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Harry’s way is not the Christian way to solve family disputes says church leader

by Donna Birrell

Princes Harry and William need to deal with their rift in a Christian way, with discretion and forgiveness, according to the director of the Affinity network of gospel churches in partnership. Graham Nicholls was speaking after excerpts from Prince Harry's memoir, Spare, were published.

The book also features topics like drug use and Harry's deployment to Afghanistan - which has angered the Taliban and left security experts worried.

Pastor Graham Nicholls told Premier he fears the revelations are making the family's situation worse :

“I do think it's very sad and I do have that sort of sinking feeling. I know we’re hearing only one side of the story, but obviously relationships have broken down.

“I feel sad that the relationships are broken down so badly in a family that is in the public eye and to some degrees is a role model. I feel disappointed that they are basically dramatizing their family squabbles for money. There’s quite a lot of money involved and it sours the credibility of it.

“I just don't think that's the Christian way to deal with family disputes.

“It’s hard to know his (Harry’s) own motivation. Again, because there's so many large sums of money involved and such a whole marketing operation associated with it, the leaks and all that sort of thing. It makes it hard to work out what is the motivation other than either some kind of revenge pact against his brother or against the royal family in general.

“I think if they'd have done it in a different way, in a more low key way, then you might have thought, well, this is this is genuinely people who are hurt. So I don't know the motivation, but it doesn't look good from the outside.”

In the book, Prince Harry alleges that his brother William physically attacked him in 2019, knocking him to the floor, after describing Meghan the Duchess of Sussex as ‘difficult’ and ‘rude.'

Reflecting on the claims, Graham Nicholls said :

“Although that particular fight was significant, and really not commendable at all, probably if that's the worst revelation, I don't think William will be terribly damaged by it.

“But I think they just need to deal with it in a Christian way, with patience and discretion and forgiveness and moving towards one another and talking these things out and not in this public way.

“Both parties need to be willing to talk and to reconcile. I think lobbing grenades from a distance is not really conducive towards that.

“As a Christian, we have to be willing to forgive. Harry is not some very distant relative, he is the son of the king.

"So I do hope they can reconcile. But more than anything, I hope King Charles in particular has a robust faith and that he’s working through Christian principles in terms of trying to lead his family and particularly his grown up boys.”

 

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