Mail: Prince Harry has more charisma than dull, ‘misery guts’ Prince William

While most of the royal coverage this week is focused on the Trump state visit to the UK, it’s curious to see that some royalists are still focused on what went down last week. Prince Harry spent four days in the UK, in what now feels like a real turning point. Harry did charity appearances, met privately with his father and received wildly positive coverage in the British media. Concurrent to Harry’s visit, Prince William and Kate’s coverage could not have been more strained. They looked pitiful as they tried to ride Harry’s coattails and/or compete for the attention of the national press. Then Tina Brown pointed out that King Charles is currently “less irritated” with Harry than he is with William, and that’s because of William’s laziness and refusal to keep up with a bare-bones public schedule. This situation was made much worse by William’s briefing spree following Harry’s visit, where William sounded like he was practically having a nervous breakdown over Harry’s visit. Well, curiously, the Mail published a column by Jenni Murray in the middle of the Trump state visit about this situation: “I know why Charles is said to be less irritated by Harry than William. It’s so clear what must change.” Some highlights:

Harry’s visit: “It felt like the old Harry was back. I have a feeling he’s bored to tears in America, seemingly doing very little apart from making brief appearances in his wife’s far from impressive lifestyle show. Things seem to have gone well with his father and he’s managed to keep whatever was said between him and King Charles at their ‘private tea’ at Clarence House to himself so far.”

Misery guts William: “Compared to the misery guts his older brother, William, can sometimes be, Harry felt like a breath of fresh air. But clearly not fresh enough to blow away the deep resentment William feels about the way Harry told tales in his memoir, Spare – personal information that should have remained private. There’s no denying Harry crossed the line when he wrote about his family for financial gain, but he has the easy manner and more relaxed attitude to life that is typical of the second child.

William the diligent: William is the conscientious, diligent one who worked hard at school, did well at university and takes his future as king extremely seriously, much as his father did when he was Prince of Wales. Even with his wife smiling supportively beside him, William’s smile always seems a little tight. He even managed to make last week’s light-hearted visit to the WI look as though he was inspecting troops. Serious and a little dull is William’s go-to demeanour.

Harry’s charm: [Harry’s visit] may not have convinced William, but it seems to have softened his father. The Royal author, Tina Brown, said last week that Charles is currently less irritated with Harry than with William, and I would argue that, after Harry’s burst of cheeriness, Britain is too. Of course, William has had a very tough time as both his father and his wife are suffering from cancer, but, as Brown observed, the huge success of Harry’s return to the UK is ‘bad news for the Prince of Wales’.

What should happen next: First, get an apology from the youngest. I’d point out to Harry that he was a fool to say in an interview this weekend that he had ‘no conscience’ about sharing so many family secrets in Spare. It was a huge mistake and he should admit it. Writers always upset their families if they allow them to be the subject of their work, as I know to my cost. He must beg to visit William and Catherine in person and, on bended knee, apologise for all the slights he and Meghan have slung at them. Then he should bring in the kids. I’m sure Archie and Lilibet would be delighted to get to know their cousins, George, Charlotte and Louis. I can imagine Louis, at seven, and Archie, six, being as thick as thieves. Then the King must let them both know how much, during his illness, he needs William and Harry.

[From The Daily Mail]

So the headline is “I know why Charles is said to be less irritated by Harry than William. It’s so clear what must change” and then she just spends the column talking about Harry’s natural charm compared to William’s misery and dullness? She’s making this about their personalities, like Charles decided to meet with Harry simply because Harry has charisma and William doesn’t. That… is not what is behind this. Although it’s pretty funny that everyone now talks openly about William being dull and miserable. Now talk about how he’s lazy and a rageholic too!

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.