Prince William does not feel “trapped” by his role as heir to the British throne, sources close to the Duke of Cambridge have insisted. A new report from the UK’s Sunday Times was published on March 20, less than two weeks after Prince Harry remarked during his interview with Oprah Winfrey that his elder brother was unable to “leave that system”. A source close to William told the outlet that he was left “reeling” by the “way off the mark” comments. “Once he got over the anger of how things happened, he was left with the absence of his brother,” sources said of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle choosing to leave the Royal Family.
“They shared everything about their lives, an office, a foundation, meetings together most days and there was a lot of fun along the way. He’ll miss it for ever,” the source continued, while a friend of the brothers claimed that William “definitely feels the pressure now that it’s all on him – his future looks different because of his brother’s choices. It’s not easy.” Another source also opened up about William’s relationship with Kate Middleton, following Meghan and Harry’s explosive sit-down interview.
“They’ve got a solid relationship and she gives him confidence. There’s no jealousy, no friction. They are happy for each other’s successes,” the insider explained. “For years, the battles around privacy and paparazzi intrusion were all-consuming. He wanted to know, could we build them a credible plan allowing them a family life while slowly increasing the profile of official life? It took years to get there, but the success of that plan allowed him to be confident in his role. He’s not worried about his kids’ privacy any more and he has been able to be the kind of dad he wants to be.”
William first broke his silence after his brother’s interview during an appearance on March 11. William told a reporter from Sky News that he had not yet spoken to his brother, but assured that he “will be”. When the reporter directly asked whether or not the Royal Family was racist, he responded, “We’re very much not a racist family.”