Prince Harry Has One Advantage Over William — And It Could Help Him Win Back the Public
Being a private citizen gives Harry a much-needed edge to win public favor — an advantage he never had before, and one that William will likely never have.
Going from being a working royal to a private citizen may seem like a demotion. It comes with its own set of struggles, the lack of state-funded security being a huge one, but the new status might give Prince Harry a much-needed edge to win public favor — an advantage he never had before, and one that Prince William will likely never have.
Royals are not allowed to express political opinions. However, the rule is one of the many things that have started distancing the monarchy from the people in recent years. But that is not Harry’s burden to bear anymore. He can be vocal about what he believes in without shrouding it in neutrality. That is not a privilege his estranged brother can enjoy. And this insurmountable difference could be the exact thing the Duke of Sussex needs to make a comeback in popularity in his home country.
“If he can be seen to be doing the right thing for the right reasons – carrying the responsibilities of royalty without being allowed to enjoy its privileges – while William becomes ever more restricted in what he can and can’t say and do, then the turnaround could be achieved,” Richard Palmer wrote for The i-Paper.
With the Invictus Games, the Duke has successfully created a meaningful establishment. Palmer suggested that he can further build on it by talking about issues faced by military families. “Might he speak out more regularly, for example, to force the government to act more quickly to end the scandal of damp and mouldy accommodation for military families?” he suggests.
Harry is certainly not the first royal to suddenly be thrown off the royal pedestal. His mother, Princess Diana, faced a similar situation after her divorce from King Charles. Although her financial situation was more comfortable than Harry’s, she put her new status to good use by talking about global issues as well as her troubled life within the monarchy. There are certainly a lot of similarities between the mother and son. However, perhaps, unlike Harry, Diana also “played the game with the media and the public.” The Duke could emulate the same practice to make peace with the media and return “to be the fun-loving prince everyone used to admire”. Palmer added, “Indeed, harnessing that emotion to the causes he cares about could be the key.”
Harry has conducted several successful solo appearances in the UK since his return. Now, he is set to make his first joint appearance alongside Meghan Markle in Nottingham.
