Prince Harry will get some much-needed inspiration from big brother Prince William and their late mother Princess Diana as he navigates parenthood for the first time. — AP/Reuters
As Prince Harry gears up for fatherhood with wife Meghan Markle, the royal is expected to grab all the help and advice he can get.
In the ITV documentary “Secrets of the Royal Babies: Meghan and Harry” that aired on Monday night, royal biographer Duncan Larcombe, who previously wrote books on Harry, claimed the father-to be will be getting some inspiration from Prince William, who is recognized as a hands-on parent with his three children: Princes George and Louis, and Princess Charlotte.
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Larcombe noted that their mother, Princess Diana, was determined to give her sons a “normal and private life” whenever possible, an approach William has taken on with his wife, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton. He insisted Harry and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, have already taken similar steps just by moving to Frogmore Cottage from Kensington Palace.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Fiji in October 2018 (Getty)
“Diana made sure William and Harry lived as much as a normal life as possible and as parents, William and Harry will always be influenced by their mother,” said Larcombe, as reported by UK’s Daily Mail. “Her desire to give them a taste of normality runs through the veins of William and Harry.”
“Harry tends to follow in his brother’s footsteps and weirdly William tends to follow in Harry’s footsteps,” Larcombe continued. “They are mentors to each other. So I would expect when Harry becomes a dad he will look at Kate and William’s example and follow that almost to the letter.”
Larcombe noted William and Middleton have always made sure their children aren’t followed by paparazzi and are only pictured at official events. Middleton is known for photographing her own children and handing out those photos for the press to use.
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The Prince of Wales, Prince William, Princess Diana and Prince Harry attend the Heads of State ceremony in Hyde Park to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of VE Day. (Reuters)
Royal expert Ingrid Seward also agreed that William and Kate have always been hands-on parents despite their royal titles and the privilege that comes with it.
“Prince William famously changed nappies and got up in the night to do feeds, school pick-ups and bath time/tea time,” said Seward. “The speculation is that Harry and Meghan — who does all of the cooking and has a minimal team of staff — will too be hands-on parents.”
Harry and Meghan, who are due to welcome their first child this month, are gearing up to leave Kensington Palace for Frogmore Cottage on the grounds of Windsor Castle as soon as renovation is complete.
Frogmore Cottage will have views of Windsor Great Park and Frogmore House, where the couple had their wedding reception last year. Queen Elizabeth II, Harry’s grandmother, gave the couple Frogmore Cottage, which features a nursery for the baby and 10 bedrooms, as a gift. It also highlights acres of private grounds for the firstborn to play in without intrusion.
Britain's Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge with their children Prince George, right, Princess Charlotte, center, and Prince Louis. (Matt Porteous/Kensington Palace via AP)
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Back in February, Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell speculated William would not have been thrilled to learn that his sister-in-law had a star-studded baby shower across the pond.
“I think Prince William will be angered by all of Meghan’s lavish extravagance this week and the fact her baby shower looked so ‘celebrity’ rather than ‘royal,’” he wrote for The Sun. “He has spent years working with the press to give them what they want but also gets what he wants in return — privacy. Meghan is doing exactly what he doesn’t — courting attention all for her and her baby.”
Burrell pointed out that while Middleton had a baby shower for their firstborn, Prince George, that celebration “was [a] very private and contained affair.”
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend a service marking the centenary of WW1 armistice at Westminster Abbey on November 11, 2018 in London, England. (Paul Grover- WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“I think William, as well as Kate Middleton, will be totally bewildered by why Meghan is doing all this, as there’s no excuse for over-indulgence or excess and that’s what it seems to me,” claimed Burrell. “Although William mixes with A-list celebrities, he doesn’t take them home with him, they aren’t his friends. They are people he works with. The celebrity world in which Meghan was submerged seems to be where all her friends are, and that can only spell disaster.”
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Burrell insisted that the lines between Markle’s former life as a Hollywood star and her new one as a member of the British royal family “are getting blurred.”
“There is a clear line between the two, and Meghan doesn’t know the difference,” he claimed. “The baby shower was obviously arranged to be in the spotlight. Why would you invite a CBS anchor to your event if it was private?”
Burrell claimed that when it comes to public life, the royals fiercely protect their privacy and put duty first before fame. While they are seen and photographed by the public at events or while supporting their causes, the royals prefer to keep their lives behind palace doors. And while Markle is an American and a newcomer, she must learn the ways of royal life.
As for William, who is second in line to the throne, Burrell said he is focusing on the role destiny has in store for him.
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“The two different families… are drifting further and further apart, and that may be a good thing because Kate and William have to remain spotless,” said Burrell. “They never have put a foot wrong. Kate is an exemplary example of a queen in waiting and that’s what she has to be in our eyes. She can’t get involved in all of this. I’m glad she didn’t go to New York because if she had it would have reflected on her too. And again, why was there no family at the baby shower? Why wasn’t her mother there? It all seems very odd to me.”
Meghan Markle in New York City for her star-studded baby shower. (Getty)
“Prince William tries to keep his family out of the spotlight, so the fact Meghan’s baby shower was so flaunted will be frustrating for me, and it is causing a rift in the family,” added Burrell. “…. I think there are more surprises to come where Meghan is concerned and she will buck against royal tradition. With the baby coming, she’s got the ideal platform to do this. She’s going to do it Meghan’s way and not the royal way.”
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