Prince William has decided that he won't allow Prince Harry's children to hold any representative role within the British monarchy. Despite the youngest son of Charles III's desire to give Archie and Lilibet certain institutional responsibilities, his brother has refused. When William ascends the throne, his nephews will be completely excluded from the Royal Family.
Some believe that this decision responds to a need to create a smaller monarchy limited to the core of the crown. However, it's impossible not to see Prince William's move as revenge for the public humiliation Harry has subjected everyone to.
Prince William takes the final step with Prince Harry
Prince William is beginning to shape what his reign will look like when he inherits the crown from Charles III. The king's illness has forced him to take on certain responsibilities that, until now, were only in the sovereign's hands. This includes trying to cope with the open conflict with Prince Harry.
Prince William has already made a firm decision about the future of the Royal Family when it's his turn to sit on the throne. The heir has ended up admitting what Prince Harry wanted: his children won't have an official role in the British monarchy. When William is king, his nephews Archie and Lilibet will be completely outside the institution, with no royal obligations or rights.
As published by the Daily Mail, William believes that reducing the number of active members will make for a clearer, more efficient, and more transparent monarchy. However, for many, this is seen as revenge for the open conflict Prince Harry started against his family.
The Cambridges (William, Kate, and their children) will form the central core of the Royal Family, with no room for nephews living outside the United Kingdom. This way, the heir to the throne breaks with the family tradition of including other members in the royalty. For example, during Elizabeth's reign, Charles III's cousins were also part of the Royal Family.
With Prince William's ascension to the throne, this comes to an end, and only the new king's family will be an active part of the Crown.
Prince William delivers the verdict on Prince Harry's family
Although Prince Harry and Meghan decided to stop being part of the British Crown, the plans they had for their children were different. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had shown interest in having their children officially recognized within the monarchical structure, with the possibility of future involvement.
That possibility now seems completely closed, since Prince William doesn't want the institution to extend beyond what's necessary. The heir wants to avoid new tensions and prefers to make it clear from the start who will be part of the active core and who will be completely on the sidelines.
This decision marks a turning point in the relationship between Diana's sons and their respective descendants. Those close to Prince William say that the relationship with Harry is very deteriorated and that there are no plans for reconciliation in the short term. This would have given more than enough reasons for Charles's eldest son not to regret having taken this step.
Moreover, the fact that Archie and Lilibet are growing up in California, far from royal traditions, also influences this decision, which now seems final. The Sussexes and their children won't be included in official events, but they'll remain part of the family history without institutional participation.
Prince William thus seeks to protect the Crown's legacy by keeping possible tensions away and reducing the number of its members.