that Harry has and does not have the ‘common touch’ that Harry has inherited from his mother. William and Kate may be worried that Harry could outshine them – and he could.” It comes after King Charles was reduced to tears after overhearing Prince William’s private conversation.
