The Duke of Cambridge could become “worried” if Prince Harry uses their late mother on his Archewell Foundation’s website, royal author Phil Damphier claimed. Speaking to the Dailymail.co.uk, Mr Damphier said Harry’s apparent omission of Prince Charles’ work in his charity’s website could be “significant” for the brothers.
He said: “I think William will be slightly worried if Harry uses Diana for any of his charitable or commercial ventures without consulting him, and I don’t think he would be happy if Harry appears to be exploiting his mother’s iconic status.
“It’s also very significant that Harry called himself his ‘mother’s son’ but has made no mention of Prince Charles.
“William is very much following now in his father’s footsteps with his environmental and conservation work.
“And although Harry has praised his father in the past, it seems odd not to mention him more and work in conjunction with him, rather than separately.”
But the apparent dig at Prince Charles could also be a sign of empathy from Harry as his wife, Meghan Markle, is thought not to have a close relationship with her father.
The royal author said: “I suspect that part of the reason for the emphasis on mothers is that Meghan is so close to her mother and of course is estranged from her father, so perhaps Harry is thinking of her when he concentrates only on Diana.
“I think that for many years Harry bottled up his feelings about his mother’s tragic death and Meghan encouraged him to dig deep and bring out some of the problems that he has been wrestling with.”
The expert warned the Duke’s openness about his mother could help him overcome his problems or cause him to stay stuck in the past.
Former royal editor at Charlie Rae said, while William tried to defend Diana’s memory over a number of years, the Sussexes were “using her for just the sake of using a hook to make money”.
Royal Fans took to Twitter to express their thoughts on the incendiary remarks.
One royal fan wrote: “I guess it’s OK for HIM to monetise his mother and son to promote podcasts and Netflix deals.”
Another commenter added: “Harry is doing exactly what he claims the media did to his Mum.”
A third person added that Harry was “selling out,” while someone else accused the Duke of telling people “do as I say not as I do”.
In 2019, the Duke released a statement on the Royal Family’s website saying the media was “commoditising” his mother.
He wrote: “As a couple, we believe in media freedom and objective, truthful reporting. We regard it as a cornerstone of democracy and in the current state of the world ‒ on every level ‒ we have never needed responsible media more.
“Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences ‒ a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son.
“There is a human cost to this relentless propaganda, specifically when it is knowingly false and malicious, and though we have continued to put a brave face ‒ as so many of you can relate to ‒ I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been. Because in today’s digital age, press fabrications are repurposed as truth across the globe.”
