Prince William’s appearance on The Graham Norton Show has been portrayed by public relations expert Mark Borkowski as a response to Prince Harry and Meghan’s continued prominence in the media.
The Prince of Wales appeared on the BBC One programme to discuss the Earthshot Prize, but also offered an unusually personal insight into his life, speaking about television, football and what he might have done if he were not destined to become king.
Mr Borkowski said the decision represented a departure from the traditional royal approach of maintaining distance from the media, and suggested it reflected tensions between the brothers.
“It looks petulant, it looks like sibling rivalry, Cain and Abel,” he said, contrasting the appearance with the late Queen’s practice of preserving what he described as royal mystique through carefully worded statements.
He added that William was making “a mistake” by engaging on ground associated with Harry and Meghan’s high-profile media strategy.
“It’s playing Harry at his own game and the Royals should be above that – it’s a misstep,” Mr Borkowski said. “As soon as you start talking about a PR war, you know you’ve lost. As simple as that.”
Harry’s return to Britain and a recent interview with GQ came shortly before William’s television appearance. In that interview, the Duke of Sussex was reported to have revisited family tensions and said that “some people don’t want it to work out”.
Mr Borkowski also criticised the Sussexes’ communications strategy, describing their approach since returning to Britain as “noise, noise, noise”. He said that Harry appeared “desperate” to be welcomed back into the royal fold.
He argued that the Royal Family’s strongest response would be to avoid being drawn into a public contest for attention.
“Sometimes in a war, the greatest impact is when you ignore something. Just stay above it all,” he said. “Say nothing, don’t complain, just carry on and do what you need to do.”
William discusses television and life outside royal duties
William’s appearance came two days after Harry’s GQ interview and followed a widely reported informal appearance by Harry and Meghan in Nottingham. Other royal engagements held on the same day, including events involving William, the King and Princess Anne, received less attention.
On the programme, William spoke about his enjoyment of The Celebrity Traitors, saying that his family watched it and that Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were “obsessed with it”. He also recounted trying to unsettle presenter Ross Kemp after meeting him.
Asked what career he might have chosen outside royal life, William said he could have become a police officer or a DJ. He also spoke about his support for Aston Villa.
The Earthshot Prize, which William established in 2020, was the principal subject of his appearance. He was joined on the programme by Cate Blanchett, Hannah Waddingham, Robert Irwin and Jorja Smith.
A poll reported in the source material found that 71 per cent of respondents agreed the appearance made the Royal Family more relatable. Kensington Palace was contacted for comment.
