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Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, is currently facing conflict with several members of the royal family. As the heir to the throne and the eldest son of King Charles III, William has always had immense pressure on his shoulders to one day take over as King of England. However, in recent years his relationship with some royals, especially his younger brother Prince Harry, has deteriorated significantly.
William and Harry were once very close as brothers, but it is widely reported that a rift developed between them in 2018. It is believed this rift originated from William's concerns over Harry's fast-developing relationship with Meghan Markle. William allegedly warned Harry not to rush into things with Meghan. This conflict escalated when Harry and Meghan subsequently wed and later stepped back from their senior royal duties in early 2020, moves which William did not approve of.
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Since relocating to California with their family, Harry and Meghan have given a bombshell interview to Oprah Winfrey where they made several damaging allegations against the royal family. They claimed there were concerns over their son Archie's skin color before he was born and that Meghan received little support with her mental health struggles. While they did not name which royal members the allegations were about, it was implied this included William.
In the aftermath of the Oprah interview, relations between the brothers deteriorated even further. They were briefly reunited last year for the unveiling of a statue of their late mother Princess Diana, but they were reportedly barely on speaking terms. When they next saw each other at Prince Philip's funeral in early 2022, they did not exchange words and stood on opposite sides of the church, fueling rumors of a deep rift.
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Beyond his issues with Harry, William's relationship with other royals is said to be tense as well. He is reportedly furious over Harry and Meghan's publicity tour of the Caribbean and Colombia just before the Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this year. William felt this overshadowed the Queen on her historic milestone.
There is also said to be conflict between William and his father King Charles III. Some sources say William resents the pressure and expectations placed on him by Charles to one day take over as monarch. After experiencing a difficult childhood with his parents' marriage breakdown, William refuses to be rushed and wants to parent his own children differently.
Perhaps the most complex relationship William has is with his sister-in-law, Meghan. The two were said to get along well in the beginning, but reports suggest that bond deteriorated significantly due to Meghan's marriage to Harry. It is thought William does not approve of Meghan's influence on his brother and believes she has changed Harry profoundly since their marriage and move to America.
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While dealing with family conflicts, William must also grapple with immense pressure in his preparing for his future role as King of England. As the first in line to the throne, he has undertaken years of education and training for this impending responsibility. However, William has seemingly struggled with the intense public scrutiny of his position.
Any missteps are dissected endlessly in the 24-hour news cycle. A controversial hunting photos scandal from a few years ago damaged William's popularity and conservationist image for a time. More recently, William faced backlash for his family's choice to travel via private jet while advocating for environmental issues. These kind of controversies have tarnished William's once pristine public image.
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Beyond personal and public relations challenges, William must also contend with the uncertain health of his father, King Charles III. At the age of 74, Charles's health is a concern shared by both William and the British people regarding the monarchy's future. While supporting Charles during his current reign as best he can, William preparing for the eventuality that he may need to take the throne sooner than later.
Perhaps inevitably as a result of all these conflicts and pressures, William has appeared increasingly withdrawn from public life. He is attempting to carefully craft his future role as King by easing into more responsibilities gradually. But there is still much skepticism about William's ability to assume this monumental position smoothly given his struggles and rifts within the family so far during his preparation period. It remains unclear if William can overcome the complex hurdles ahead as he readies himself to become King of England in his father's eventual stead.
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