Prince William and Kate Middleton Avoid Question About Prince Harry's 'Protect' Queen Elizabeth Comment

The subtle drama within the royal family continues even amid Queen Elizabeth II's birthday celebrations. Prince William and Kate Middleton brushed off a question about Prince Harry's latest strange remark about visiting his grandmother this month. Prince Harry told The Today Show last week that he wanted to ensure that the queen was "protected."

Prince Harry's interview with Hoda Kotb raised some eyebrows last week when he alluded to concerns for the queen's wellbeing. "I'm just making sure that she's, you know, protected and got the right people around her," he said at the time. Naturally, reporters were eager to ask follow-ups on this question, and they got their chance on Thursday. In a video published by The Daily Mail, Prince William and Middleton were bombarded with questions as they left an official meeting in London.

"Sir, does the Queen need protecting?" a reporter called out at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The two either did not hear the question or ignored it altogether. Many others have questioned what Prince Harry might have meant by this comment, and who he was alluding to when it comes to the queen's innner circle.

Royal admirers still perceive the relationship between Prince Harry and Prince William as the crux of the issues within the royal family. Many assume there is strain between Middleton and Meghan Markle as well. While Prince Harry and Markle have visited the queen and communicated with Prince Charles, there has been no confirmation that they've been in touch with Prince William and Middleton since moving to the U.S.

Prince William and Middleton have also not been receptive to discussions of the criticism leveled at the royal family in Prince Harry and Markle's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey. Prince William's most direct response was to say: "We're very much not a racist family." Other than that, he has tried to focus his attention on other areas of the royal family's life and work.

Some controversy was inevitably this week with the royal family in the spotlight for the queen's birthday. The monarch turned 96 and, at the same time, marked a year since the passing of her husband Prince Philip. It has not been an easy year with COVID-19 and geopolitical unrest, but all signs indicate the queen's health is good.