Speaking to Eugene Levy in Apple TV+’s The Reluctant Traveler, Prince William shared that he had a rough 2024. He went as far as to call it the most challenging year of his life, which is understandable, considering it was the year both King Charles and his wife, Princess Catherine, were dealing with cancer. For the future, he claims to be feeling “optimistic” and looks forward to the changes he plans for the monarchy. In a rare occurrence, William also name-drops his wayward brother, Prince Harry.
“I hope we don’t have to go back to some of the practices in the past that Harry and I had to grow up in, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure we don’t regress in that situation,” William tells Levy, courtesy of E! News.
Prince William Says It’s Important to Act Like a Grown-Up with Media
Prince William seemingly addresses how he sees things quite differently from Prince Harry, specifically when dealing with the press. He discussed the damage that bad press can do to one’s family, referring to how intrusive things had become for his mother decades ago. The Prince told Levy that he’s firmly determined to protect his own family and their privacy, but also understands working with the press is sometimes inevitable and necessary. “…In my role there is interest, you have to work with the media, they’re all there. So, you have to have a grown-up sort of situation with it as well. It’s about knowing where the line is and what you’re willing to put up with,” William explains, per the Mirror.
Clearly, there’s a strong distinction in how Prince William approaches the media compared to his brother. It goes without saying that Prince Harry does his best to allegedly manipulate the press in his favor, or at the very least, gain some free publicity from it, even if it’s negative. His wife, Meghan Markle, is no different in how she portrays herself, which is why so much of the public finds her unbearable. The Sussexes often attempt to drive their fame with pity or sympathy from others, whereas Prince William believes living in the present, the here and now, is what’s important. “I think if you’re not careful, history can be a real weight and an anchor round you, and you can feel suffocated by it, and restricted by it too much,” the elder Prince expresses.
William also mentioned how dealing with family issues is what “overwhelms” him. Context-wise, Catherine and their children are doubtless on his mind, but some fans believe he’s referring to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as well, with all the negativity they’ve been cultivating over the past several years. “Thank goodness William was born first,” exclaims a commenter on Reddit. Dozens of others chimed in, saying how they, too, agree that the crown is more befitting to William than Harry. “He used his tragedy to become stronger, his brother used it to become weaker,” remarked another user.
