Prince William is ‘concerned’ for brother Harry’s well-being

Prince William and Prince Harry have spoken to each other privately after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex bared their souls in an emotional ITV interview. 

Royal aides are said to have ‘concern’ about Harry and Meghan’s struggles, with William believed to be ‘worried’ about his brother who he feels is in a ‘fragile place’.

Prince Harry spoke of his mental health and relationship with brother William, saying they have ‘good days’ and ‘bad days’ and are travelling on ‘different paths’.

Meghan revealed friends had warned her about marrying into the Royal Family, while Harry said he needed ‘constant management’ to deal with the pressures of his life. 

Last night, a source close to William told the Times: ‘It would be very difficult for anybody to watch that and not feel compassion for them.

‘Whatever is going on is taking a personal toll on them. That, of course, would cause concern.’

It has also emerged that William and Harry have spoken to each other privately following the documentary, although it is not clear if William saw it in advance.

Describing how William felt at seeing his younger brother clearly upset in the programme, a senior royal source said: ‘He is concerned, as anyone would be watching the documentary.’ 

Insiders told the BBC that William was ‘worried’ about his brother, hopes he is ‘all right’, and thinks the suggestion that Harry and Meghan want a six-week break from royal duties is probably a ‘good thing’ as they are in ‘a fragile place’.

But royal sources scotched talk of William being ‘furious’ about the timing of the programme, which ITV began trailing toward the end of his own successful tour of Pakistan with his wife Kate.

One said: ‘Actually I just think there is a really deep sadness there. Things will never be the same again, clearly.’

The source added: ‘People will debate what he [Harry] said about their relationship, although the truth is, as he said, that they are on different paths and don’t see as much of each other as they used to. 

‘But that doesn’t stop [him] being concerned about his brother. I think it would be difficult for anyone to see a member of their family talking like that on camera.’

Harry and Meghan’s interviews, which aired on Sunday night, triggered huge public debate about their roles in the Royal Family, with several commentators expressing concern for them, but one suggesting they should ‘stop whingeing’.

Harry admitted in the documentary that he and his brother, who were once inseparable, now have their ‘good days’ and ‘bad days’.

But he insisted that he knows his brother will always be there for him, a suggestion that was repeated to the Mail by royal sources, who said that William, 37, would ‘always have his back’. 

A royal source also told The Times of Harry: ‘He has got a new wife, a new kid, a new home and a new office and is putting together the plan to launch his own foundation.

‘That is both a lot of change and evidence that they are both on very divergent paths. One of them has had a predestined path, and the other hasn’t.’

It is clear that the two brothers’ relationship is unlikely ever to be the same again even if the ‘rift’ between them, which began in the run-up to Harry’s wedding last year, has been bridged by a fragile peace.

No one the Mail spoke to yesterday could confirm whether William saw the documentary in advance. 

A source in the Royal Household suggested the future king had been forced to sit at home and watch it on Sunday night along with the rest of the nation.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment last night, and has been contacted again by MailOnline this morning.

In the one-hour documentary, Harry and Meghan: An African Journey, presenter Tom Bradby followed the couple and their young son Archie on their tour of the continent.

Harry, 35, said he still felt grief over the death of his mother Diana, describing it as ‘a wound that festers’. 

Meghan, a 38-year-old former actress from California, admitted she struggled with becoming a new mother under the glare of the media spotlight, saying: ‘Not many people have asked if I’m OK.’

She said her British friends had warned her about marrying into the Royal Family because of the scrutiny she would face, and admitted that adjusting to royal life had been ‘hard’.

She said: ‘I really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a stiff upper lip. I tried, I really tried. But I think what that does internally is probably really damaging.’

Of his relationship with William, Harry said: ‘Part of this role, part of this job and this family being under the pressure it is under, inevitably stuff happens.

‘But look, we are brothers, we will always be brothers. We are certainly on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him and, as I know, he will always be there for me.’

The ITV documentary came just weeks after Harry launched an extraordinary attack on the Press, comparing recent media coverage of his wife to that of his late mother and saying: ‘My deepest fear is history repeating itself.’

Royal author Penny Junor said Harry’s decision to talk about his and Meghan’s struggles was a ‘huge mistake’, adding: ‘My advice would be to keep his head down, and I’m afraid to say, stop whingeing.’ 

Royal experts say everyone ‘from the Queen down are very worried’ about the direction ‘divisive’ Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are taking as they give their verdicts on extraordinary ITV interviews 

The Queen and senior royals are ‘very worried’ about the direction ‘divisive’ Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are heading after they launched their extraordinary attack on the British media, royal experts claim. 

Royal commentator Phil Dampier, who wrote ‘Royally Suited’ about Harry and Meghan’s romance, said senior royals ‘from the Queen down’ are concerned and branded their comments in their new ITV documentary ‘very serious’.   

Jonny Dymond, the BBC’s royal correspondent, said: ‘I think they (the royal family) will be pretty horrified actually.’ 

While royal commentator Penny Junor described the couple’s actions as a ‘big mistake’.

It comes after the Sussexes told of their struggles with being in the spotlight and ‘unfair’ scrutiny in an explosive documentary called ‘Meghan and Harry: An African Journey’ that aired last night.    

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Phil Dampier, who has written about the royals over three decades, said: ‘I hope on their six week holiday they reflect very carefully on what they do next.

‘They had turned a corner with the Africa trip but all the good works were overshadowed by this attack on the press. ‘They are either being badly advised or ignoring advice.’ 

The documentary, presented by long-time friend of Prince Harry and ITV anchor Tom Bradby, saw Meghan admit she had ‘no idea’ she would face such intense scrutiny. 

In her first on-screen interview since becoming a mother, the former Suits actress appeared to be holding back tears as she talked about being ‘vulnerable’ during her pregnancy with baby Archie. 

But Mr Dampier said: ‘I’m frankly astonished that Meghan is surprised by scrutiny from the tabloids and that she claims there aren’t any tabloids in the US. 

‘She has been an actress for many years and must’ve had all sorts of publicity, good and bad. I can’t believe she would be that naive. 

‘Also, surely Harry, who is so desperate to protect her, would have warned her right from the start what she was letting herself in for.  And they both said as much in their engagement interview. 

‘I can honestly say that most tabloid royal reporters and editors I know wanted Meghan to succeed and saw her as a breath of fresh air. 

‘They have brought the bad press on themselves by lecturing people about climate change while using private jets themselves, telling the public – who paid for their home renovations – that they couldn’t see pictures of Archie’s christening, or know the names of his godparents, or even their dog!  The British people don’t like hypocrisy.’

The programme also sees Bradby quiz Harry about his relationship with his brother. 

Appearing to confirm the rumoured ‘rift’ between the ‘Fab Four’ – Harry, Meghan, William and Kate, Harry said he and his brother are on ‘different paths’.   

Mr Dampier commented: ‘It was very significant that Harry admitted there were problems with William. 

‘That proves the tabloids don’t just make everything up and there has been a rift.’

Royal commentator Penny Junor described the couple’s television appearance as a ‘huge mistake’, and urged the duke to change his approach.

She said: ‘My advice would be to keep his head down, and I’m afraid to say, stop whingeing.

‘It’s beginning to sound like a bit of a whinge. That’s not the Harry that we know and love.

‘Yes, Harry’s been through a lot, but there’s a lot of other people who have been through a hell of a lot as well, and a lot of people who don’t have the privileges that he has.’

Ms Junor acknowledged Harry and Meghan are doing ‘good work’ with their platform, but he ‘has to get a grip on himself’. 

She said: ‘He does do, and can continue to do, some really good work and make a real difference to people’s lives.

‘He’s got to stop feeling sorry for himself and look at the positives – shut out the criticism, just ignore it as his father has done, and get on with the work, get on with the job.’

She suggested Harry should follow the Queen and the Prince of Wales’s leads.

The expert added: ‘The royal family has always in the past very successfully pursued this policy of keeping their head down and saying nothing. 

‘I think that is a dignified way of dealing with problems, but it’s not the American way and that’s the real problem.’

She continued: ‘I think it’s fine if you need somebody to speak to. Maybe the Queen and Prince Charles have not internalised it.

‘But their counsellor has not been the great British public via a television documentary.

‘It’s fine to speak to someone in private, a therapist, but don’t spill your soul in public. I don’t think it works.’ 

She compared Harry’s behaviour to that of his mother’s, adding: ‘Diana was a great one for baring her soul in public. Harry is doing exactly the same thing.

‘Diana also read absolutely everything that was written about her and got profoundly depressed about it.’

Ms Junor said Harry’s father Charles had his own troubles with the press, but took a very different stance.

‘When I interviewed Prince Charles in the 1980s and his marriage was in trouble, he said to me that he got so angry when he read the newspapers, because they were all so full of lies and he wanted to correct each and every one,’ Junor revealed.

‘He realised that you can’t do that, so he stopped reading the newspapers and he read The Times and that was it. It’s far better just to ignore it and just let everything go.’

The royal writer said the Queen had kept her personal feelings and emotions to herself throughout her reign.

‘I’m sure there are times when she has found life difficult, but we don’t know that and I think she’s always conducted herself with huge dignity, and the British public appreciate that,’ she said.

‘Of course we’re talking about different generations, but I think she’d probably be a little bit dismayed by what is going on at the moment. I think it was a huge mistake to make this documentary in this vein.’

Earlier the BBC’s royal correspondent Jonny Dymond listed the reasons the documentary comments were a ‘mistake’. 

He said: ‘One is because whoever wins these legal actions with the newspapers, are the newspapers actually going to change what they do? Because the newspapers don’t think they have done anything wrong.

‘They think this is about reporting about what is going on.  Secondly, the monarchy is supposed to be a unifying force in this country, and yet a very significant chunk of it, Harry and Meghan, are being divisive.

‘It runs against what the monarchy is doing in these already divisive times.’   

Mr Dymond added: ‘The relationship with his brother, Prince William, has clearly changed. Not surprisingly perhaps, he got married. But is clearly changed for the worse.

‘There is clearly some fairly rough times in that relationship. Its a very unhappy picture.’  

Robert Jobson, royal editor of the Evening Standard, earlier revealed that senior royals have ‘gone out of their way’ to make the Duchess of Sussex feel welcome.

A Palace figure told the newspaper: ‘I know that the Prince of Wales has several times reached out to Meghan.

‘They get on and share a love of music too. I know he invited her to a preview of an exhibition at the palace.

‘The Queen has been a source of strength too and invited them both to Balmoral where family problems are usually aired.’ 

A sense of duty… but respect has to be earned: JAN MOIR says Harry and Meghan’s grovelling documentary could damage their cause

By now, we all know the Harry and Meghan drill. Their royal mission in life is to ‘shine a light’ on hardship, to raise awareness and funds for good causes, while still being ‘authentic’ in themselves.

And truly, they are to be commended for this.

If they so wished, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could slink behind the vegan silk curtains at Frogmore Cottage, they could hunker down on their Soho House velvet sofas and tell the world to go to hell, while raising baby Archie in the most private and pampered environment that only a century of British royal prerogative can provide.

However, they clearly have a sense of duty that precludes the luxury of such seclusion. Yet they want the best of both these worlds, which is where the trouble starts.

Harry & Meghan: An African Journey (ITV) told the story of their first official foreign tour, which took place in South Africa.

They hoped to focus on important humanitarian issues in a country still riven with gender and racial inequality, where dirt-poor black people remain trapped in townships and life expectancy rates are among the lowest in the world.

As the cameras started rolling, it was clear this could have been one of the most inspiring and amazing royal tours of all time, especially at the beginning when Meghan met young women in Nyanga township, the so-called ‘murder capital’ of the country.

‘I am here with you as a mother, as a wife, as a woman, as a woman of colour and as your sister,’ she informed the small crowd that had gathered. 

Her words might seem glib to first-world ears, but there is no telling how stirring they might seem to young women who could see and hear, through the Meghan prism, of a more hopeful future for themselves.

Later the duchess told documentary presenter Tom Bradby that she had added those words herself, with Harry’s approval.

Bradby was given special access to the Sussexes for this hour-long documentary, and he reminded us more than once of the depth of his 20-year friendship with Prince Harry. 

The two men had often talked privately, we were informed, about grief and mental health issues. Yet did we really need to hear that Tom had a few issues of his own, and had to take time off work to deal with them last year?

Bradby clearly thought this gave him a special insight into the byzantine workings of the prince’s mind, who – never mind the poverty and social blight he was witnessing – was soon voicing concerns about the media spotlight on himself and his wife. 

As the couple vented, Bradby crept around like a 17th century court flunkey, tugging his flaxen forelock and holding an orange pomander to his nose at any perceived criticisms of H&M.

‘This is a couple that feel themselves on a moral mission to challenge what they feel is wrong,’ he whispered at one point.

The shocking thing was Harry and Meghan weren’t talking about luckless Africans they met who have struggled so long and so hard to overcome their ill-fated lot in life. They were talking about themselves.

On the banks of a nameless river deep in the veldt, Harry talked emotionally to the ITV cameras of his difficulties.

With the velvety embrace of the African night unfolding behind him, there he stood, this motherless son, his eyes shining like headlamps in the gathering gloom.

Every time he heard a camera click, he said, it made him think of Diana. He was still struggling, his pain was endless.

One sympathises with Harry, still seeking to apportion blame for the death of his mother 22 years later. 

This is unbearably sad in itself and we have all witnessed and understood his pain. Yet there are many stages of grief, and he seems unable or unwilling to move on from the first soul-crushing phases.

If that is really how he feels about the situation, if this royal life for him is so unendurable and intolerable, then perhaps he really should desist from his duties.

Perhaps he and Meghan should opt for a quiet private life, give up the proselytising, retreat to the country. Everyone would entirely understand. Especially with a wife who complains, as Meghan did to Bradby, that no one ever asks how she is doing and that their life together is ‘existing and not living’.

In conclusion, Bradby said the Sussexes hope to turn the ‘relentless media interest in them into a positive force for good’. If so, they are going a funny way about it.

For one wonders at them visiting Angola, one of the most unfortunate countries in the world, and then using it as a backdrop to complain about their own problems.

All those wonderful people the Sussexes met across the continent, all those desperate problems they encountered, were condensed into a thin, doomed chorus that no one was listening to, while attention focused on the grandiose oratorio of their unfeigned pain, and the jolt of their first-world grievances.

Think of their plight compared to the teenage girls taking boxing lessons to fight off sexual predators who rape them with impunity. The tiny children in Angola who are still having their limbs blown off by land mines and the adults who have coped with mass killings and endless wars, not to mention a life without limbs themselves.

If you can bear witness to all of that misery and still stand in front of a camera, biting your lip or with a tear in your eye, as you complain that behind the ramparts your life is tough, then you are tone deaf to the concerns of real people and blind as to how you are perceived.

Harry and Meghan think that people are mean to them.

They have to learn that respect has to be earned, not demanded. And that grovelling documentaries such as this damage rather than support their cause.