It’s confirmed! Prince William makes strategic move to block Harry from upstaging him, earns Charles’ nod

Looks like Prince William is not letting his younger brother, Prince Harry, hog the headlines without a fight after learning about the latter’s plan to upstage him.

In a well-timed countermove, the Prince of Wales has confirmed that he will represent their father, King Charles, at Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome on Saturday, April 26, which is a day after the Duke of Sussex is set to attend a star-studded gala in Hollywood. 

As world leaders are about to descend on Rome for the funeral of the late pope, Kensington Palace made a swift move to announce Prince William’s attendance. The decision to send him and not a senior royal aide or diplomat appears to be more than just royal protocol, but a clear message against Harry, who, as previously reported, planned an obvious way to outdo the heir to the British throne by rubbing elbows with the Hollywood A-listers and elites at the Living Legends of Aviation ceremony on Friday, April 25. 

Call it a royal retaliation, or simply a reminder of who’s next in line — but make no mistake, this is William’s moment to reclaim control of the narrative and make their father proud on the world stage. By attending the funeral on behalf of King Charles, he is not only reinforcing the royal family’s connection with the Roman Catholic religion, but he is also mirroring what Charles once did before ascending the throne. During Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005, then-Prince Charles attended the service on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth. 

William seems to be putting Harry in his place as the former spare to the crown. It could also be William’s way of ensuring that the headlines of his appearance at the high-profile event at St. Peter’s Basilica will outshine whatever outcome Harry’s expecting from his attendance at the Hollywood gathering. 

With the monarch staying behind due to ongoing health issues, all eyes will be on William, as he will be in the presence of other global leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

Meanwhile, Harry heads for Hollywood… again

Congratulations to Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex on being Inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation Awards!

The 21st Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards, to be held on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, will honor those who have made significant contributions to… pic.twitter.com/gs69Hzqxhc

— 𝑺𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒙 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 (@SussexEvent) January 10, 2024

Harry will be suiting up for the red carpet and Living Legends ceremony in Beverly Hills. At the stateside event, hosted by actor John Travolta, the aerial firefighters who helped combat the Los Angeles wildfires earlier in the year and other aviation greats will be honored.

Harry is joining the ceremony even though he already received his own Living Legend award in 2024. This time, he’s showing up as a presenter alongside Morgan Freeman. The two are tasked to induct the honorees, including astronaut Christopher Cassidy and NBC correspondent Tom Costello.

To be fair, Harry does have legitimate flight credentials. He notably flew real missions in Afghanistan and earned his Flying Wings in 2010 from King Charles himself. But that was over a decade ago. These days, the Duke seems more interested in keeping his Hollywood relevance soaring than logging flight hours.

The Prince likely sees the star-studded event as a key opportunity to mingle with movers and shakers and lock in his status as the unofficial crown prince of American celebrity royalty. But with William taking the Vatican spotlight and representing the British monarchy on the world stage, Harry’s California appearance might feel more like a supporting act than a starring role.