A royal expert has claimed that Prince William's moving ITV documentary demonstrates that Prince Harry is "blinded by sour grapes".
The first part of the Prince of Wales' new programme, 'Prince William: We Can End Homelessness', aired last night.
It delves into the inaugural year of his Homewards initiative, a project aiming to create a comprehensive plan to eliminate homelessness, making it "making it rare, brief and unrepeated". The documentary showcased William echoing the work of his late mother, Princess Diana, who initially brought attention to the issue of homelessness.
He was filmed volunteering at The Passage, a homeless shelter, holding meetings with charities and landlords, and inviting ex-rough sleeper Wayne for a conversation at Windsor Castle. Royal historian Dr Tessa Dunlop told the Mirror that the documentary presented William in a fresh light - one that contradicts the image painted by his estranged brother Harry.
She said: "Bright blue eyes, open-necked shirt, hands casually crossed on his knee, this was Prince William as we have never seen him before.
"Charming, charismatic and kind, a man on a mission to end homelessness, a prince with the capacity to convince the suits in society and simultaneously get down with the kids.
"ITV's 'Prince William, Together We Can End Homelessness' was not just moving television, it redefined the Prince of Wales as a future 'King of hearts'. In his memoir Spare's opening, Harry claimed that William, with his 'alarming baldness', was losing his 'famous resemblance to Mummy.' It was apparently fading.
"The Duke of Sussex, clouded by his own sibling rivalry, couldn't be more mistaken. Last night, William embodied Diana. The same wide-eyed gaze, the same ability to make the overlooked in society feel acknowledged, the same sincerity; as William readily admitted, he had 'taken guidance from what my mother did'.
"As one charity boss casually noted, William isn't just a celebrity, he is a 'super celebrity', and his ability to utilise that status was evident for all to see. When else would an issue like homelessness receive two consecutive slots on prime-time TV?
"In response to questions about the prince owning too many palaces to be a credible champion for homelessness – he confronted that accusation by featuring Windsor Castle mid-documentary to emphasise his status as the man who can. Former street sleeper Wayne didn't mind, he just wanted a platform to share his story.
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"Tessa added that the spirit of the late Diana was ever present throughout the first part of the documentary - and she believes that despite his highly privileged position, he is using it in the best possible way."
Explaining her point, she said: "Over-shadowed recently by the King and Kate's cancer scares, and long considered the less accessible of his sibling duo, last night served to set the record straight. William has got what it takes to deliver a compassionate kingship and simultaneously forefront Diana."
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She continued to explain how Diana's presence was almost tangible throughout the documentary, noting: "She was ever present throughout the documentary, William openly admitting that it was thanks to her early influence he understood what went on outside palace walls. From his privileged position, he gets it."
And finally, she expressed her emotional reaction to William's sense of duty, as he questioned: "As he said himself 'why else would I be here if I am not using this position properly? ' Why indeed? I shed a tear, and surely I can't have been the only one. Let's face it, compared with those sleeping on the streets, we all live like princes. It's ironic that it took a real prince to make that point."
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