Childhood and adolescence in a wealthy family, meeting and marrying Prince William and then having three children, devotion to the Crown and the discovery of cancer, all met with quiet dignity. Nothing is missing in "Catherine, Princess of Wales," the latest biography about the future queen of the United Kingdom, released worldwide on August 1. The author is British journalist Robert Jobson, one of the leading experts on the Windsors. Among his best-selling books are Our King Charles III: The Man and the Monarch, dedicated in 2023 to King Charles who had just ascended the throne, and William in his 40s: The Making of a Modern Monarch, in William's 40th birthday.
A REAL "FIGHT".
The tone of the book is gentle and the writer has the merit of assessing the situation in one of the deepest wounds for the monarchy, the lost relationship between the Princes of Wales William and Kate and the Duke of Sussex Harry and Meghan. A truly royal feud, which starts with something repeated by Jobson himself: the "Fabulous Four" were a concept created by the media. In fact, they never existed." Even when they started appearing together in public, the two couples were already separated for everything. There was tension between the brothers because of Harry's rush to get married: "William told him in confidence that he thought it was best to give Meghan more time to get used to the royal lifestyle and suggested he take it slower. Harry took it as an insult. From that moment on, relations between the two began to deteriorate", the author reconstructs the story.
The novelty of the book is the mention of mistakes made by William and Kate, which the British press tends not to recognize. "It is likely that with the arrival of Meghan, William and Catherine have unconsciously raised the stakes, with a new royal couple in the spotlight. Rumors of infidelity and jealousy circulated. And while most of the public considered Meghan to be a new spirit, at least at first, there was a bit of "haughtiness" on the part of court officials and even the family," Jobson admits. Among the causes of tensions, "William's competitive spirit" is also reported. Unresolved jealousy between the brothers, with the eldest trying to prevent Meghan from using Diana's jewels, raising her hands on Harry or becoming irritated when the Duke's activities overlap with his own. "Some members of Charles' staff found it amusing that William felt offended" because "he had rarely shown respect to his father".
IT MADE ME CRY FOR A DRESS
Even future sisters-in-law didn't have much in common. One British, the other American, with the inevitable cultural consequences. What for one was a sign of cooperation, for the other was rudeness. "When, having forgotten her lip gloss, Meghan asked Catherine to lend her hers, the duchess was 'surprised' and reluctantly gave it to her," Jobson recalled. "Catherine was irritated when Meghan told her she had forgotten a detail about the wedding arrangements because she had baby brain," an American expression referring to hormonal disturbances after childbirth. "We're not close enough to talk about my hormones," she replied. And then Meghan making Kate cry on the eve of the wedding over Charlotte's bridesmaids dress. To Oprah Winfrey, on TV, Meghan said exactly that.
The latest split comes with an interview with Oprah, in which the Dukes of Sussex spoke about a member of the royal family's doubts about Archie's skin color. An "unconscious" racism, Harry later clarified, but the damage was already done. For William, the accusation was like a betrayal, also because after the publication of Omid Scobie's book, Endgame, Kate was wrongly identified as the author of the racist comments. Will there be reconciliation? Jobson doesn't dare to guess. Kate now only has to think about feeling good.
*The article was published by Bota.al and reposted by Tiranapost.al
