It’s interesting that both People Magazine and Us Weekly have similar stories about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex this week. The stories are focused on how the left-behind royals feel about the Sussexes’ recent travels. Two weeks ago, the Sussexes had a wonderful four-day “tour” in Australia, and then one week ago, Harry spent two days in Ukraine. The Oz tour has the left-behinds all kinds of f–ked up though, Prince William especially. I have a theory that William and his office are the ones pushing the “confused” line. As in, there’s a narrative that what Harry and Meghan are doing with their visits is “confusing” because they’re “doing royal tours” but “they promised not to be working royals.” It sounds like William is the confused one. It sounds like he’s glitching out, actually.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent trip to Australia has become the latest ‘setback’ in his already estranged relationship with his brother, Prince William. And the younger royal’s recent remarks abroad have fueled tensions in an already fragile situation between the brothers.
“I was like, ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role — wherever this is headed, I don’t like it,’” Harry, 41, revealed during a post-speech conversation at the InterEdge Summit on April 16. The Duke of Sussex was referring to his former role as a senior working royal, something he said he had no interest in following the 1997 tragic death of his mom, Princess Diana.
The surprising sentiment from the Duke of Sussex comes in sharp contrast to his estranged brother William’s dutiful approach to his royal destiny — and points to the ever-widening distance between the pair. And, according to a source, Harry’s recent comment has made any chance of a reconciliation between the siblings far less likely to happen any time soon.
“There is a quasi royal vibe with these trips and it’s confusing,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively. “It seems they are trading on old connections in a way that shouldn’t be acceptable because they are no longer working members of the royal family.”
The source continues, “There is frustration over the royal tours they are doing. Every single time William and Kate [Middleton] think they have turned a corner with them, something else pops up. It’s taking steps forward then steps back. Their media omnipresence is something that has created continued strain. It’s been a barrier to repair the relationship. Just when the flames of controversy die down they have an uncanny ability to start another one.”
The insider added that things “remain distant” between William, 43, and his brother despite the fact that Harry has started to repair his complicated relationship with King Charles III.
“There hasn’t been any communication,” the same source tells Us of the brothers. “They will eventually figure it out, but there is still distance there.”
“Just when they [Prince William and Princess Kate] think there is progress there is something that pushes them back a couple steps and they haven’t had time to move forward,” the source adds, noting that William has “firm boundaries” and is “not pushing for a reunion” with his brother just yet.
“It seems they are trading on old connections in a way that shouldn’t be acceptable because they are no longer working members of the royal family…” What old connections? Is this because Harry referenced his mother??? “Diana is MINE,” Baldingham cried. Or is William suggesting that Harry and Meghan are using “royal connections” to travel privately? This royal crashout has been amazing to watch. We’re now two weeks removed from the Sussexes’ Oz tour and the sum total of the left-behinds’ complaint is: but you promised not to go outside, but you promised not to outshine us, but you promised not to be popular, that’s what we meant when we said “no half-in solution!”
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.
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- HOLYHEAD, WALES – APRIL 28: Prince William, Prince of Wales speaks with members of the 202 Squadron during his visit to RAF Valley on April 28, 2026 in Holyhead, Wales. The Prince of Wales visited the airbase in his role as Royal Honorary Air Commodore to mark the airbase’s 85th anniversary. The prince was stationed at the base between 2012 and 2013 during his time serving as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot.,Image: 1095035881, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Dominic Lipinski/Avalon
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- 29/04/2026, London, UK. The Prince and Princess of Wales today celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary by visiting IntoUniversity, an education charity which benefitted from Their Royal Highnesses’ Royal Wedding Gift Fund in 2011.,Image: 1095238995, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: © Kensington Palace. This image is free for use but may only be used for news or editorial reporting purposes. This image must NOT be used for any commercial or other use, save for news or editorial reporting and cannot be altered or amended in any manner or form whatsoever. All rights reserved., Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Parsons/Kensington Palace/Avalon
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- 29/04/2026, London, UK. The Prince and Princess of Wales today celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary by visiting IntoUniversity, an education charity which benefitted from Their Royal Highnesses’ Royal Wedding Gift Fund in 2011.,Image: 1095239032, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: © Kensington Palace. This image is free for use but may only be used for news or editorial reporting purposes. This image must NOT be used for any commercial or other use, save for news or editorial reporting and cannot be altered or amended in any manner or form whatsoever. All rights reserved., Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Parsons/Kensington Palace/Avalon
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- Melbourne, AUSTRALIA Prince Harry & Meghan Markle attend Swinburne University in Hawthorn, Melbourne. Pictured: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 16 APRIL 2026 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Sydney, AUSTRALIA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Bondi Beach Life Guards and greet the public at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Pictured: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 17 APRIL 2026 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit and meet patients and their family members during a visit to the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Victoria, on day one of the royal trip to Australia Featuring: Meghan Markle Where: Melbourne, Australia When: 14 Apr 2026 Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit and meet patients and their family members during a visit to the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Victoria, on day one of the royal trip to Australia Featuring: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Where: Melbourne, Australia When: 14 Apr 2026 Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke of Sussex with memorial representatives and Indigenous veterans, including Lieutenant Colonel Joseph West (left) at the Australian War Memorial site in Campbell, Canberra, on day two of the royal trip to Australia. Featuring: Harry, Duke of Sussex with memorial representatives and Indigenous veterans, including Lieutenant Colonel Joseph West (left) Where: Canberra, Australia When: 15 Apr 2026 Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke of Sussex views the Wall of Remembrance at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell, Canberra, on day two of the royal trip to Australia. Featuring: Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Canberra, Australia When: 14 Apr 2026 Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke of Sussex lays a wreath during the Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell, Canberra, on day two of the royal trip to Australia. Featuring: Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Canberra, Australia When: 14 Apr 2026 Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club after meeting volunteer first responders, during a visit to Bondi Beach, on day four of the royal trip to Australia. Volunteers from the organisation, founded in 1907, played an integral role in protecting beachgoers and saving lives during the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on December 14 Featuring: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Where: Bondi, Australia When: 17 Apr 2026 Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex pose for a selfie photo with wellwishers at Man O’War Steps, next to the Sydney Opera House, before taking part in a sailing event with members of Invictus Australia in Sydney Harbour, on day four of the royal trip to Australia. Featuring: Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Where: Sydney, Australia When: 17 Apr 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
This is not strictly related — yet it is — but a non-compete clause is very common, now, in all kinds of employment contracts, and it is a rarely straightforward thing to establish why — after having left one’s employer — one should *not* compete with them. I mean. They are an institution, a corporation. The former employee is just one individual. In a free-market economy, constraining someone’s right to work is quite something. It smacks of entitlement, but also, insecurity. Which is a really toxic blend.
That’s the thing, even if you did look at this from a total business standpoint a non-compete wouldn’t be in effect 6 years later. It’s preposterous to behave as if they should not do anything close to what the royal family does for the rest of their lives. No other company can make that sort of demand.
And non compete clauses in the US are generally only enforced if they are narrow in scope and geography. A 6 year non compete that extends around the world? lol yeah thats not going to fly.
And no its not really related here.
I’m curious though – how would non-compete clauses likely be structured, time wise (no experience in this area)? For a set period of time post-employment, which might make sense, but I can’t see how “forever” would work, especially if an employee is working at a new job for a company in the same field.
In any event, as I recall, Harry & Meghan kept a very low profile after stepping back in March 2020, in part because they were building their new life and recovering from their time with the RF, and also because of the pandemic. During the first few years, they did the Oprah interview; Harry came out with Spare in January 2023, almost three years after leaving; but (and granted my memory is fading at this point) apart from Invictus related events, don’t recall any “tours” until Nigeria and Columbia in 2024. So, for four years, H&M did relatively little, regardless of what was, or was not – supposedly – agreed to at Sandringham. This would’ve been the time for the RF, and Will & Kate in particular, to become more visible, but as per usual, nothing. In addition to the laziness factor, KP and BP were likely assuming they’d still be getting H&M, but especially Harry, crawling back.
And I see @Dee(2) has answered my question – that a non-compete wouldn’t be expected to be in effect six years later.
@windyriver to give you a little bit more detail as I work in the industry where non competes are very common, and people can be a little litigious behind them in some cases.
Generally a non-compete is for one year. And it basically will state that you will not attempt to do business with any entities that you did business with at your previous company. Whether you created the relationship, or whether that relationship previously existed before your tenure.
After a period of one year, you generally are free to pursue doing business with that company. As far as employment, it’s a little difficult to enforce a non-compete as far as you not being allowed to work for another company. People go to competitors all the time, it’s big business actually for headhunters to poach from other companies, but it’s always with the understanding that you have to leave any connections you’ve made behind for that period.
And any sort of reneging on the agreement on either side could result in litigation. So in the case of Harry and Meghan, the second they stopped providing them security the non-compete would really not be in effect. But definitely at this point (in the US at least ) I couldn’t imagine a single judge finding in ” favor” of the royal family in 2026.
ETA- these are really hard to enforce anyway, because it only flows in one direction. If a company I worked with reaches out to me I can do what I want.
I would be very curious to know on what they compete exactly. Their interests and approaches are very different. They both have some countries charities in common, but again this can’t be a non competing clause.
Why does he care? Shouldn’t he focus on HIS job?
Show me ONE example of Williams ‘dutiful approach to his royal destiny’ that doesn’t involve him being dragged out of bed kicking and screaming.
THEY ARE NOT DOING ROYAL TOURS!!! They are doing the work that they want to do. They just happen to be very well liked and people come out just to see them. They don’t have to bus people in! The leftovers are confused because they are not well liked and don’t understand that the Sussexes are well liked so this is where the confusion comes in. The leftovers think their shit doesn’t stink and people should be there for their lazy asses but people see them for who they are.
The point of blurring the lines is so that they can try to maintain some sort of control still. But it comes across as increasingly silly to people because they’re doing what other people are doing, to which the royal family has no issue with, and often co-ops for their own benefit.
Robert Irwin does conservation, William glom’s on to him and it’s perfectly fine, but Harry shouldn’t be allowed to. Charles works with Kate Winslet and Idris Elba on charitable initiatives supporting underrepresented groups and that’s fine, but Meghan shouldn’t do the same via Archewell.
What’s confusing for William is that they are still working even though he has done his best to take all the privileges away from them, because he doesn’t understand why they do it. Also, he doesn’t understand why they still get the level of attention that they do with him and his media narratives. Because he does truly in my opinion believe that the titles make the relevancy. Which is why he doesn’t understand why there aren’t crowds waiting to see him. And celebrities thrilled to meet him. And natural sustained social media interest that’s not purchased in him.
It’s going to be very interesting to see when he’s King if he does what he’s threatened and pulls the titles, and there’s a surge of even more interest in Harry and Meghan.
Scooter cannot pull the titles. He can’t select only one family without being consistent. HE could be asked point blank why he is doing this ONLY to the Sussexes.
So Bulliam’s up in his feelings about the Sussexes’ hard work, so the tabloids are helpfully trying to translate that into “media omnipresence is something that has created continued strain.”
And Bulliam’s up in his feelings about how effective the Sussexes are with said work, so the tabloids are helpfully trying to morph the Sandringham Agreement’s extremely clear statement–about the Sussexes’ absolute freedom to pursue their own private charitable work–into “quasi-royal work.” With the sneaky implication that this is “half-in, half-out.” Nope, the “half-in, half-out” line fails on both fronts: the Sussexes never claim to represent the BRF or the UK, and they don’t get paid from UK or royal funding, so get lost with that one.
I just love how these articles are all framed from the perspective that Harry is actively trying to reconcile with his brother and is unknowingly ruining the chances by his actions. They talk about William’s boundaries but never about Harry’s.
H&M never said they would stop working. They said they wouldn’t work for the crown because it came with strings- unwelcome press intrusion. The left-behinds are mad because H&M work for themselves. They’re better at all of it. The royalists really believed that Harry and Meghan’s ‘magic’ came from their association with the crown. But they are learning every day that H&M make their own magic. People show up for them because they like what the Sussexes bring to the table. They are genuine open-hearted people that show up to do good work, not just to make an appearance.
But the horse is already out of the barn. It becomes more and more apparent to the left-behinds that screaming about removing the titles is really irrelevant at this point. The world loves the Sussexes either way.
We’re seeing the royalists break down in real time as they begin to process that they’re not in control and the Sussexes don’t need the crown to be successful.
But didn’t the British press tell us just yesterday that William doesn’t think about Harry and Meghan? So what is this? My question is if Diana was still alive would he upset about her making foreign visits? Because that’s what she was doing after she divorced Charles.
I’m confused why William is constantly briefing the press on Harry but then claims he is over the drama and over Harry. The man is obsessed. He should be on a watch list.
How funny would it be if Harry got a restraining order against William?!
OTOH, William could take pride in H & M’s successes. “That’s my little brother” … “he’s better at the public facing events whilst I do the behind the scenes work” (or something to excuse him not showing up). By CLAIMING H&M (mostly H) as fully royal, they could then “hide” behind Harry’s work. Praise him to the heavens and they could hide for years!
By insisting Harry is NOT ‘royal’ (he has royal blood so what the heck?!), they continually draw attention to how UN-royal Wills is. It’s a crazy, upside down world right now, so this will never happen, but it could if only Wills had the balls to fire the rota.
The Queen herself said Harry and Meghan were royal. Charles the King never said they were not royals. The derangers keep using they are not royal script. And most royals are not working royals.
William’s problem is that he expected his brother to fail but Harry did not. With him and Meghan leaving, he got a bigger international recognition which gave him access to worldwide VIPs on his own merit. Together, they developed new projects about social medias. His existing charities before leaving have also grow.
This competition is all in William’s head and it does not help him to get better with the UK tabloids feeding his rage, envy and jealousy. The day William accept his limits and reflect on his own strengths will be a great day for him.
Bigger problem for Will is that he believes in the Divine Right of Kings and that he should be fawned as PoW and then King without doing Royal Tours or a reasonable amount of bread and butter. To a large extent he has been showered with North Korean levels of adulation from BM but he’s struggling with the demands of a public facing role that will increase once he’s King. He’s shrinking, angry and feels trapped. He’s has had no real triumph since he became PoW (please name any you can think of ?) Harry has been battered by the press for years but has blossomed and has success with IG and a lot of well received foreign visits. He behaved with integrity over resignation from Sentebale and has won several court cases against our vicious press.
“Their media omnipresence is something that has created continued strain.” This part makes me laugh. Their media omnipresence. The sussexes cannot help the fact that they’re a heat score and the media covers them. So basically the Wales are jealous, have always been jealous and that’s why there’s tension. Sounds about right.
I said this in the other thread of William in particular. And no wonder Willy is jealous! Harry makes this all look easy — Harry is genuinely warm and interested in other people, while William is awkward and prone to making insulting “jokes.” Harry is a military hero; William cosplays one. Harry comes across as authentic and open in his speeches, while William comes off as reading from a teleprompter, even when he’s not.
And Kate simply cannot compete with Meghan as a speaker, as a style icon, as a humanitarian — and she’s too lazy to do the prep work that would help her to improve.
These royal pinheads are so naive and dangerous. They actually think that only royals travel and do philanthropy and that anyone else who does is on a “quasi royal” tour. I have gone on trips to dozens of countries as a personal philanthropist, as hoards of other people like me do as well. Little did I know that my travel and philanthropy in Ethiopia, Mali, South Africa, India, Ghana, Haiti and Mexico to try to do good work, was horning on Scooter’s franchise. How silly and arrogant.
Of course william is confused. Harry is doing philanthropy work because he WANTS to, not because he’s being forced to. Harry is working because he wants to. Harry is traveling around the world for work because he WANTS to.
William’s laziness cannot comprehend that.
Will has never ever understood his brother and just because he himself would NEVER undertake any charity work himself if he wasn’t FORCED to. He believes that his brother is deliberately showing him up by visiting Australia not because Harry is actually altruistic. If Will and Kate were able to abdicate and get a huge settlement neither of them would do any work and certainly nothing charitable. This dude wouldn’t put himself for anybody else. He lives within his own bubble of wealth and entitlement. Neither him or Kate are interested in anything much and certainly not OTHER people. Actually it is probably their idea of hell to have to deal with non elites, hate doing walkabouts and pretending not to be racist by standing next to poc. I can genuinely see him viewing Harry as infuriating and treasonous for not obeying his FK by hiding in luxury in the US.
They lost me at William’s dutiful approach to royal duties. Pray tell what that might be ? Day drinking, taking 4 weeks vacations every 6 weeks. Working Thursday to Friday once every two weeks? Pie I really would like to know how Willy the wank Is a dutiful worker ?
So William is actively trying to stop Harry from doing charity work? Why are people ok with that?
And never forget the William physically assaulted his brother. Why should William be allowed to “move on” without taking any responsibility for what he did?
Whether the media, the royals or the haters like it or not, Harry is a prince and he is a royal. Even if William takes his title he will still be Prince Harry in everyone’s mind. They need to for over it. The Firm made a stupid decision but don’t want to live with it. So stupid.