Tale of two princes as Wills and Harry take different paths
FEW interviews highlight the sharp contrast between Princess Diana’s two sons than a brief encounter with the Duke of Cambridge in a forthcoming documentary.
Prince William explains for the first time what his approach will be when he inherits his father’s £1billion Duchy of Cornwall property empire.
“Rest assured I’m not going to rock the boat,” he says, in the two-part programme.
“I’ll do much the same as what my father’s doing. I’m not so into
the architecture, that’s the only thing.”
For half a century Charles, 70, has been in charge of the hereditary landed estate that has provided an income for the heir to the throne since 1337.
William will take on stewardship of the estate, which covers land in central London and 23 counties, when his father becomes King.
The second in line to the throne will also inherit the landed estate’s
annual income – currently £21.6million.
He has had his moments but – as he approaches his forties – William, 37, is gradually turning into a dutiful, charming future monarch with the support of his devoted wife Kate, also 37.
However his younger brother Harry, 35, and wife Meghan, 38, are choosing a very different path – tearing up the royal rulebook to embrace a new generation fuelled by social media.
The couple are pushing the boundaries of the royal role, leaving William and Kate to follow the tried-and-tested “steady as you go” route.
Only this week, it emerged that Harry – who is working with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey on a series about mental health for Apple TV – and Meghan are supporting a US migrants charity that opposes President Trump’s efforts to build a wall at the border with Mexico.
The pair have also championed women and drawn attention to the need to combat climate change. But their passion for progressive causes, coupled with their celebrity lifestyle and glamorous showbiz friends, has left many traditional supporters of the monarchy concerned.
William and Harry used to be as thick as thieves and were keen to work together, setting up the Royal Foundation in 2009.
But fast-forward to this year and the two brothers have decided to go their separate ways.
Aides have explained the decision as a natural consequence of William and now Harry getting married and choosing different paths in life.
But they have never denied evidence that – behind the scenes – there has been a huge bust-up between the brothers and their wives.
It begs the question, what would their late mother Princess Diana have made of it all? Prince Charles: Inside The Duchy Of Cornwall begins on ITV at 9pm on Thursday, October 24