Prince William and Princess Kate’s relationship is still utterly “solid”, in spite of damaging claims made about their family by Prince Harry in his autobiography Spare.
In his memoir, published in January this year, the Duke of Sussex lamented his position as the ‘spare’ to his older brother’s ‘heir’, leaving royal author Omid Scobie with questions over how the Waleses planned to raise their own two spares, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
In his latest book Endgame Mr Scobie details his discussion with an inside source about William and Kate’s difficulties parenting their younger children, who reiterated that the couple will always support each other no matter what.
The author writes: “William, they claimed, has not read it [Spare]. Hard to believe, I pressed. ‘He’s read passages but not the full thing . . . Harry’s experience is very different to [that of William’s] own children.’ One hopes that remains the case.
“Of course, William navigates all of this with his wife. Despite the challenges ginned up by persistent rumours, sources said William’s marriage to Kate remains solid.”
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The book goes on: “‘It’s a partnership, an alliance, and a lifetime commitment,’ said a royal source. ‘They work as a team.’ And, they added, William remains ‘incredibly proud’ of Kate’s growth as a senior working member of the family.
“‘It’s all about support, and both feel supported by one another,’ said a family friend. Indeed, for William’s milestone projects over the years, including the Earthshot Prize, Kate has been by his side.”
Throughout the entire rift with the Sussexes William and Kate have been united, continuing to prepare for the day when they become King and Queen.
Elsewhere in Endgame Mr Scobie is rather less complementary of the Prince of Wales, whom he accuses of becoming “difficult to handle” now he has “fully embraced” his role in the Firm.
He is said to be taking inspiration from his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth when it comes to putting royal duty above all else, as he has been “incrementally institutionalised” into a “disciplined King in waiting”.
But this can mean that his temper can flare behind closed doors, as a former aide allegedly told the author: “William is a man that likes to get things done, done quickly, done efficiently . . . In the process of making that happen, he can definitely be sharp.”
Another former palace staffer concurred saying: “He’s capable of having constructive conversations, to receive criticism but . . . there’s a spikiness when dealing with him, too,” while a third source agreed: ” You don’t want to be the bearer of bad news around him. He’s quick to get fed up and blame.”
Even royal commentator Robert Jobson wrote in his book William at 40: The Making of a Modern Monarch that the Prince’s temper “can blow up at any time”.
He said: “Even senior members of his circle will ‘check which way the wind is blowing’ before becoming too self-assured in his presence or raising problematic issues that might be better addressed at another time.
“Other insiders confide that William can be an emotional character who is, on occasion, ‘difficult to handle’.”
