Why Prince Harry is perfect sounding board for William's 'swaggery'

Royal author Tina Brown has suggested that Prince William would benefit from a stronger relationship with his brother, Prince Harry, who could help temper William's statements and actions when necessary. 

The brothers, who are currently not on speaking terms, have had a strained relationship in recent years. However, Brown pointed to William's recent interview in South Africa as a reason why Harry’s influence could be valuable. 

According to Brown, Harry used to be the sibling who could “bring William down a peg,” offering a more irreverent and grounded perspective when needed.

Brown criticised William’s recent remarks about his approach to royal duties, which she felt echoed the long-established efforts of his father, King Charles. 

During the interview, William described his vision for a “caring, sharing monarchy” and spoke about the importance of empathy in leadership. While his intentions were well-meaning, Brown suggested that the way he phrased things made him appear somewhat performative.

In his interview, William explained his commitment to modernising the monarchy, saying, “I’m trying to do it for my generation. And to give you more of an understanding around it, I’m doing it with maybe a smaller R in the royal if you like. So it’s more about impact philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people. I’m also going to throw empathy in there as well because I really care about what I do. It helps impact people’s lives.

“We could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world. So that’s what I’m trying to bring, that’s what Catherine is trying to bring as well."