It’s impressive how Prince William and Prince Harry can turn anything into a reason to intensify their sibling rivalry — or, at least, how the media can.You would think that the Princes of Wales’ Earthshot Prize, a charitable and noble environmental cause, couldn’t lead to any bad will between the brothers, but somehow it has. And it’s all do with William’s choice of chef.
Established in 2020, the Earthshot Prize — a play on JFK’s famous “Moonshot” challenge to get a man on the moon by 1969 — aims to put Royal money to good use by awarding five people every year £1 million pounds in order to find and fund “the most innovative solutions to the world’s greatest environmental challenges.” Wills is just trying to save the planet, right? How could that be construed as a dig at Harry?
Wel, it can if the heir to the throne decides to swipe one of his little brother’s celebrity allies just to prove that he can…
William poaching Harry and Meghan’s ally from under their noses proves who really has all the power
As selfless as the Earthshot Prize’s goals are, it seems William couldn’t resist slipping in a little dig at the Duke of Sussex for this year’s competition as he’s recruited one of Harry and Meghan Markle’s best celebrity friends for its judging panel. Spanish-American chef José Andrés, renowned for his humanitarian work, has teamed up with Harry for the 2024 prize, which some are viewing as a deliberate and shocking snub.
As per The Daily Beast, an insider source claims Andrés is “especially near the hearts” of Harry and Meghan, so this may be seen as a double-blow for the couple for both William’s delight in publicly “humiliating” them and for Andrés’ betrayal.
“José Andrés is a uniquely respected figure, and he was very much promoted by the Sussexes over the Covid years,” says the source, an advisor to the Sussexes. “The fact that William can just poach him for Earthshot is not just humiliating for Harry and Meghan, it is a very graphic illustration of the power differential between William and Harry.”
It can’t fail to be a slap to the face for Harry and Meghan, the advisor claims, that Andrés decided it would be more beneficial for himself in the long term to throw his lot in with William and the crown rather than the estranged Royal couple.
“Faced with a choice, when it comes to advancing the goals of his organisation, Andrés has chosen to be allied with the future king of England, and Harry and Meghan will have to either accept it or cut ties with him themselves,” the source opined.
Those recent rumors of Harry secretly working toward a Royal reconciliation certainly feel like a long shot now, given that the boys may still be fighting over their friends. It’s no surprise that the latest word on Harry’s status assures us he has “no interest” in going backwards and is “happy” in California with this family and his “amazing” friends. Whether Andrés will stay one of those close friends remains to be seen.