- By Sean Coughlan
- A royal writer
“Prince freakin’ Harry,” cried award-winning American football player Cameron Heyward, at the start of an emotional acceptance speech in which he thanked God and many of his supporters.
The football star looked as shocked as anyone to see the Duke of Sussex present the award at the NFL awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
After the bleak headlines about his flying visit to London to meet his father, following the King’s cancer diagnosis, here is Prince Harry in Nevada. Despite the international tour, he looked calm and sarcastic about American football returning to rugby, except by “taking a break every 15 seconds”.
The sports star wasn’t the only one who seemed distracted by Prince Harry’s presence.
At the end of a chaotic week of news about the royal health, people were still wondering about Prince Harry’s transatlantic trip to see the King on Tuesday.
If you were traveling overnight across the Atlantic to London, in a frantic race to find parents bearing bad news, rushing to the convoy from Heathrow – how long would you expect to stay with your family?
The meeting, if attended, may be less than 45 minutes.
And there was no meeting with his brother, Prince of Wales. Even before Prince Harry arrived at his father’s Clarence House, sources have already ruled out the possibility of such a meeting.
There should be no emotional music for the brothers playing in the background. Such an emergency did not begin to escape the family permafrost. There was only a faint image of Harry in the obligatory black Range Rovers.
“If it’s not his father’s illness that’s causing the bond with William, what is it? With each successive year and each milestone in life that passes, the rift grows stronger,” said Sir Anthony. story and author. Seldon.
He warned that Prince Harry would lose public support for this stance and said he should “take control of his life” and not consider himself a “victim”.
“The truth is that Harry is a very gifted and compassionate person who has the potential to do a lot of good. I remain optimistic, but every year that passes, and every crisis that passes, that hope takes a hit.” ,” said Sir Anthony.
So why did his father have such a short visit? And why did Prince Harry fly again after one night?
It is known that the timing of the event in Las Vegas was not the reason why he decided to return so soon.
Instead, the suggestion is to turn it around and imagine the trip from Harry’s point of view.
He runs away, wanting to find parents with devastating health news. That meeting was over quickly, for whatever reason, and then everyone left. He is in a hotel and no one is in a hurry to see him except the press.
What happens next? Yes, it’s a quick exit to the US.
Prince Harry and Meghan are not hiding. Quite the opposite, with his trip to Jamaica this year and a visit to Canada next week for an event linked to the Invictus Games, which he founded.
“I think his quick visit seems strange,” said royal commentator and academic, Prof Pauline Maclaran, who has a different view of what happened.
“My interpretation is that Harry reacted with excitement and felt he had to face his father when he heard the news,” he added. “We’ve heard about trying to reconcile, we spoke to him on his birthday, so I think Harry saw it as another big step.
“But King Charles had planned to go to Sandringham for some much-needed rest after treatment, so the meeting was cut short. But he delayed, so he could spend time with Harry.”
It is certainly a very human interpretation to think that the King, who is 75, will be tired after the cancer treatment, which followed the recent prostate surgery.
People are often upset and confused by such alarming health news. Anyone who has received news of cancer or similar illnesses knows that such shock reactions can be unpredictable.
So is the royal family’s tension between brothers, Prince William and Prince Harry, over their father. All the while there are signs the King wants to leave the door open for reconciliation.
If there is a hate triangle like a love triangle, another major tension for Prince Harry is his feud with the tabloid press.
The fact that the front pages took Prince Harry’s brief visit as proof that he was rejected by his family should be understood in the context of the hostility felt by a section of the press towards him, and their willingness to treat him those in court.
Prince Harry and Meghan have become a personal frontline in the culture war.
But Prince Harry has not met his brother Prince William. There is no sign of the olive branch. And perhaps the main focus of this disagreement is that it allows us to express ideas and feelings about our own family conflicts.
Psychologist Dr Sandra Wheatley says sibling rivalry doesn’t respect status.
“Everyone shows humanity. It’s rare to see someone who thinks they were like their parents,” he said.
Major family life events, such as illness, death and marriage, can be times when people feel vulnerable, increasing tension with siblings.
“A very emotional time can trigger a very emotional response,” says Dr Wheatley, adding that when a family falls apart, it can be long and hard.
“It’s amazing how people can put so much vitriol and energy into looking down on someone. It’s devastating,” he said of the sibling rivalry.
No one knows what may happen in particular in the royal family. Are they just brothers fighting for their minds, like Liam and Noel Gallagher – but with crowns?
What is clear is that although King Charles has recovered and returned to work, his two sons are different and estranged.
In the same way that Charles has had to take on more royal responsibilities as his mother has grown up, it is inevitable that Prince William will be expected to take on more senior roles as a member of the royal family.
Prince William was the first to express his gratitude for the King’s message of support, at an A-list event with actor Tom Cruise. He was the voice of an old institution, while his brother Harry’s career was like a Californian startup.
King Charles’ cancer diagnosis
Prince William will have an even bigger role than the number of members of the royal family who have already passed – as those who remain will begin to grow older and weaker. This pressure was made worse by the fact that Prince William’s wife Catherine was also recovering from surgery.
The growing differences between the lives of Prince William and Prince Harry may add to the friction and anger between the royal brothers.
“More than ever, Prince William will feel he has to shoulder all the responsibilities, while Harry will act on impulse,” Prof Maclaran said.
Despite the lack of reconciliation in the family, the longer-term trend seems to be more communication, especially between Prince Harry and his father.
But talking publicly about building such a bridge can feel like an invasion of privacy.
And when siblings fall badly, says psychologist Dr Wheatley, eventually: “Somebody has to grow up and say ‘I’m sorry’.”
But then he paused: “But they don’t do that.” If not, I don’t work.”
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