Prince Harry Needs to Act More Like Prince William and Princess Diana, According to a Royal Expert
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have faced a lot of backlash recently for their private ways, but emulating Prince William and Princess Diana could fix things.
- Since starting their family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made their privacy a priority—a move that's resulted in criticism from some members of the public.
- In a piece for The Sun, royal expert and Majesty Magazine Editor-in-Chief Ingrid Seward suggests that Harry could repair his strained public reputation by acting more like his brother, Prince William, and his late mother, Princess Diana.
- Seward cited Will's "statesmanlike qualities" and Diana's expert way of handling the press as qualities for Harry to learn from.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are figuring out a lot of big life adjustments. They're newlyweds. They're first-time parents. And they're doing it all on the world stage.
It's a lot. And, since you can't please everyone, Harry and Meghan have been on the receiving end of some criticism for their choices recently, notably for their decision to keep their son, Archie Harrison's, christening private.
In an op-ed for The Sun, Majesty Magazine editor-in-chief and royal expert Ingrid Seward offered her advice for how Harry (and by extension, Meghan), could repair that strained public image—and it involves looking to his brother, Prince William, and his late mother, Princess Diana, for inspiration.
Here are some highlights from Seward's advice for Harry.
On responding to critics:
"Above all, be humble. Don’t take the moral high ground."
On thinking ahead:
"Harry has always rushed in without considering the consequences, unlike his brother William, who is now regarded as someone with statesmanlike qualities. If Harry and Meghan slowed down and took things more gently—instead of this frantic grappling for approval and attention—they might win public support."
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On the lesson Harry can learn from Diana:
"Looking at the endless criticism, he probably cursed the people he now sees as his enemy—the British media. But Harry should follow his mother Diana’s mantra and keep your enemies close. Her way of dealing with 'the enemy' was to invite them into her home, flatter them and make them your supporter. Diana was one of the most media savvy women in the world and she knew no one would be able to resist one of her invitations. She knew we would feel obliged to put her opinion across if we had spent some time with her."
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Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
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