The Duke of Cambridge felt like his brother had “blindsided” the Queen and behaved in an “insulting and disrespectful way,” following the surprise launch of the SussexRoyal website last year, according to a senior royal source.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s announcement, outlining their own plans for the future, upset William greatly ahead of a royal family meeting to negotiate the terms of “Megxit,” the Sunday Times magazine reported.
Following a decree from the Queen the couple conceded that they could not use the word “royal” for personal projects, but said that the monarchy had “no jurisdiction” overseas.
A royal source told the Sunday Times that the content of Harry and Meghan’s response had been “staggering”.
“That was it for William, he felt they’d blindsided the Queen in such an insulting and disrespectful way,” they said.
Friends of the duke also denied claims made by Harry during his interview with Oprah Winfrey that William felt “trapped” as a royal.
“He has a path set for him and he’s completely accepting of his role. He is very much his grandmother’s grandson in that respect of duty and service,” they told the Sunday Times.
He was reported to be unhappy when the Queen was asked to prorogue Parliament in 2019, which was later deemed to be unlawful by the Supreme Court.
Under William’s rule there would be a “more private, robust challenging of advice,” the source said.
Miguel Head, who previously worked as the future king’s private secretary, said William would continue to balance issues he was “passionate” about and the tradition of the royal family.
“I can’t see him backing away from causes he’s passionate about. And while he’s not someone who loves ceremony, he knows the importance of it,” he told the Sunday Times.
“When he gets the top job he won’t do away with it all.
“He’s mindful the monarchy represents something timeless that’s above all of us, and many people like the magic and theatre of it.”
