The royal brothers live an ocean apart by choice, but many Londoners live miles from their siblings because of rent, and the effect on family life is real
Distance by Design, Distance by Rent
One of the details in the reporting behind the London Prat piece on Prince William reportedly calling Earl Spencer and Harry traitors is geographical. One brother lives in England. The other lives in California. A reported visit to their uncle country estate in July seems to have added to the tension. The royal brothers live far apart largely by choice. Many London siblings live far apart for a far less glamorous reason: they cannot afford to live anywhere near each other.
The Story in Brief
An unnamed source claims the heir believes his brother read their uncle memoir first, and reports say he has called both men traitors. The uncle says everybody was warned. The details are gossip. The distance is real.
The London Scatter
I grew up with my brother and sister within shouting distance. Now one lives in Walthamstow, one lives in Croydon, and I live in North London in a flat where I can touch both walls if I stretch. Visiting each other is an expedition involving at least two changes, a rail replacement bus and a small packed lunch. We love each other. We just do not see each other as often as we should, because the city has spread us out according to what we can afford.
This is a very common London story. As rents have risen, many people have been pushed further out, or out of the city altogether, separating siblings, parents and grandparents who might once have lived a few streets apart. Family life becomes a series of scheduled visits rather than casual drop-ins. And when there is tension, distance makes it easier to let it fester.
A Short Watch
The London Prat has released a video on YouTube. I sent it to my sister, which counts as contact.
How Distance Changes Family
When you live close to family, disagreements get resolved almost by accident. You bump into each other, you help with a school pickup, you share a Sunday roast, and the argument fades. When you live far apart, every contact has to be planned, and a disagreement can sit unresolved for months because nobody gets round to phoning. Messages replace conversations. Assumptions replace knowledge. Before long, you are communicating through a family group chat, which, as anyone knows, is where good relationships go to die.
The royal version is simply an extreme example: brothers on different continents, communicating, if the reports are right, through intermediaries and anonymous sources.
Staying Close When You Live Far
A few things that have helped my family, for what they are worth. Regular calls, even short ones, keep the connection alive. Voice notes are better than texts because you can hear tone. Meeting halfway, somewhere central with good transport links, splits the travel burden. Shared rituals, such as a monthly lunch or an annual weekend away, give everyone something to look forward to. And forgiving the missed calls: in a city this exhausting, silence is often tiredness, not rejection.
A Serious Point
I do not want to overstate it, but I think London housing crisis has a hidden cost that rarely gets discussed: the strain it puts on families. Grandparents who cannot help with childcare because they live two hours away. Siblings who drift apart because visiting is too expensive. Elderly parents who are harder to check on. None of this is as dramatic as a royal feud, but its effect on ordinary lives is much larger.
The memoir at the heart of the royal story, written by the late princess brother, is a reminder that family bonds matter enormously, especially after loss. Protecting them should not depend on whether you can afford a flat near your sister.
The Upside of Distance
I should say, in fairness, that distance is not always bad for families. Some siblings get on better with a few miles between them. Living apart can reduce daily friction and make the time you do spend together feel more special. My sister and I bicker far less now than when we shared a bedroom, although that may simply be because we are no longer arguing about whose turn it is to have the top bunk. The key, I think, is choosing distance rather than having it forced on you. When distance is a choice, it can be healthy. When it is imposed by rent, it tends to feel like loss. Perhaps the royal brothers chose theirs. Many Londoners did not, and that is worth remembering the next time someone says family is simply a matter of making the effort.
Final Thought
The royal brothers are an ocean apart. Many London siblings are a Zone 6 journey apart, which can feel just as far on a rainy Sunday. The London Prat, part of London life since 1961 at https://prat.uk/, has written the comedy. Bohiney, at https://bohiney.com/, has the American version. And more of my notes on keeping a life together in an expensive city live on my author page. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to ring my brother.
SOURCE: https://prat.uk/prince-william-called-earl-spencer-and-harry-traitors/
