This week, Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast got a lot of attention for his exclusive based on an extremely funny tantrum from “royal sources” and “friends of Prince William.” The tantrum was all about how the Duchess of Sussex sent a gift basket to her friend Jamie Kern Lima with a notecard, and the notecard was printed “HRH The Duchess of Sussex.” Gasp! Obviously, this means that Meghan is profiting from her HRH, and she and Harry pinky-swore promised to not use their HRHs for anything! They promised at the Sandringham Summit, you know, the summit which was only organized after Meghan left the country because they wanted to decide her future without her presence in the room? The same summit where QEII emphasized that the Sussexes should receive security for a year? The same summit where William apparently went ballistic and began shrieking at his brother in front of QEII, Charles and the courtiers? The same summit where William’s courtiers leaked everything to Dan Wootton in the middle of negotiations?
Well, “former courtiers” and Prince William’s “friends” huffed, puffed and raged to the Daily Beast this week that “Charles might be happy to put up with this, but William won’t. He loathes and despises Harry and Meghan with every bone in his body, he believes they have betrayed everything the family stands for and the idea that they are using their royal status as a calling card will enrage him.” Another source told Sykes: “Charles has completely lost control… Meghan using her HRH exposes how weak and enfeebled he is. She knows he won’t do anything. There is no way King William will stand for this. The titles will simply be removed when he is king. A way will be found.” As you can imagine, those same courtiers and friends also have Richard Eden on speed-dial and they had to huff and puff to him as well. I’ll spare you Eden’s histrionics and just get to the relevant parts:
QEII was concerned about the Sussexes’ money-making plans: Insiders have previously told me that the Queen was gravely concerned about the Sussexes’ plans to make money. She knew all too well from previous experience – such as with Edward and Sophie’s commercial projects 25 years ago – of the scandals that can lurk for royals trying to earn money. That is why she made her grandson and his American wife agree not to use their HRH titles in their commercial ventures.
Meghan used her title in the note to Kern Lima & she published a Ukrainian official’s message which used the HRH: While her representatives have denied she is continuing to use the title for commercial purposes, it is not the first time the duchess has publicised it in recent weeks. A fortnight ago, she posted a message she’d received on her Instagram account, addressing her as ‘Your Royal Highness’. As I noted at the time, it seemed a deliberately provocative act to publish the message, which had been sent by a Ukrainian government minister.
Rebellious teenagers: And my sources question whether provocation could be the aim. ‘Harry and Meghan are like rebellious teenagers,’ one insider told me this week. ‘They’re constantly pushing the boundaries to test what they can get away with.’
Charles won’t do anything: Senior courtiers have made clear that they do not expect King Charles to take action against his younger son and daughter-in-law. Our monarch has always avoided confrontation and has sought to keep options open for the Sussexes should they seek a return to royal duties. For instance, he has not removed Harry from his role as a Counsellor of State, which could see his son standing in for royal duties in the case of an emergency.
William won’t be so indulgent: But, from what I have been told, William would not be so indulgent of his brother. This week, US outlet The Daily Beast cited sources who claimed the Prince of Wales wants to ‘strip’ Harry and Meghan of their titles when he takes the throne. While Kensington Palace has not commented on the claims, my insiders say they expect the Prince of Wales to take some sort of action against his brother and sister-in-law once he is King.
How William will respond: One pointed to William’s public denial after the Sussexes’ explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. ‘We are very much not a racist family,’ he told a reporter when asked about Meghan’s claim that a family member had questioned the skin colour of her future children. ‘That gives you a taste of the no-nonsense approach that he would take,’ my source told me.
“That gives you a taste of the no-nonsense approach that he would take” – I’m sorry, so William’s big incandescent-with-rage plan is to just issue another dumb lie like “We are very much not a racist family”??? That’s it? William will stagger out, half in the bag, and stammer: “We are very much not a family which will allow a Black woman to use HRH.” In recent weeks, there have been several briefings about “what William will do as king” and I thought it would be helpful to compile a list of King Willy’s plans: remove the Sussexes’ titles; issue a statement in the vein of “we are very much not a racist family”; continue to be extremely racist; go on school runs; disappear for months at a time; never do bread-and-butter royal engagements; rage out any time someone suggests that Kate work; and skip state funerals to go to football matches.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
- Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales reacts asm he meets residents in the garden during a visit to Millennium House in Poole, on the south coast of England on February 28, 2025 to unveil a new Homewards Activator partnership which will help to deliver new homes across the six Homewards locations. Millennium House is an 11-bed mental health supported housing scheme where residents are given their own support plan, tailored to their specific needs, to help get them to a place where they can live independently.,Image: 970138939, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: HENRY NICHOLLS/Avalon
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USA Rights Only – London, UK -20180710-UK Royals Attend RAF 100 Service at Westminster Abbey
-PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry
-PHOTO by: PA Images/INSTARimages.com
This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
Featuring: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry
Where: London, England, United Kingdom
When: 10 Jul 2018
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com**USA Rights Only**
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USA Rights Only – London, UK -20180710-Royal Family Attends Events to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Air Force
-PICTURED: Queen Elizabeth, Meghan Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge
-PHOTO by: PA Images/INSTARimages.comThis is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
Featuring: Queen Elizabeth, Meghan Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge
Where: London, England, United Kingdom
When: 10 Jul 2018
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com**USA Rights Only**
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Australia Only, Norfolk, UK – 20181225 – British Royal Family Attends Christmas Morning Service.
-PICTURED: Prince Charles, Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry
-PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com
This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
Featuring: Prince Charles, Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry
Where: Norfolk, UK, United Kingdom
When: 25 Dec 2018
Credit: INSTARimages.com**Australia Only**
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The Prince of Wales during a visit to Centrepoint in Ealing, west London to meet young people being supported by the charity. The centre in Ealing provides 17 beds for young people aged 16 to 25 experiencing homelessness, as well as support services such as employment opportunities and access to education and counselling to help users build an independent future. This year marks the 20th anniversary of William being a patron of Centrepoint, a youth homeless charity
Featuring: William, Prince of Wales
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 21 Jan 2025
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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The Prince of Wales during a visit to Centrepoint in Ealing, west London to meet young people being supported by the charity. The centre in Ealing provides 17 beds for young people aged 16 to 25 experiencing homelessness, as well as support services such as employment opportunities and access to education and counselling to help users build an independent future. This year marks the 20th anniversary of William being a patron of Centrepoint, a youth homeless charity
Featuring: William, Prince of Wales
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 21 Jan 2025
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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The Prince of Wales during a visit to Centrepoint in Ealing, west London to meet young people being supported by the charity. The centre in Ealing provides 17 beds for young people aged 16 to 25 experiencing homelessness, as well as support services such as employment opportunities and access to education and counselling to help users build an independent future. This year marks the 20th anniversary of William being a patron of Centrepoint, a youth homeless charity
Featuring: William, Prince of Wales
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 21 Jan 2025
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
The Prince of Wales during a visit to Centrepoint in Ealing, west London to meet young people being supported by the charity. The centre in Ealing provides 17 beds for young people aged 16 to 25 experiencing homelessness, as well as support services such as employment opportunities and access to education and counselling to help users build an independent future. This year marks the 20th anniversary of William being a patron of Centrepoint, a youth homeless charity
Featuring: William, Prince of Wales
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 21 Jan 2025
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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The Prince of Wales, Patron of NHS Charities Together, talks to NHS staff members during to a visit to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, to see the impact of funds provided by the charity since the coronavirus pandemic which began five years ago.
Featuring: Prince William, Prince of Wales
Where: Reading, United Kingdom
When: 05 Mar 2025
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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The Prince of Wales, Patron of NHS Charities Together, talks to NHS staff members during to a visit to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, to see the impact of funds provided by the charity since the coronavirus pandemic which began five years ago.
Featuring: Prince William, Prince of Wales
Where: Reading, United Kingdom
When: 05 Mar 2025
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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The Prince of Wales plays a computer game during a visit to the Mentivity community centre and youth hub in Southwark, south London, which helps young people by ensuring they have access to high-quality youth services and safe spaces. The organisation, founded in 2016, engages over 400 local young people weekly through mentoring programmes, school outreach and youth clubs.
Featuring: William, Prince of Wales
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 24 Apr 2025
Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Images/INSTARimages**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
The Prince of Wales plays a computer game during a visit to the Mentivity community centre and youth hub in Southwark, south London, which helps young people by ensuring they have access to high-quality youth services and safe spaces. The organisation, founded in 2016, engages over 400 local young people weekly through mentoring programmes, school outreach and youth clubs.
Featuring: William, Prince of Wales
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 24 Apr 2025
Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Images/INSTARimages**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
