‘WE CAN’T IGNORE CHALLENGES’
Poignant call by William to ‘end paralysis and move on’
PRINCE William yesterday spoke of the importance of getting over disagreements and moving forwards together, in poignant comments given his own family woes.
He was speaking as he and wife Kate Middleton attended their first joint engagement of the year in the English city of Bradford – the theme of which was community and bringing people together.
It will seem particularly relevant given Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s dramatic decision to quit frontline royal duties and reports of tension between the brothers.
William, 37, said: ‘It’s sometimes trying to get people to understand it’s OK to have these challenges, we just need to deal with them and we need to move forwards rather than just be stuck in paralysis and pretend they don’t happen, which is no good.’
As if to emphasise his and Kate’s role as keepers of the monarchy’s flame in his brother’s absence, he said the couple were keen to go to parts of the UK they had not visited much to understand some of the ‘complex challenges... people find hard to talk about’.
He added: ‘You can see that communities are trying to come together, trying to help each other, trying to get to know each other... if we can replicate that around the country it can only be for the good.’
Aides last night said he had not intended to make a direct reference to the royal crisis, but accepted parallels could be drawn. In the past, senior royals have used public engagements to allude to major issues. Queen Elizabeth famously intervened in the Scottish referendum debate, then the Brexit crisis, with seemingly throwaway remarks.
The Bishop of Bradford, Tony Howarth, echoed William’s comments by saying it was ‘hugely important for families to come together to talk’.
He said of William and Kate: ‘At a bumpy time for our nation here is a young couple at ease with themselves and at ease with all the different communities they’ve met today, bringing people together and showing we are all at our best as one family.’
Amid claims Meghan has been the victim of racism and did not feel welcome in the UK, the bishop stressed the inclusiveness of the British royal family.
He said: ‘The royal family have made it very clear all the way along that Britain is a nation for everyone, every religion, every culture. [Queen Elizabeth] has done that, Prince Charles has done that and now we can see [William and Kate] will do that. The Prince of Wales was championing Christian-Muslim relationships well before it became fashionable. And for [William and Kate] to go to Pakistan showed they are picking up the baton. And in coming to Bradford and meeting all the different communities they show they are taking the lead in showing how Britain can celebrate its diversity.’
Meanwhile it was business as usual for Kate and William yesterday as they shook hands and even made mango shakes on their royal ‘away day’.
They started their day at the historic City Hall in Bradford’s Centenary Square, where crowds had gathered from early morning to greet them.
Mother-of-three Kate, 38, insisted her husband was not keen on having another child, telling a fan: ‘I don’t think William wants any more.’ Inside City Hall, the couple sat down with young community volunteers.
William told Rosena Nawaz: ‘We all look after our bodies, go to the gym, keep fit. But we need to think about our mental fitness each day too.
‘There’s a clinical side to mental health but we need to keep our minds healthy and positive every day. It’s about mental fitness too.’
Liaba Kazmi, 15, told the couple she lived in Carlton Bolling, one of the most deprived areas of Bradford, and wanted to become a politician or a policewoman to bring about change.
‘There is a saying where I come from that a five-year-old can find a drug dealer quicker than a police officer can – it’s true, it’s absolutely true,’ she said. ‘I see these kids of six or seven hanging around on street corners at 10 o’clock at night without their parents.’
Outside City Hall one person in the crowd shouted: ‘Can I just ask you about your brother?’ But if William heard, he was not letting on. Later at MyLahore restaurant, British boxer Amir Khan implored the future king and queen to ‘sit together and resolve the situation’ with Harry and Meghan.
Speaking after meeting the royal visitors, he said Harry and Megahn had made ‘rash decisions’ but added that he believed Meghan would always be welcome in Britain.
Mr Khan also rejected suggestions the UK is a racist country, and said: ‘I’ve been in many places around the world, I’ve travelled around the world, from America to Pakistan to England and always come back to England because that’s my home.’
William and Kate tried their hand at making mango and kulfi milkshakes at the restaurant, which runs apprenticeships for local college students as well as giving free meals to the homeless.
‘Trying to get to know each other’