Prince William and Kate Middleton Employ This “Effective” Strategy to Avoid Being “Sucked Into the Drama”
Prince William and Kate Middleton Employ This “Effective” Strategy to Avoid Being “Sucked Into the Drama”
Rachel BurchfieldSun, October 4, 2026 at 3:03 PM UTC
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Kate Middleton and Prince William on September 29, 2026.Credit: GettyThe Gist -
As ever, there’s no shortage of drama in the royal family as of late.
Between Prince Harry’s unexpected move back to the U.K. in late August and the September 22 release of Charles Spencer’s book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, it has been a particularly rough few weeks for Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have employed this “effective” strategy to avoid being “sucked into the drama,” according to former BBC royal commentator Jennie Bond.
It no doubt felt like a one-two punch for Prince William in particular—his brother Prince Harry moving back to the U.K. in late August after six years away living in the U.S., and, just weeks later, his uncle Charles Spencerreleasing a bombshell book about his mother, Princess Diana, that didn’t exactly paint his father, King Charles, in a flattering light. According to former BBC royal commentator Jennie Bond, amid it all, William and his wife Kate Middleton have employed an “effective” strategy to avoid being “sucked into the drama,” per The Mirror.
Kate Middleton and Prince William on September 10, 2026.Credit: Getty
One of the many claims in Spencer’s Swan Song: Diana, My Sister was that Charles sounded “giddily elated” after Diana’s death in a Paris car crash in 1997. The allegations were so incendiary to Buckingham Palace that it released a statement even before the book’s September 22 publication saying, “While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment, and color memory in ways others to not recognize, even many years after such a loss.”
Though the palace released a statement about Swan Song, the Prince and Princess of Wales did not. This was the right decision, Bond said. “I think the Earl Spencer drama has peaked, and the royal family have ridden out the storm,” she told The Mirror. “Opinion seems to be divided about whether or not Buckingham Palace was wise to issue its hard-hitting statement at the start of the row.”
“I think it was the right tactic,” she continued, adding, “Equally, I think William and Catherine made the right decision to ignore the noise—and the allegations—and simply get on with their work.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton on September 17, 2026.Credit: Getty
“As with Harry’s book [2023’s Spare], they rose above the row, refused to acknowledge any questions, and just carried on charming the crowds who came to see them,” Bond said. “It’s very effective, and I don’t see them getting sucked into the drama now.”
Royal biographer Russell Myers told The Mirror’s YouTube show “Pod Save the King” that the Prince of Wales is “incredibly saddened” by the claims leveled in Spencer’s memoir, and that the future king feels “let down” by his uncle.
“There is an awful lot of sadness in William’s mind,” Myers explained.
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Similarly, sources close to William told Vanity Fair that he is “very upset” with Spencer for the book, with a family friend noting, “He used to have quite a close relationship with his uncle, but not anymore.”
“William feels pretty let down by Spencer and what has been written,” the friend continued. “It has reignited the war between the Spencers and the royals. William did not have much advance warning about the book.”
Kate Middleton and Prince William at the ‘Digger’ premiere in London on September 22, 2026.Credit: Getty
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward added that “William has made it clear that he wants to let his mother and her legacy rest in peace. He felt enough had been said, and there was nothing more to be gained by talking about his mother anymore. He won’t want others to hijack the narrative, because he is protective of his mother’s memory.” The prince is “very sensibly staying quiet for the moment,” she added.
A source who knows William well told The Times of Swan Song, “Although it has been hard to see all the claims, William clearly sees that there’s nothing to be gained from fanning the flames by saying anything.”
Of Harry and Meghan Markle’s unexpected return to the U.K., Myers told People, “William and Catherine can maintain that their focus has to be about them and their family, but there will be pressure on them about how they interact with Harry and Meghan and their family in the future.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton visiting Scotland on September 17, 2026.Credit: Getty
Fellow royal biographer Simon Vigar told the outlet that, when it comes to the Prince and Princess of Wales, “It is keep calm and carry on. They see it as a sideshow and ancient history.”
“They are shining a light on things that are important to them,” Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary Ailsa Anderson told People. “What they don’t want is all this other noise becoming a distraction.”
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
