Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose major royal threat if Prince William's 'not careful' - expert

In a revealing interview, Prince William set out his stall for how he sees his royal role in the future - but one royal expert says he needs to beware, especially of the threat posed by his estranged brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle

Prince William must beware of his royal vision for the future due to the glamorous threat posed by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, an expert has warned.

In a revealing candid interview, the Prince of Wales spoke of his role in developing a modern monarchy, saying he was doing royal "with a smaller r" with a focus on empathetic leadership and helping people. His interview came just days before his father King Charles made a string of engagements this week, including attending the glitzy royal premiere of Hollywood blockbuster film, Gladiator II. He was forced to attend the star-studded event alone as Queen Camilla continues to recover from a chest infection.

And for royal historian and expert Dr Tessa Dunlop, these two events shone a huge spotlight on how much has changed lately for the royals - especially since the memorably glamorous Bond premiere back in 2021. She explained to the Mirror : "He was up against Gladiatorial men, (squaring up to Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal is no mean feat) but the King looked inescapably alone on the red carpet in Leicester Square last night. There was no retro glamour, no tinsel, no tiaras.

"Even Camilla (still battling a nasty chest infection), was missing. To compensate, I longed for the King to wear an ermine gown, or pop a crown on his head. Instead, he dutifully made his way down the line of stellar names. That fabulous 'No Time to Die' Bond premiere when Camilla and Kate waltzed out in a haze of designer sequins felt like a world away. One small glimpse of the Princess of Wales in Remembrance black on Sunday was a painful reminder of what we are missing.

"There is a vacuum at the top and the problem with vacuums is that they invite all sorts of unwanted intruders. The royal machine has clearly decided that they can compensate for a depleted public presence with relentless philanthropy on ITV.

"This is definitely William’s happy space – Earthshot speeches and homeless documentaries are his version of royalty with a small ‘r’. But royalty needs to be careful. The public will tolerate a bit of charitable hectoring but only if accompanied with a large dollop of fairytale glamour."

And with the potential for a glitzy and glamour vacuum to form according to Tessa, there are two people who she says could easily fill it. She added: "The Royal Family might think they are above such glitzy gimmicks. That would be a mistake. After all, waiting in the wings are ex-royals the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

"Instinctively glamourous with bundles of razzmatazz, the Californian couple have an effortless knack for combining showbiz-gloss and public do-gooding. Already estranged from the House of Windsor, Trump returning to the White House gives them another excuse to regroup, with a new house in Portugal the perfect launch pad for a European offensive. William beware! It would never do for the royal brand to be upstaged."