Amanda Platell, a Daily Mail columnist, wrote that Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, have become the "Prince and Princess of Boring" and urged them to take a leaf out of Prince Harry’s book after his recent four-day tour, which she said brought laughter and joy to events the royal household has not shown in some time.
In a column published Sept. 12, 2025, Platell contrasted Harry’s highly visible, media-friendly appearances — including interactions with children at the Diana Awards and a surprise visit to Ukraine where he discussed expanding Invictus Games-style rehabilitation — with what she described as the more reserved public duties carried out by William and Kate. She said William chaired a conference marking World Suicide Prevention Day while Kate attended two events at textile factories, calling those engagements important but less resonant in public imagery than Harry’s appearances.
Platell also relayed assertions by royal biographer Tina Brown, who writes on the Fresh Hell Substack, that King Charles is currently "less irritated" by Prince Harry than by William. Platell summarized Brown's argument that tensions have arisen over workload and the public profile of the Waleses. She cited Brown's comparison of engagement numbers over the past year, noting that, according to Brown, the king carried out official engagements on 175 days compared with 107 for William and 37 for Kate.
The column addressed personal circumstances alongside public duties. Platell noted Kate’s ongoing cancer recovery and wrote that commentators, including Brown, have questioned public perceptions of the Waleses’ balance between family time and royal duties. Brown, Platell reported, also suggested that Charles finds William’s public references to wanting his children a "normal family life" to be a subtle critique of the king’s own parenting.
Platell credited Harry’s tour with generating positive public images and suggested it was a PR success for the duke, pointing to scenes of him playing with children and engaging informally with staff. She recounted that Harry followed the four-day visit with an unannounced trip to Ukraine and pledged to try to extend rehabilitation opportunities associated with the Invictus Games to those wounded in the conflict.
The column referenced a survey that, Platell wrote, showed public support for the monarchy had fallen from about 86 percent in the 1980s to roughly 50 percent today, a statistic she used to underscore the perceived importance of public-facing engagements. Platell also reported on a brief meeting between the king and Harry earlier in the week, saying Harry had given assurances that the contents would remain private.
Platell’s piece blends commentary on royal public relations with reporting of claims made by public figures; several of the statements she relays are attributed to Brown or to unspecified surveys. The columnist included personal observations about the brothers’ contrasting styles and concluded by urging William to be more outwardly engaging.
Representatives for Prince William, Catherine, Prince Harry and King Charles did not provide immediate comment to the Daily Mail column. Independent confirmation of the engagement totals and the survey figures cited by Platell was not provided in her column.