Prince William and Kate Middleton are back in the swing of things regarding their royal duties after the Christmas break.
As always, there’s plenty for them to do: meetings to attend; hands to shake; places to visit. But while the Prince and Princess of Wales are well versed in their obligations, the start of the 2023 has been somewhat overshadowed by Prince Harry’s new tell-all memoir, Spare.
Both William and Kate – along with certain other members of the Royal Family – found themselves criticized in Harry’s book. The disgruntled prince revealed a lot about the way things are apparently done within the royal sphere, and not a lot of what he wrote paints the Firm in a good light.
Polls have shown that Harry lost in popularity in the UK following the book’s release, which might lead people to believe that William and Kate – standing on the other side of the fence – would perhaps enjoy a surge in popularity.
According to reports, though, that might not be the case.
As per a royal expert, William and Kate’s popularity has reached its “lowest figures on record.”
The feud between Harry and William has been ongoing for years. When Harry and Meghan Markle left the Royal Family, things got even worse. Perhaps unsurprisingly, after all interviews, documentaries, and now the release of Spare, William is more than unhappy with his brother than ever before.
In his book, Harry detailed many things about William and Kate Middleton, as well as his father, King Charles, and stepmother, Camilla, the Queen Consort.
Harry details William and Kate’s wedding day in book
Harry claimed that William knocked him to the floor, and even shed light on a particular text a furious Kate sent to Meghan before her wedding day in 2018.
In one chapter of Spare, Harry, recalled the day his brother William tied the knot with Kate Middleton. The wedding – on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey – was celebrated all over Britain. Harry was, of course, happy for his big brother.
Most people were under the assumption that Harry was William’s best man for his big day. In Spare, though, Harry revealed that he wasn’t, though the Palace made it seem as if he was.
“The public had been told that I was to be best man, but that was a bare-faced lie. The public expected me to be best man, and thus the Palace saw no choice but to say that I was. In truth, Willy didn’t want me giving a best-man speech. He didn’t think it safe to hand me a live mic and put me in a position to go off script. I might say something wildly inappropriate. He wasn’t wrong,” Harry explained.
He added: “Also, the lie gave cover to James and Thomas, two civilians, two innocents. Had they been outed as Willy’s best men, the rabid press would’ve chased them, tracked them, hacked them, investigated them, ruined their families’ lives. Both chaps were shy, quiet. They couldn’t handle such an onslaught, and shouldn’t be expected to. Willy explained all this to me and I didn’t blink. I understood. We even had a laugh about it, speculating about the inappropriate things I might’ve said in my speech.”
Moreover, Harry wrote about how his brother didn’t want to wear the uniform that he ultimately donned for the day.
“I recall thinking: Goodbye”
Instead, the future king wanted to wear his Household Cavalry Uniform. The Queen said no, though, and had him wear the red uniform of the Irish Guards instead.
“I assured [William] that he looked bloody smart in the Harp of Ireland, with the Crown Imperial and the forage cap with the regimental motto: ‘Quis Separabit? Who shall separate us?’ It didn’t seem to make an impression. I, on the other hand, did not look smart, nor did I feel comfortable, in my Blues and Royals uniform, which protocol dictated that I wear. I’d never worn it before and hoped not to wear it again anytime soon,” Harry recalled.
He added that on the morning of the wedding, William’s face was “gaunt, his eyes red,” and that his brother “reeked” inside Westminister Abbey as they waited for the bride, Kate, to arrive.
“I recall Kate walking down the aisle, looking incredible, and I recall Willy walking her back up the aisle, and as they disappeared through the door, into the carriage that would convey them to Buckingham Palace, into the eternal partnership they’d pledged, I recall thinking: Goodbye,” Harry said.
Harry spoke at length about William and Kate in his book, and even mentioned his youngest nephew, Prince George. In Spare, he detailed the moment he became an uncle for the first time when George was born.
“I was an uncle. Willy and Kate had welcomed their first child, George, and he was beautiful. I couldn’t wait to teach him about rugby and Rorke’s Drift, flying and corridor cricket – and maybe give him a few pointers about how to survive life in the fishbowl,” Harry recalled.
Harry joked about “expensive” babysitting charges for George
When he appeared at an event in 2013, Harry was asked about his newborn nephew and how he felt about becoming an uncle.
“When I saw him [Prince George] he was crying as all babies do, but it’s fantastic to have a new member of the family. I hope my brother knows how expensive my babysitting charges will be,” Harry explained.
A reporter asked him what his primary duties as an uncle would be, with Harry replying: “To make sure he has a good upbringing, to keep him out of harm’s way and make sure he has fun. The rest of it I leave up to the parents.”
Two years later, William and Kate welcomed Princess Charlotte. That entailed Harry becoming an uncle for the second time – though, at that time, he was further from home than he perhaps would have wanted.
“I went to Australia for a round of military exercises, and while there, I got word: Willy and Kate had welcomed their second child. Charlotte. I was an uncle again and very happy about it,” he wrote in Spare.
When George was born, William and Kate needed more space. That meant moving into Kensington Palace. Harry, meanwhile, moved into Nottingham Cottage, just across the road from his brother’s new home.
