Estranged brothers Prince William and Prince Harry face the same “issue” despite living an ocean apart. According to a royal commentator, the Prince of Wales, 42, and Duke of Sussex, 40, don’t get as much attention when they make appearances without their wives, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.
Meghan Markle hasn’t been there to ‘help’ Harry during his public appearances
Harry headed to New York for a whirlwind few days focused on his patronages and philanthropic initiatives, followed by a quick trip to England for the WellChild Awards. He did it without the Duchess of Sussex, who, according to royal commentator Jack Royston, could’ve given Harry a boost. Not just in the press but on social media too.
“Harry is flying solo for this trip,” Royston said of the duke’s New York visit on “The Royal Report” podcast. “So, no Meghan to help him out.” (She reportedly stayed home in Montecito, California, with their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.)
“Obviously, fashion is a huge part of people’s love of the royals,” he said. “And so any job that has Meghan will be getting a whole additional audience among people who love her outfits and want to kind of engage from a fashion perspective.”
William has the same problem when he makes appearances without Kate Middleton
Harry’s not alone. William, Royston continued, has the same problem when he steps out without his wife, the Princess of Wales. William has made a lot of solo appearances this year amid Kate’s break from royal duties to focus on her cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy treatment.
“For balance, it’s not just the Sussexes have that issue; the same is true of William and Kate,” Newsweek’s chief royal correspondent told listeners. “And William, I’m sure, is going to be missing Kate when he brings the Earthshot Prize to Cape Town in South Africa later this year—assuming that Kate doesn’t surprise everybody and turn up.”
The ceremony takes place on Nov. 6, 2024. While William and Kate have attended together in years past, Kate has spent the year out of the royal spotlight to focus on her health.
“So it’s not just Harry and Meghan who have that dynamic,” Royston went on. “But Harry is without his wife, and it means just a little bit less audience and a little bit less attention.”
“I think he will not necessarily be disappointed,” he added of Harry. “I think he will be happy to stand on his own two feet and be out doing his thing.”
William and Harry’s next public appearances with Kate and Meghan are unknown
When William and Harry will next be seen alongside their wives publicly is a big question mark. Neither the Wales nor Sussex camps have announced upcoming joint appearances.
Harry and Meghan are known for leading a pretty private life in Montecito, California. As such, they only make the occasional appearance together. Most recently, they traveled to Colombia together in August 2024 where they attended a number of events.
William and Kate haven’t made a joint public appearance together since June 2024, when they, along with their three children, joined fellow British royals for Trooping the Colour.
It marked Kate’s first event following her March 2024 cancer diagnosis announcement. She’s since revealed that she’s cancer-free following treatment. However, she and William haven’t made a big public appearance together since. That is, apart from being photographed going to church in Scotland.
Kate and William’s next appearance could come in November 2024. The royal family will mark Remembrance Day, or Veterans Day as it is known stateside. It’s one of two upcoming events Kate’s reportedly eager to attend.
As for Harry and Meghan, there’s a chance they could both attend the premiere of Polo, the Netflix docuseries they produced, which premieres in December 2024. But, again, neither their next appearance nor William and Kate’s have been confirmed.
