Was William once a royal rebel? From ‘party Prince’ to ‘rant and rave’, the not-so-sweet side
‘Charles’s wife was horrified at the ranting and raving that William unleashed on occasion’, Author Robert Lacey in his book Battle of Brothers
A steady hand at the helm, Prince William embodies the quiet strength expected of a future king. Time has transformed the once 'party prince' into a responsible father of three. A master of juggling family life with royal obligations, he's become an inspiration for youngsters, often hailed by fans as the quintessential modern royal. However, a new book by a leading royal author throws a wrench into that image. The book reportedly reveals a side of William rarely seen by the public: a "party prince" prone to fiery outbursts.
Prince William's turbulent temperament
Author Robert Lacey has made some bombshell revelations in his book Battle of Brothers. Yes, he is talking about Prince Harry and Prince William’s not-so-hidden royal war. Exploring the heart of Lacey’s book, the Daily Mail spotlights the ‘blast from the past’ that shed light on Prince William's transformation into the man he is today.
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“He has proved no Sweet William when roused.” Lacey writes in his book. According to the biography, while King Charles has witnessed his occasional outbursts, William had a temper that often surfaced in his interactions with his stepmother, Camilla. The queen, definitely not a big fan of these ‘tantrums’ was reportedly surprised by the intensity of William's outbursts, especially when directed towards his father, Prince Charles.
“In the years after her 2005 marriage to Prince Charles, Camilla recounted to members of her own family and close friends her surprise at discovering this unexpected side to Prince Charming – "the boy’s got a temper!" Mail quotes a line from the book.
“Charles’s wife was horrified at the ranting and raving that William unleashed on occasion against her husband in her presence. The rows were shattering, by Camilla’s account in the early days, with William doing the shouting and Charles submitting meekly on the receiving end. As she described it, William held nothing back.” It further described the situation.
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‘Lacey suggests William's anger reflected his future King persona’
Prince Harry and William, the now estranged brothers, used to be quite close, so it is no secret that the Duke of Sussex knows his brother well. Lacey presents his take on this next. In his memoir Spare, where Harry mentioned his own past and drug usage, he also referenced a 2019 event.
The Duke writes, “one 2019 row at Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace, William had ‘grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor.”
Princess Diana got a taste of William’s intensity too
Lacey describes a moment when William's late mother, Princess Diana, also faced this side of him. During her 1995 Panorama interview with Martin Bashir, where they discussed the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles and her affair with James Hewitt, she encountered a raging Prince William, then a student at Eton College.
The book quotes a close friend, the ‘healer’ Simone Simmons who claimed, “All hell broke loose,” Diana told Simmons. ‘…He started shouting and crying and when she tried to put her arms around him, he shoved her away.”
“Diana was getting a taste of how William’s intensity could lead to his notorious rages. The following day, he apologised to his mother for his temper with a small bunch of flowers.” Lacey added.