Prince Harry and his brother Prince William were “lost souls” before meeting their better halves, a royal author claims.
Royal expert Tom Quinn — author of the book “Gilded Youth” — told Express (via the Mirror) that Prince Harry, 38, and Prince William, 40, are happy to be with supportive brides, especially after the death of their mother Princess Diana in 1997. The Duke of Sussex met Meghan Markle in 2016 and the Prince of Wales began dating Kate Middleton in the early 2000s.
“I think actually, in a strange way, the two boys, William and Harry, need their partners in a very similar way,” Quinn explained.
He talked about how the siblings’ upbringing, specifically being cared for by paid palace employees who “could leave anytime,” impacted them in their teen years.
“When their mother died, they had that terrible thing on top of the insecurity of being brought up by paid staff,” Quinn stated.
He also added that when William and Harry finally reached adulthood, they both needed different types of women to help them carry the weight of being royal.
He described Middleton, 41, as being “level-headed and strong in [a] quiet, solid [and] secure way.”
“In the case of Harry, someone like Meghan who was going to grab him by the scruff of the neck and say ‘this is the way to live,’” Quinn said.
“But the end result was the same because the symptoms were the same. I think by the time Harry and William reached their late teens they were lost souls,” he pointed out.
Prince Harry has been vocal about his mental health struggles and how much his relationship with his wife has helped him grow.
“People have said that my wife saved me. I was stuck in this world, and she was from a different world and helped draw me out of that,” the “Spare” author told renowned trauma specialist and author Dr. Gabor Maté in a recent interview.
“None of the elements of my life would have been possible without me seeing it for myself,” he added.
In addition to supporting Prince William, Middleton has reportedly acted as a major foundation for the whole royal family. Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell — who was under her employment for a decade until her passing — claimed earlier this month that the Firm would probably “collapse” without Middleton at its core.
“Kate is in such an incredible position because it all rests on her really, the future rests on Kate and that’s an enormous responsibility because if she decided that she didn’t want to be a part of her marriage anymore, then I think the royal family would collapse,” Burrell divulged to the Mirror.
The House of Windsor has gone through an immense amount of change since the late Queen Elizabeth’s passing last year.
Her son, King Charles III, took his place as monarch upon her death and is set to be crowned during his “scaled-back” coronation on May 6.
There has been much chatter about whether or not Harry and Markle will attend the event, having moved to Montecito, California, in 2020.
Harry will reportedly go to the bash alone, as the former actress may not be “brave or strong enough” to show her face, Burrell told Closer magazine on March 15.
“It’s likely to be incredibly uncomfortable for them if they attend, particularly Meghan,” he said at the time. “Are they prepared to face the music?”