Prince William, the man who was born first to the man who was born first (which naturally entitles him to a life of obscene wealth and privilege) and his wife, have decided that the best way to deal with Prince Harry’s upcoming UK visit is to run away.
According to reports, while Harry heads to the High Court to face down Associated Newspapers - the same toxic press William has spent years cosying up to - the Waleses will be busy at the National Curling Academy in Stirling.
The press calls it a “subtle snub.” But surely, once you leak your “subtle” snub to the tabloids, it’s not subtle anymore. Subtlety requires discretion; William has the discretion of a megaphone.
Harry’s visit, of course, isn’t a family reunion. It’s a legal showdown. He’s suing Associated Newspapers alongside Elton John, Liz Hurley, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, and others, accusing the Mail titles of illegal information‑gathering. Associated denies everything, of course … except for the bit where they admit they used private investigators before 2007. But they insist it wasn’t illegal. This is Harry’s third major battle with the press, after victories against the Mirror and The Sun. In other words, he’s going up against William’s pals in the media, the same ones who happily brief on his behalf.
So William’s “snub” looks less like a principled stand and more like a snivelling sidekick ducking out of sight when the school bully gets called to the headmaster’s office. Curling in Stirling is a convenient excuse, but there’s no ducking the fact that it’s the heir to the throne fleeing south London just as his brother confronts the press that has long been his own attack dogs.
And we all know William doesn’t do subtle. This is the man who briefed against his own brother while insisting he was “protecting the monarchy.” Who sent his aide, Jason Knauf, into court to testify against his sister-in-law. Now he’s leaking his diary clash to the tabloids, hoping it will look dignified. Instead, it looks like a pantomime: William waving his schedule around like a shield, Kate nodding mutely, and the press dutifully reporting the “snub” as though it were a masterstroke rather than a pratfall.
While the man dubbed Good King Harry is in court, standing shoulder to shoulder with campaigners and public figures against alleged press corruption. William will be in Scotland, watching other people do things.
The establishment wants us to believe Harry is the problem, yet every time William tries to prove it, he ends up looking like the problem himself. A “subtle snub” that isn’t subtle, a diary clash that looks contrived, and a future king who seems allergic to accountability.
If this is what passes for strategy in the palace, no wonder they had to hire a crisis manager.