My Take on Prince William's Eugene Levy Interview May Have Been More Tabloid Than Substack
I might have over-egged the linguistic pudding, but the substance stands: William’s remarks about tradition, change, and his upbringing underline the gulf between him and the King.
Some of my readers have suggested that the piece I wrote yesterday about Prince William’s interview with Eugene Levy for AppleTV+ was inaccurate in stating that it confirmed what I have been reporting for months now: that there are significant tensions and disagreements on both a policy and an interpersonal level between William and his father.
Unlike other social platforms, when people disagree with each other on Substack, what I find so refreshing is that we can engage in debate and discuss issues without the discussion turning personal or abusive.
It reminds me of the old days!
One of the things I treasure about Substack is the respect given to discussion and engagement with the readers, whose subscriptions keep the lights on.
Usually, after writing a piece, I respond in the comments. It’s democratic; we are all the same, apart from a little ‘author’ flash next to my avatar.
However, so many of you have taken the time to write and let me know that you disagreed with my take on this interview, that I wanted to reply at greater length on this occasion.
The main objection is that I have sensationalized what was ultimately a warm, calm, and friendly appearance by an impressive Prince William.
I’m prepared to admit that maybe my tabloid instincts and training could have been watered down a bit. The tone was a little more tabloid and less Substack than usual, and certainly I should have made more of the fact that William, at one stage, praised his father and said how proud he is of him.
But you will have to drag me to the tower before I would concede that I have misrepresented the fundamental content of what Prince William said.
I’m on solid ground when I say that what William says—and importantly doesn’t say—in this interview proves accurate every word of what I have been writing in recent months about the long-simmering tensions with his father, reports that the palace has done so much to try and obfuscate and deny, with, as just one example, its absurd spin about father-son bonding weekends in Scotland and so forth.
I also want to challenge those who argue that I am criticizing, or belittling William. I want to state, for the record, that I think William is going to be an excellent and strong king.