Prince George's godmother Julia Samuel has seemingly sent a powerful and important message to King Charles about his warring sons. The renowned psychotherapist, who remains close to the royal brothers as a dear friend of their late mother, has offered meaningful advice, warning that a "forced reconciliation" between the siblings could actually "worsen" the conflict.
She penned a moving essay on sibling estrangement that may help the British monarch heal the deep rift between Prince William and Prince Harry. "You may feel caught between your children, helpless to repair the divide and question what you could have done differently," she wrote.
She added: "Our instinct is to bring them back together. People often say 'bang their heads together', yet our attempts to help can sometimes deepen the hurt.
Sometimes, love requires us to stand back, give them space to resolve issues in their own time." The counsellor also offered five tips to "spark genuine repair": resist the mediator role, listen without taking sides, recognise the power of time, acknowledge your grief, and accept limits to your control.
Having been born into the Guinness family, Julia came across royalty as her sister, Sabrina, a television producer, once dated Prince Charles. She became close friends with Princess Diana after meeting at a dinner in 1987.
They spent much time together as she lived close to Kensington Palace, remaining close until the late royal died in 1997. Diana would help pick Julia's children up from school and was godmother to her son, Benjamin.
The therapist is the founder of Child Bereavement UK, which supports bereaved children, as well as parents who lost a child, and the author of "Grief Works" and "This Too Shall Pass". Her professional insights have frequently been sought by various media outlets to analyze complex interpersonal dynamics within high-profile families, bringing a clinical perspective to deeply personal matters.
Observers note that while the advice is directed generally at sibling estrangement, its public release carries clear implications for the ongoing royal rift that continues to capture global headlines. Neither Buckingham Palace nor representatives for Prince William and Prince Harry have issued an official response to the psychotherapist's widely publicized remarks regarding family mediation.