For the second time in a matter of months, Prince William and his younger brother, Prince Harry, are both undertaking major overseas engagements at the same time
There was talk of Prince Harry seeking a return to the royal fold, but his latest move could put paid to that, an expert has claimed.
There is nothing more frowned upon in royal circles than clashing diaries. Indeed, it is said to have been one of the main topics on the agenda when Harry and King Charles’ press teams met for peace talks earlier this year.
But as Prince William touched down in Brazil for the Earthshot Prize award ceremony, Harry announced that he, too, was off on another pseudo-royal tour, heading to Canada tomorrow.
The warring brothers trips will now clash, but Harry’s team insisted his hands were tied due to his private security arrangements that he has to fund himself now that he is no longer a working royal.
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It was “unavoidable”, said sources close to Harry, that the Duke of Sussex announced he would be heading to Canada just minutes after William had attended his first engagement in Rio de Janeiro. William had got stuck into a game of beach volleyball when the news of Harry’s trip broke.
Harry will be going to Toronto on 5 November to mark Remembrancetide. During the trip, he will “meet with veterans, members of the armed forces community, and military charities. This visit, months in the planning, marks a return to a city that has a special place in the Duke’s heart, having played host to the Invictus Games back in 2017,” said his spokesperson.
Sources said that Harry and his wife Meghan have little choice about when they announce tours as they have to be guided by the private security they pay for. A source told Hello: “[Harry] is not afforded the same level of security and protection as other ‘working’ members of the Royal Family.”
Security arrangements have been a major point of contention since Harry left the UK. The couple’s spokesperson did, however, say that the royal press offices had been informed ahead of time “as a courtesy”.
But despite Harry’s protestations, the move is said to have ruffled more than a few feathers in William’s camp.
One royal expert thought that another “diary clash” didn’t spell good news for relations between the two brothers. Tom Sykes, royal correspondent for the Daily Beast, wrote in his newsletter that royal insiders weren’t impressed by the timing of Harry’s announcement. One former aide was quoted as saying, “It’s not subtle.”
The move is also alleged to have “raised tempers” with “William’s friends”. He wrote: “Harry’s decision to stage a public event during the traditional Remembrance period will strike many observers as needlessly antagonistic.
“To many inside and outside the royal machine, Harry will appear motivated by resentment and a desire for revenge rather than respect for the Remembrance calendar. If so, it is a miscalculation – and a reminder that the brothers’ ceasefire remains anything but secure.”
During a recent visit back to the UK, both Harry and William were conducting appearances simultaneously – at one stage just a few miles from one another – but they did not meet. He did, however, have a reunion with his father, King Charles, during the trip, with the pair taking tea together at the monarch’s London residence: Clarence House.
