Royal Author Says Prince William’s Latest Hire May Spark ‘Celebrity Endorsements’ Competition With Prince Harry
Let the games begin? An author believes Jacinda Ardern, the newest addition to Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, could mean competing for “celebrity endorsements” with Prince Harry. Why both brothers would want to “align themselves” with the former prime minister of New Zealand. Plus, how Ardern’s seemingly “distancing herself” from the Duke of Sussex.
Prince William’s ‘hugely grateful’ New Zealand’s former prime minister is ‘joining’ Earthshot Prize
The Prince of Wales is all set to work with Ardern on his environmental award. On April 5, Kensington Palace shared the former prime minister had been named a trustee of the Earthshot Prize.
William highlighted how Ardern’s “life-long commitment to supporting sustainable and environmental solutions” paired with her experience will “bring a rich infusion of new thinking to our mission.”
He also shared he’d gotten Ardern’s input when the Earthshot Prize was in it’s infancy. “Four years ago, before the Earthshot Prize even had a name, Jacinda was one of the first people I spoke to,” William said. He later added how he’s “hugely grateful to her for joining us.”
‘Not surprising’ William and Harry ‘would want to align themselves’ with Jacinda Ardern
The “young and dynamic” former prime minister is someone William and Harry would both want to be associated with, according to royal expert Shannon Felton.
“It’s sort of not surprising that both the Wales and Sussexes would want to align themselves with her,” she said (via Fox News Digital).
William getting her onboard with Earthshot Prize is, in the royal expert’s opinion, an instance of the royal family’s “power” trumping “Tinseltown” California-based Harry and Meghan Markle.
“It’s frankly another example of royalty in action being more attractive than a celebrity in inaction,” Felton said. “The exclusivity, mystique, diplomatic power of the crown will win out over Tinseltown every time.”
Now that William’s working with Ardern, author Christopher Andersen thinks it may spur him and Harry to one-up each other.
“I think we may well see the two camps competing for celebrity endorsements of their various causes, which just further strains an already tense relationship,” he said.
Jacinda is ‘further distancing herself’ from Harry and Meghan by working with William
“It isn’t a stretch to assume the former prime minister is further distancing herself from the Sussexes by accepting William’s invitation to sign on as a trustee of his most high-profile charitable endeavor,” Andersen said.
Not just because Ardern’s working with William but because she, Harry, and Meghan aren’t reportedly as “close” these days.
“Relations with the Sussexes were reportedly close after they toured the South Pacific in 2018,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said. “Reported to have subsequently kept in touch,” Ardern appeared on Meghan’s “‘Forces for Change’ cover of Vogue.”
That seemingly changed with Live to Lead, the Netflix original produced by Harry and Meghan. When the trailer dropped, featuring interviews with Ardern, among others, she clarified her involvement.
“When an interview with [Ardern] was included in ‘Live to Lead,’ she released a statement emphasizing that her links with the project had been with the Nelson Mandela Foundation.”
Not Harry and Meghan, “who fronted the interviews and whose Archewell Productions were also involved.” Fitzwilliams concluded: “This was clearly distancing themselves from Harry and Meghan who by now had become critical of the monarchy.”
