Britain’s Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, issued a joint statement on their relationship Monday in a rare sign of public unity since news broke that Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, would split their time between the U.K. and North America in a bid to become “financially independent” and step down as senior members of the royal family.
“Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a U.K. newspaper today speculating about the relationship between the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge,” read the statement, issued jointly by spokespeople for the brothers. “For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful.”
‘For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful.’
An article in The Sunday Times claimed the Sussexes felt they were on the receiving end of a “bullying” attitude by Prince William: “If you are Meghan and Harry and you have had two years of constantly being told your place, constantly bullied as they would see it, constantly being told what you can’t do, Meghan has been thinking, ‘This is just nuts. Why would anyone put up with this?’”
Those comments were attributed to a source close to both brothers, who had worked together on a mental-health initiative with their wives. The foursome were regularly referred to as “the fab four.” Harry, William, Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth are reportedly meeting Monday to discuss the fallout from the royal feud and agree on the logistics of the Sussexes becoming hybrid royals.
Harry spoke about his relationship with William last year. “Inevitably stuff happens. But we’re brothers, we’ll always be brothers,” he told an ITV documentary. “We’re certainly on different paths at the moment. I’ll always be there for him and as I know, he’ll always be there for me. We don’t see each other as much as we used to because we’re so busy but I love him dearly.”
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The Sunday Times, citing an unnamed friend said William told him, “I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can’t do that any more; we’re separate entities. I’m sad about that. All we can do, and all I can do, is try and support them and hope that the time comes when we’re all singing from the same page. I want everyone to play on the same team.”
Tom Bradby, who directed the ITV film “Harry & Meghan: An African Journey,” which aired in the U.S. on Disney’s DIS, -0.38% ABC last year, alleged that the couple’s plan to move to North America may have been leaked by Buckingham Palace. “It gives an indication of just how poisonous and frankly Machiavellian the modern House of Windsor has become,” he wrote in The Sunday Times.
Bradby alleged that the unfriendly atmosphere effectively forced the Sussexes to leave “The Firm,” as the British media calls the House of Windsor. “It is pretty clear to me from conversations with both sides that this exit could suit everyone, at least in terms of narrow self-interest,” Bradby added. “But there is no doubt Harry and Meghan feel they have been driven out.”
Harry and Markle, his American-born wife, announced on Instagram FB, +1.61% Wednesday that they would “work to become financially independent” and move overseas. Markle left for Canada on Thursday, but reports say she may join the emergency summit by phone. Harry is expected to join her when he finishes hashing out a deal on their new life in Canada and the U.S.
The queen was reportedly “disappointed,” and had asked the couple to hold off on issuing a statement before the financials, logistics and public-relations strategy were all worked out. Markle has dealt with press coverage that has been described by some as both overtly and covertly racist, while others pointed to the different standards used to report on Kate Middleton and Markle.
(The Sunday Times is owned by News U.K., a subsidiary of News Corp., the parent company of MarketWatch owner Dow Jones.)
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