Prince Harry denies deliberately trying to overshadow Prince William by revealing his own pseudo-royal visit to Canada just as his older brother landed in Brazil for his five-day Earthshot Prize tour.
The clash was labelled ‘predictable’ by one royal expert but the Duke of Sussex’s spokesman has knocked back any suggestion his announcement was about sibling rivalry.
In a statement Harry’s team blamed the timing on the fact he is ‘not afforded the same level of security and protection as other working members of the Royal Family’.
‘It means therefore, that the period of time in which we can release details of events is much more truncated than it is for His Majesty the King or the Prince of Wales’, his spokesman added.
The Prince of Wales landed in Rio de Janeiro on Monday to mark the fifth anniversary of his environmental award, the Earthshot Prize.
But as William began his first engagement at Sugarloaf Mountain, his younger brother’s office in California announced a trip to Canada this week ahead of Remembrance Sunday.
The royal brothers, pictured in 2018, have a long-reported rift which shows no sign of abating, but the Duke’s spokesperson insisted the visit had been almost a year in the making
William poses for a picture on Paqueta island, during an official visit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Duke of Sussex’s visit to Toronto to meet with veterans, members of the armed forces community and military charities directly clashes with William’s trip to South America.
The Brazil visit marks a pivotal and personally important moment for the heir to the throne – who jetted out of the UK after he and his father stripped his uncle Andrew of all his titles and his Windsor home.
Royal commentator Victoria Arbiter said the the timing of Harry’s announcement was ‘inevitable if not predictable.’
But a spokesman for the Duke of Sussex has hit back, declaring: ‘The events were planned nearly a year ago.
‘The date of the main event, the dinner, is set by the charity, not Prince Harry.
‘The period of Remembrancetide traditionally extends from the 1-11 November and has done since 1918, over 100 years. He can’t choose to move those dates.’
The spokesman added: ‘We are always guided – as to when we can announce trips like this, by the advice given to us by his private security advisers and the event’s security team.
‘This visit, months in the planning, marks a return to a city that has a special place in the Duke’s heart, having played host to the Invictus Games back in 2017.’
Prince Harry has announced a trip to Canada this week, clashing with his brother Prince William’s Earthshot Prize awards ceremony. Harry is making the journey to mark Remembrancetide, the two-week period leading up to Remembrance Sunday.
The British royal household was informed of Harry’s Canada plans in advance – a sign that communications between the King and his youngest son are open again.
But Harry and William, however, are understood not to be talking.
They have a long reported rift which shows no sign of abating.
Harry will attend a lunch with the military charity True Patriot Love Foundation on Wednesday and then a private fundraising function with the Halo Trust in the evening, the same day as William’s Earthshot Prize awards, the cornerstone of his ambitious drive to save the planet.
The next day, November 6, the Duke will visit the Veterans Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, one of the largest veteran care facilities in Canada, and then in the evening, attend the 17th annual True Patriot Love National Tribute Dinner in celebration of military members, veterans and their families.
Harry stepped down as a working senior royal in 2020 during Megxit and moved to the US.
The Duke, who served in Afghanistan, was invited to Canada by the True Patriot Love Foundation.
