If this is any indication of what Prince William thinks about Prince Harry‘s car chase, it’s not great!
While the royal family has reportedly not spoken with Harry and Meghan Markle about their “near catastrophic” run-in with paparazzi on Tuesday night, the Prince of Wales’ friend is opening up — and totally DISSING the Duke of Sussex’s take on the situation! Speaking to the Daily Beast on Friday, an unnamed pal of the heir made light of Harry’s concerned reaction to the car chase, saying:
“William and [Princess Catherine] have put up with s**t like this in the past.”
Related: William Already Planning His Own Coronation — Very ‘Different’ From Dad…
They continued:
“Everyone understands [Harry’s] anger at the photographers, but making hysterical statements doesn’t help matters, especially when, as the Queen [Elizabeth II] might have said, recollections may vary.”
Oof! Even dragging Her Majesty into this?! Low blow! LOLz!
The anonymous friend went on to call out the Archewell founders for putting themselves in front of the cameras to begin with, noting:
“I thought they were leaving the royal family for a quieter life. If flashbulbs give Harry flashbacks, I don’t understand why he is going to award ceremonies.”
Understandable POV… But, let’s be honest, Harry hasn’t done much to stay out of the spotlight since leaving the UK, so that was never really his intention when stepping back from his royal duties!
Regardless, it’s pretty clear the Cali residents aren’t getting much sympathy from anyone! Even those in King Charles III‘s circle think Harry is partly to blame for this mess. Another unnamed friend of the monarch’s agreed Harry and Meghan’s reaction was exaggerated, arguing:
“Charles will completely understand Harry being upset at being pursued by the paparazzi. He knows how scary it can be. But he has always tried to get Harry to understand that complaining about photographers or the media is pointless. It just makes it all worse.”
As we’ve been following, Harry and Meghan released a strongly-worded statement about the incident earlier this week, demanding any photos or videos of the situation go unreleased due to the nature they were taken. They claimed they were followed for more than two hours throughout the Big Apple amid a “relentless pursuit” by “highly aggressive paparazzi.” Very scary stuff!
Or was it?
Related: Harry DID Speak With King Charles Night Before The Coronation!
There have been conflicting reports about how dangerous the chase really was. For one, a Page Six insider claimed a cameraman hit a car while another almost ran over a police officer, similar to what the Sussexes suggested happened. And if that’s true, it does sound nerve-wracking! But most are insisting this was a much more tame controversy than it was made out to be.
The photo agency Backgrid USA told the outlet their “photographers have reported feeling that the couple was not in immediate danger at any point.” The New York City Police Department also issued a statement confirming the ordeal while saying the trio (including Meg’s mom Doria Ragland) “arrived at their destination” without any “reported collisions, summonses, injuries or arrests.” The Spare author and Suits alum are now demanding the photo company hand over all their footage so they can prove their side of the story — but it’s not working out for them so far.
While the royals and those in their inner circle aren’t taking the car chase too seriously, the trio is reportedly “still upset” by the “horrific” night, via a Page Six insider. A confidant also told The Times the 38-year-old has been telling his buddies it was the “closest I have ever felt” to understanding the circumstances that led to his mother Princess Diana‘s death. As you’ll recall, she died in a harrowing car crash in Paris in 1997 — eerily similar to this, at least at the first impression. Makes it even more shocking the royal family isn’t being kinder about Harry’s frightening night.
What do YOU think, Perezcious readers? Do you see where William and Charles’ friends are coming from or do you think they should be more understanding? Sound OFF (below)!
[Image via WENN/Avalon/MEGA]