Prince William and Princess Kate have turned the tables on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, mastering the celebrity engagement game the Sussexes once dominated. William's recent appearance on BBC's The Graham Norton Show and Kate's continued charm offensive with Hollywood stars have positioned the Waleses ahead in the royal PR contest.
Sussexes' Celebrity Strategy
Before Megxit, the 'Fab Four' era saw Harry and Meghan lead in schmoozing with the stars, as shown by their celebrity-packed wedding. Guests included George Clooney, Idris Elba, David and Victoria Beckham, Serena Williams, Tom Hardy, Oprah Winfrey, Carey Mulligan, James Blunt and James Corden.
Hollywood icon George Clooney, 65, and his wife Amal, 48, reportedly admitted when asked in St George's Chapel that they did not actually know Harry or Meghan but had overlapping charity connections. Meghan continued this celebrity-cosying approach on her Netflix lifestyle show 'With Love, Meghan', inviting US B-listers to watch her bake party food while giving inspirational speeches about friendship, fun and cakes.
William's Winning Moves
William appeared on The Graham Norton Show to discuss his Earthshot Prize, but also let down his guard to talk about his love of Premier League side Aston Villa, his friends hoping for free tickets, and his secret posts on Villa online forums. He laughed alongside Cate Blanchett, Hannah Waddingham and Robert Irwin Jr when told a 12-foot crocodile was named after him.
A clip from the show about his 'fantasy' of being a DJ received 1.2 million likes on Instagram as fans praised him. In contrast, Harry wrote his memoir Spare about his misfortune at being born after William, turning a positive into a negative while William turns his unfulfilled personal dreams into the positivity of helping save the planet with the Earthshot Prize.
Royal Charm Offensive
William also enjoyed a cameo on Eugene Levy's Apple TV+ show The Reluctant Traveller, where Levy was invited to Windsor Castle for a tour. The Prince of Wales opened up about the "hardest year I've ever had" amid his father's and wife's cancer battles. Kate continues to dazzle visitors to the UK, from President Trump to Tom Cruise.
Cruise said of the Prince and Princess: "They're just beautiful people – and fun!" Some have pointed out that the humility and hard work of VIPs such as charity-supporting ex-rugby league legend Sir Kevin Sinfield have shown William and Kate how royalty should "show leadership that delivers the important things" without being the "centre of attention".
Harry is losing the celebrity PR war with his brother, who has done him again. He will probably want to write another book about it.
