A New Role & a Rare 2-Word Comment: Prince William’s Subtle References to Prince Harry This Week

As part of William’s appearance this week, he also had the chance to chat with soldiers who were on a water break from combat training. It was there that the Prince of Wales brought up the topic of family, according to the Daily Mail. “Is the pace of life good at the moment?” he asked. One of the soldiers replied that it was a “mixed bag,” which is when William took that two-word phrase and ran with it: “Families OK? See you enough? Some of them might not want to see you that much. It’s a mixed bag sometimes.” Oof.

Whether or not William was directly referencing the situation with his brother is up for interpretation, but it resurfaces the mounting pressure for the Prince of Wales and the king to extend an olive branch and make a public move toward reconciliation with the Sussexes—or put themselves at risk of this being the line that is forever drawn when it comes to their royal reputations. (My guess is that this is the opposite of what they want.)

That’s not to say that William and Charles aren’t justified in their actions—two things can be true. As many reputable publications have reported, trust issues are certainly at play. Harry’s perspective is the public perspective, for better or worse, but in the case of the monarchy, the family is intertwined so deeply with the business, it feels logical for an effort to be made to smooth things over if only to achieve some sort of closure that removes this asterisk on their legacy. Based on Harry’s recent chat with the BBC, he’s ready and willing, not to mention openly asking for it. The ball is in their court.

The problem is that until they make a move, no matter how good Charles’s (and William’s) public performance is, the private family drama will overshadow and minimize those efforts. Like I said, there are bigger issues at play: A lack of trust, battles over security, so much. This royal rift runs deep. But the “never complain, never explain” motto beloved by the late Queen Elizabeth II doesn’t seem to be working here and the noise around this issue is getting louder. The choice is theirs.