Harry’s Succession Angst: Fears of Exile When William Becomes King
Avery Sinclair here, your no-BS cynic on royal melodrama. Can’t wait to see how this turns out.
Prince Harry is fretting over a prospect that sounds straight out of a soap opera: possible exile once his brother, Prince William, ascends the throne, according to royal biographer Robert Lacey. In Lacey’s forthcoming book, Battle of Brothers, he claims Harry is already bracing for the consequences of William’s reign. If you thought moving to California for Megxit in 2020 was bold, just wait for the next chapter.
Reported by People Magazine and first flagged by the New York Post, Lacey’s assessment suggests Harry fears he’ll be sidelined when William pulls the succession curtain closed. A source close to Buckingham Palace, cited by The Sun, points out that William will naturally want to streamline the monarchy and might restrict Harry’s royal duties. Cue the dramatic gasps, right?
Harry’s concerns aren’t plucked from thin air. Ever since his autobiography, Spare, landed on bestseller lists, he’s painted a picture of being the awkward spare prince, constantly overshadowed by his older brother. Now that William is just a heartbeat away from kingship, Harry reportedly worries there won’t be much room for the spare when the real heir takes center stage.
The Hollywood lifestyle—complete with Netflix deals and podcast gigs—might seem like a cushy escape route, but Lacey warns that Harry’s American ventures could lose their shine if he’s officially stripped of UK titles and privileges. That scenario would leave him in a bizarre limbo: half-celebrity, half-exiled royalty, neither fully Stateside star nor active British prince.
William, on the other hand, is said to be laser-focused on modernizing the Crown and cutting back on what insiders call “extraneous branches.” According to a palace aide quoted in The Telegraph, the new king will prioritize a leaner monarchy—an initiative that doesn’t exactly scream “let’s keep Harry around.” As one royal commentator told Vanity Fair, handing Harry a less prominent role is practically a given.
Of course, all this assumes Harry hasn’t already lined up his own Plan B. With a busy slate of memoir-tour stops, charity fundraisers and talk show appearances, he might simply embrace exile – with or without William’s blessing. After all, life in LA has its perks: sun, celebrity friends and a fan base that doesn’t care much about coronation day.
Stay tuned, because if Harry’s plotting an escape from Buckingham Palace, it’s bound to be the next headline-grabbing twist in this never-ending royal saga. And that’s today’s dose of reality. You’re welcome.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, People Magazine, The Sun, The Telegraph, Vanity Fair
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
