ONE'S WORRIED
‘Fragile’ Prince Harry is ‘not in great shape’ and has ‘fractious’ relationship with Prince William
ROYAL insiders have revealed "fragile" Prince Harry is "not in great shape" and his relationship with Prince William is "fractious".
A senior Kensington Palace source said William is genuinely worried for Harry and Meghan after their emotional TV interview and hopes they “are all right”.
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They added it was feared the couple’s admission they were struggling to cope with being in the spotlight showed they are “in a fragile place.”
During Sunday night’s interview, Harry referred to the rift between him and his brother — saying that although he knew William was there for him, they were “certainly on different paths”.
It has been reported the princes spoke to each other privately after the documentary aired.
Sources told The Times "they would have been in touch", and a line had been drawn in the fallout of Harry's remarks on his sibling relationship.
They added: "These are conversations that should take place privately. It is not a topic to play out in public."
But a source close to the brothers said Harry’s recent behaviour, including attacks on the media and weeping in public as he spoke of son Archie’s birth, showed all was not well.
The source added: “Harry is not in great shape. I’d say he’s not well, declaring war on everyone, crying in public.
“These are not the actions of a well-balanced man. He and William are badly split over his mother’s legacy.
“Harry’s view is, ‘The press killed my mum and now they are going to kill my wife'.
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“William has a more nuanced view. He hated the topless pictures of Kate but accepts you have to live with the press. He knows Diana allowed the press too close and co-operated with them.
“So you have these two competing narratives and it’s making relations fractious.
“Add to that William is clearly in training to be King and recognises that, while Harry has little purpose.
“He doesn’t really have a job of any description and stews on perceived wrongs.”
In the documentary the Prince talked of moving his family to South Africa.
The source added: “Harry and Meghan are really not happy at the moment. They have raised the issue of moving abroad. I don’t think they will stick around much longer.
“You’ve got an older brother and his wife in William and Kate — then a younger pair who are pushy, difficult, frankly also a bit immature.
“There are also competing groups of advisers in each household. It’s not a happy mix.”
It is understood the Queen would have been "a little bit dismayed" by the broadcast of personal relationship details to the public, the Daily Telegraph reports.
But a Buckingham Palace spokesman wouldn't comment on any private conversations the Monarch may have had with her grandsons.
Within hours of airing Palace sources were playing down suggestions William was “furious” with Harry over the ITV documentary. One said: “Anybody who watched it would feel compassion and concern.
“As Harry has said, he knows his brother is there for him. They have been on different paths for many months.
“But there is no anger between them.”
These are not the actions of a well-balanced man.
One source told the Daily Mail: "Actually I just think there is a deep sadness there. Things will never be the same again, clearly.
"People will debate what he said about their relationship, although the truth is, as he said, that they are on different paths and don't see as much of each other as they used to.
"But that doesn't stop him being concerned about his brother."
Pals close to Prince Harry praised his answers to the question about his brother as tactful and truthful, whereas others suggested he should have denied any spat or declined to give a response.
There has also been disquiet among senior royals over Meghan’s suggestion in the documentary that she was “not really OK” and that no one had asked after her.
It is understood the Queen and Charles try to include Meghan as much as possible.
One senior courtier was reported as saying: “I know the Prince of Wales has several times reached out to Meghan. They get on and share a love of music.
"I know he invited her to a preview of an exhibition at the palace.
“The Queen has been a source of strength too and invited them both to Balmoral where family problems are usually aired.”
Harry and Meghan’s recent tour of southern Africa ended in acrimony as the couple launched legal action against British newspapers.
In contrast, William and Kate’s tour of Pakistan was a triumph. Kate looked at ease and happy, playing cricket with local children and letting them tie a friendship bracelet to her wrist.
William appeared statesmanlike talking about Pakistan’s security situation.
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The couple also exchanged banter with the press corps covering the trip.
Aides have tried to play down any suggestion of growing rivalry between the brothers since Harry broke away from William’s Kensington Palace household.
Sources have always been adamant William will "always have his [Harry's] back".
Harry wanted to set up his own court but dad Charles and the Queen overruled him and made him part of the Buckingham Palace operation, so they could keep an eye on him.
DIVERGENT PATHS
Behind the scenes Harry and William have fallen out and are on increasingly divergent paths. The source added: “William is going to be King and acts like that.
“The Pakistan trip brings that into sharp focus.
“They are acting brilliantly and doing what’s expected of senior royals.
“At the same time you’ve got Harry and Meghan pouring their hearts out and on the verge of tears.”
The source said the splits in the royal households were made worse by the departure of the Queen’s respected former private secretary Christopher Geidt, who resigned in 2017 after ten years.
The source added: “There is nobody there to act as a central authority which makes it worse. Allowing Geidt to leave was a massive mistake as he held the whole thing together.”
Tensions between the brothers blew up ahead of last year’s royal wedding after William privately expressed concern about Harry’s whirlwind romance with Meghan.
Adopting the stiff upper lip is really damaging.
Meghan Markle
The two couples also split over their charitable work, with Harry and Meghan set to launch their own royal foundation next year.
In contrast, William and Kate have been praised for flying budget airlines.
Harry and Meghan are expected to take six weeks off at the end of the year.
In the documentary about Harry, Meghan and Archie’s recent tour of Africa, she revealed she was struggling with her new royal role and complained that not many people had asked if she was “OK”.
DUCHESS REVEALS TABLOID WARNING
MEGHAN revealed she was warned against a relationship with Prince Harry because "the British tabloids will destroy your life".
The Duchess of Sussex told how after the warning from a British friend, she had “very naively” replied: “What are you talking about.
"That doesn’t make any sense."
Meghan was speaking during the couple’s recent tour of southern Africa.
It came as it was announced she was suing the Mail on Sunday over an allegation that it unlawfully published a private letter she sent to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.
At the same time Harry issued a ferocious attack on the British tabloids, accusing them of a “ruthless” campaign against Meghan. Harry also issued legal proceedings against the owners of the Sun and the Daily Mirror.
Meghan told the documentary: “When I first met my now husband, my friends were really happy because I was so happy.
"But my British friends said to me: ‘I’m sure he’s great. But you shouldn’t do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life'.
"I never thought this would be easy but I thought it would be fair. That’s the part that's really hard to reconcile.
"When people are saying things that are just untrue, I don’t know anybody that would feel that’s OK. You have no idea."
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She also attacked the traditional British stiff-upper-lip attitude, saying it was “damaging”.
Harry said that he and William have “good days” and “bad days”.
The Duke of Sussex added: “We are certainly on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him as I know he will always be there for me.”
Harry as a ‘victim’ was sad to watch
ROYAL writer Penny Junor said she hopes William and Harry heal the rift.
She added: “I hope if William calls, Harry picks up the phone.
“It is sad this has been done so publicly.
“The friendship and bond between the two brothers has been so strong — it sustained them throughout childhood and adolescence.
“But Harry seems to be lost. He doesn’t appear to be taking advice and not in a very happy place.”
Penny, below, said she felt great sadness after watching the ITV interview.
She added: “In the past when we have seen Harry on TV, we have come away with a smile on our face because he is a character who is funny, and is so positive.
“I felt sorry because he was not behaving as he would in the past. Something’s wrong. He looked burdened and playing the victim, which does not sit comfortably with him.”
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Meghan Markle talks about the pressures of being pregnant and a new royal in clip from Harry and Meghan: An African Journey
Emotional Prince Harry describes death of mother Prince Diana as a 'wound that festers' in clip from Harry and Meghan: An African Journey
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