Prince William once vowed to friends and family that he would never reunite with his estranged brother Prince Harry.
But as calls continue for his uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to face a criminal investigation, his father King Charles to abdicate, and the extent to which his cousins Beatrice and Eugenie are under the microscope due to the Epstein scandal, William is realising he might need his brother’s help.
SCANDAL AFTER SCANDAL
“There’s no doubt this is the biggest royal crisis since the death of Princess Diana in 1997,” royal columnist Phil Dampier tells Woman’s Day. “It is doing untold damage and William desperately wants a clean slate when he becomes king, so he will be working with his father to try and clear up the mess, but at the moment no one knows what’s coming next.”
The latest tranche of documents on Jeffrey Epstein has broadened the media attention from the former prince to the wider monarchy.
Last week, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, former chairman and CEO of DP World and a founding partner of Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, was linked to explicit and disturbing email exchanges with Epstein, including a 2009 message referencing a “torture video”.
Anti-monarchy campaigners are now calling for a “full and comprehensive investigation” into the Earthshot Prize’s funding sources. “William’s running out of allies fast, and now with his pride and joy Earthshot being investigated he’s furious. Andrew should have been dealt with as far back as that awful BBC interview and now he and Kate are being dragged down by this Epstein horror show,” a source reveals.
“He’s watching the entire monarchy unravel and he’s sick of being ignored. He was the one urging Charles not to get involved. Now it turns out it wasn’t just Charles, but the Queen and Prince Philip who helped pay off Andrew’s settlement [with Virginia Giuffre].
“He’s afraid that his and Kate’s reign is going to be tarnished by all of this, but even worse is the fact there have never been calls this loud for the monarchy to be abolished.”
FAMILY TENSIONS
Last week a new book by royal reporter Russell Myers revealed the extent of 43-year-old William’s disdain for his uncle and 44-year-old Catherine’s growing concerns over Beatrice and Eugenie.
“The fact that Kate may be questioning her trust in Beatrice and Eugenie has left her and William in an isolated position. The decision to slimline the monarchy has backfired.
“William’s considering all options, including a reconciliation with Harry. It could be the answer for reuniting the family and finally bringing good news to the palace. If there’s one thing he and Harry had in common it was their mutual dislike of their uncle. Their mum told them to keep their distance from him and it was good advice.
“William is loathe to contact his brother, but it could be the answer to his problems. He’s also convinced Harry would love nothing better than to team up with him against Andrew, especially if it means saving the monarchy.”
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