Q&A With Katie Nicholl
From Katie Nicholl
First of all I would like to say what a pleasure it is to be on The Royal Forums. Thank you so much for having me and I really hope you enjoy the book!
Here are the questions posed by TRF members and my responses...
* William's recent stint in Australia turned out to be a very successful. What was William's reaction to the enthusiasm with which he was greeted, and what did Buckingham Palace and Clarence House make of it?
When I spoke to one of Prince William's most senior aides just days after the prince returned home from Australia and New Zealand, they admitted to being 'delighted' with the reception Prince William had received. Apparently William had been told to meet 'as many people as possible' and both Clarence House and Buckingham Palace were thrilled with how warmly the public greeted him. When he was younger the Prince hated 'Wills mania' but he seems to quite enjoy it these days! When William landed in Auckland, he was aware of the mixed reviews in the New Zealand and Australian newspapers, but he was determined to give the trip his best shot. I think he handled the crowds and the attention with great aplomb. For me, he is a fantastic ambassador for Great Britain. One has to wonder whether Prince Charles and Camilla would have received the same warm welcome. I'm sure you will recall that when the Prince and Duchess of Cornwall visited Canada in place of Her Majesty The Queen, the welcome they received was less enthusiastic.
* Has Prince Harry ever had any problem with his position as "the spare" and the fact that William will always be number 1?
Does William resent the fact that Harry has less pressure and more freedom than himself?
That's a really interesting question. I do think Prince Harry felt very left out when he was younger. It was William who was packed off to Clarence House to meet with the Queen Mother, while Harry, who was never deemed as important, stayed behind. I think as Harry was growing up it must have been hard for him being 'the spare'. Diana was acutely aware of this and would always make sure Harry got extra cuddles and attention. It must be incredibly hard watching your older brother being groomed for the 'top job' while you wait in the wings. I think nowadays Harry realises that he has certain advantages of being 'the spare' - it certainly entitles him to more freedom. Having met both of the princes I think that Harry is more relaxed and a bit more laid back than William and that is probably because he does not have the same pressures as William who will one day be the King of England.
In my book, there's a fascinating anecdote about the two boys falling out over Harry's underage drinking and cannabis smoking in 2002. Harry was angry that William, who was also drinking at the Rattlebone Inn, escaped from the whole episode unscathed. It was Harry who bore the brunt of the story, and he really resented his brother for that. I don't think William resents the responsibility he shoulders, I think he used to (you'll read all about that in the book) but he's 30 next year, he knows what is expected of him and he has accepted his fate and duty. In many ways I think he's grateful to have Harry who he loves dearly at his side. I'm told William thinks of them as 'Team Wales' which must help him a great deal.
* Between Charles and Diana, the Princes appear to carry the best of both of their parents' characteristics with them.
What influences/traits do you see William and Harry exhibiting during their adult Royal duties and why? Has Camilla influenced them?
Having closely observed the boys carrying out public duties I think they've inherited the best of both their parents' attributes and characteristics. Prince Charles was often considered 'out of touch' compared with Diana, but when I spoke to their former press secretary Dickie Arbiter, he said Charles was often misunderstood. Charles is actually very caring and compassionate, he genuinely cares about the welfare of the people of Great Britain and I think the boys have inherited those characteristics. When it comes to them actually 'working' in the public domain on royal duties, they are both so like Diana.
When I was in New York with Prince Harry for his first overseas tour last May I was so impressed with the immediate connection he had with children that he met; he was a total natural. He would crouch down to their level to talk to them and make them laugh. I will be really interested to see how the princes work together in Botswana Lesotho and South Africa later this month. Seeing William and Harry work as a team is going to be fascinating. They are a great double act and I bet they win everyone they meet over. As regards Camilla, I don't see any evidence of her having 'rubbed off' on the boys as such. I think the most obvious effect the Duchess has had is to make Prince Charles a happier man, which can only make the boys happy too.
* Why do you think William has stayed with the one girl for much of his adult life?
The one thing I am told about Prince William is that he has never got over the death of his mother which is probably why he is a 'one woman' man. Friends of William say he wants stability and loyalty in a relationship, and Kate embodies those qualities. They have a very solid relationship, they don't have rows like Harry and Chelsy, they seem to be very comfortable with one another. William can depend on Kate, she is always there for him and he can trust her with anything. A lot of people think Kate is boring because of this, and perhaps she is not as spontaneous and impulsive as Chelsy, but imagine the pressures of the role that also lie ahead of her.
I know I have been critical of Kate in the past. I do think she should have done the dragon boat race when she and William split up in 2007, if only to show us a bit of her character and what she is made of! I know she is now working at Party Pieces full time, but to the casual observer, no one really knows what Kate does and she does seem to take a lot of holidays and mostly to Mustique. When I wrote an article about the Queen wanting Kate to get a job (Kate was not working at the time) I agreed with HM. If Kate is one day going to be Queen, she needs to understand the struggles of being in a recession, she needs to be able to relate to her public. I think a lot of people feel they don't know much about Kate which is a shame because by all accounts, she is a really great girl. William clearly thinks so, so let's hope they marry and live happily ever after!
* What sort of King does William want to be?
From what we have seen so far, I think William has the potential to be a great leader, he has certainly already won the respect of many of the public. Although he is at great pains to stress that he is not being lined up as a 'shadow king' I think we will be seeing a lot more of William being lined up as an ambassador for Britain, alongside his father. The
prince, like his father, cares passionately about the environment - so much so that he and Harry joined their father in a save the rainforest campaign. William is also genuinely passionate about conservation especially in Africa so I imagine that will have an influence on what he does in the future. William has also chosen to speak out about issues that affect our country – gun crime and homelessness. These are not fluffy or safe issues, they also suggest that the prince is not afraid to confront the very real and grave issues affecting the people of Great Britain. He recognises, and has said that the monarchy needs to modernise, and I think William will ensure that the Monarchy does not become an outdated constitution. In doing so, he will preserve the future of the House of Windsor.
Thanks again for having me on The Royal Forums, and enjoy the book!
Katie
"William and Harry" is available through Amazon:
William and Harry: Amazon.co.uk: Katie Nicholl: Books
Such rubbish!
