- Written by Sean Coughlan
- royal correspondent
“Prince, goddamn Harry,” exclaimed award-winning US soccer player Cameron Hayward at the beginning of his emotional acceptance speech, in which he thanked God and his many other supporters.
The football star looked as surprised as anyone to see the Duke of Sussex handing him his award at the NFL’s ceremony in Las Vegas.
After somber headlines that the King flew to London to see his father after being diagnosed with cancer, here was Prince Harry in Nevada. Despite traveling abroad, he seemed relaxed, except to “take a breath every 15 seconds” as he teased about reinventing American football rugby.
Sports stars weren’t the only ones confused by Prince Harry’s presence.
After a turbulent week of news about the health of the Royal Family, people are still confused about Prince Harry, who will cross the Atlantic to meet the King on Tuesday.
If you were to travel overnight across the Atlantic to London, anxiously rushing there from Heathrow in a convoy to meet your parents with bad news, you wonder how long you would be able to stay with your family. Do you have it?
When the meeting started, it probably lasted less than 45 minutes.
And he never met his brother, the Prince of Wales. Even before Prince Harry contacted his father at Clarence House, sources had already ruled out the possibility of such an encounter.
There couldn’t have been some soothing music of brotherly love playing in the background. Even in an emergency like this, there is no way the family permafrost will start to thaw. All there was was a garish, grainy photo of Harry in the obligatory black Range Rover.
Historian and author Sir Anthony says, “If his father’s illness did not become the catalyst for his relationship with William to improve, what would have happened? With each passing year and each important moment in his life, the rifts widened.” It will become even stronger.” Seldon.
He warned that Prince Harry would be the one to lose public support over the conflict, saying he should “take charge of his own life” and not see himself as a “victim”.
“The truth is that Prince Harry is an exceptionally talented and caring person who has the potential to do enormous good. I remain optimistic, but with each passing year and crisis… With each passing moment, that optimism takes a hit,” says Sir Anthony.
So why was his visit to his father so short-lived? And why did Prince Harry take off again overnight?
It is understood that the timing of the events in Las Vegas was not a determining factor in his rapid change of direction.
Instead, my suggestion is to shift your thinking and imagine the trip from Harry’s perspective.
He had flown in to see his parents who had dire news about their health. The meeting ends quickly for some reason, and then everyone leaves. He is in a hotel, but no one rushes to see him except the press.
What happens next? Well, that’s a quick return to the US.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are not hiding. In fact, the opposite is true: he has already traveled to Jamaica this year and is scheduled to visit Canada next week for an event related to the Invictus Games, which he founded.
“I think his quick visit seemed a bit strange,” says royal commentator and academic Professor Pauline McLellan, who has a different take on what happened.
“My interpretation is that when Prince Harry heard the news, he acted on impulse because he felt he had to meet his father in person,” she added. “We’ve already heard that they spoke to Prince Harry on his birthday and tried to sort of reconcile, so I think he thought this was another important step.
“However, the meeting was cut short as King Charles was already scheduled to go to Sandringham for some much-needed rest after treatment. However, he delayed it to spend time with Prince Harry.”
Indeed, it’s a very human interpretation to think that the 75-year-old king would have been tired after undergoing cancer treatment following recent prostate surgery.
Alarming health news like this often leaves people upset and confused. Anyone who learns of such news about cancer or disease knows that reactions to such shocks can be unpredictable.
It’s also true that tensions in the royal family are far greater between brothers Prince William and Prince Harry than between their relationship with their father. At every opportunity there were signs that the king wanted to leave the door open to reconciliation.
If there’s not just a love triangle but a love triangle of hate, another major tension for Prince Harry is his feud with the tabloids.
The front page coverage of Prince Harry’s brief visit as evidence of his family’s disdain for him is in the context of the hostility some in the media feel towards him and their readiness to take him to court. needs to be understood.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have become their own front in the culture wars.
However, Prince Harry did not meet his brother Prince William. There is no trace of an olive branch. And perhaps the reason this disagreement gets so much attention is because it allows us to project our own thoughts and feelings about family conflict.
Psychologist Dr. Sandra Wheatley says sibling rivalry is not about status.
“This shows that everyone is human. It’s rare that you come across someone who feels like they were treated equally by their parents,” she says.
Major events in family life, such as illness, death, or marriage, can make people feel vulnerable and can increase tensions between siblings.
“Highly emotional moments can trigger highly emotional reactions,” Dr. Wheatley said, adding that when family rifts occur, they can be long-lasting and intense.
“It’s amazing how a person can put so much vitriol and energy into belittling someone. It’s so harmful,” she says of the most intense sibling rivalry.
No one really knows what happens in the private life of the royal family. Will only crowned brothers joust, like Liam and Noel Gallagher?
What is clear is that even though King Charles has recovered and returned to work, his two sons are on very different and different paths.
Just as Prince Charles once had to take on more royal roles as his mother grew older, Prince William will inevitably be expected to take on more high-profile duties as the next in line to the throne. become.
At an A-list event with actor Tom Cruise, Prince William was the first to thank the monarch for his messages of support. He’s the voice of a long-established organization, whereas his brother Harry’s business feels more like a California start-up.
As the number of working royals dwindles and those that remain begin to look older and frail, Prince William will take on an even bigger role. The pressure is compounded by the fact that Prince William’s wife, Duchess Kate, is also recovering from surgery.
The growing disparity in Prince William and Prince Harry’s lives could further fuel tensions and resentment between the royal brothers.
“Prince William will feel that he has to shoulder all the responsibility more than ever, while Prince Harry will act more impulsively,” Professor McLaran said.
Despite the seeming lack of family reconciliation, behind the scenes there appears to be a long-term trend toward increased contact, particularly between Prince Harry and his father.
But talking about the construction of such a bridge in public can sound like an invasion of privacy.
And when sibling relationships deteriorate, eventually “someone has to step up and say, ‘I’m sorry,'” says psychologist Dr. Wheatley.
But she stopped and said, “But often I don’t. If I didn’t, I would have lost my job.”