The Real Reason Prince William Isn’t Attending Pope Leo’s Inauguration With Kate Middleton Weeks After He Hired Divorce Lawyers
From the state of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s marriage, to King Charles’ health, to the family’s issues with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, there’s always something going on with the British Royal Family. And that means that every time there’s a new opportunity for a public appearance, people are watching closely to see not just who will make an appearance, but what that decision means.
Prince William might have been the designated royal to attend Pope Francis’ funeral, but it seems like he won’t be the one attending Pope Leo’s inauguration. The heir to the throne, who attended the funeral in his father’s stead, won’t be pulling double duty by attending the official ceremony for the new pope, and his wife, Middleton won’t be attending either. And, no, that doesn’t mean the King will be making an appearance at the event himself.
Related: Did William really cheat on Kate?
Instead, according to the Daily Mail, Buckingham Palace released a statement that said, “The Duke of Edinburgh will represent His Majesty at the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV.” There’s some precedent for someone like the king’s younger brother attending this event instead of the King himself, or even the heir to the throne. In 2013, when Pope Francis was inaugurated, that event wasn’t attended by Queen Elizabeth or Prince Charles. Instead, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester represented the crown. Before that, in 2005, Prince Philip attended Pope Benedict XVI’s Inauguration.
The announcement, however, comes after a few bumpy weeks for the royal family in general. There was Prince Harry’s bombshell interview, which seems to have fractured whatever relationship he could have had with his family, even as he claimed he wanted to fix it. It came after weeks of rumors of a deepening feud between King Charles and Prince Harry, as Harry fought in court to try to have his security while in the UK restored. Then, there were reports that Prince William is even more upset with his brother than his father is.
According to those reports, when William takes the throne, he plans to strike a much harsher tone with his brother than King Charles. “It’s no secret William wants Harry more harshly dealt with. He thinks he has betrayed the family from top to bottom, which is the ultimate Windsor crime. It wouldn’t take much to provoke him to flex his muscles when he is king,” a palace insider told The Daily Beast.
Plus, all of this comes as William and Kate Middleton celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary while in the middle of divorce rumors that surfaced after William transitioned to the lawyers who represented Princess Diana in her divorce from King Charles. Sources, however, told the Daily Mail the decision was about something else completely. ”William wanted to strike out on his own. He did not want to continue using his father’s lawyers. It’s as simple as that. He wants to be his own man.”
The new firm William is using also specializes in dispute resolution, private client & family law, real estate, and reputation protection, among others. So, perhaps it’s just about Prince William preparing for the future. But it won’t stop people from speculating and worrying.
