The Royal Family is an institution that revolves around rules, protocol and tradition, but in a quiet yet telling move, Prince William has made a significant break from his father's way of handling affairs. In a decision that speaks volume about the Prince of Wale's desire to carve out his role on his own terms, the Daily Mail has reported that William has decided to leave The King's trusted law firm and hire the legal counsel that represented Princess Diana during her high-profile divorce.
The outlet's columnist Richard Eden wrote that the Prince of Wales, who previously used longtime royal favorite firm Harbottle & Lewis and its media law specialist partner Gerrard Tyrrell, has parted ways with the business. Prince William has now hired his mother's trusted law firm Mishcon de Reya "to act for him and his family, in a break with tradition," Eden wrote.
"William wanted to strike out on his own," a source told Eden, adding, "He did not want to continue using his father’s lawyers. It’s as simple as that. He wants to be his own man."
Per the outlet, Harbottle & Lewis is reportedly "disappointed" after having represented members of the Royal Family "for decades," and the switchup is "the talk of legal circles." Harbottle & Lewis has assisted members of the family on many high-profile cases, including the headline-making 2006 phone-hacking scandal involving Prince William and Prince Harry.
"William wants to do things differently from his father, and wants to be seen to do them differently," an insider told Eden.
This echoes the choice Princess Diana made when it came to using a divorce lawyer. Rather than turning to a firm that was known in royal circles, Diana looked to Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew's split for tips on how not to handle her own. Author Tina Brown wrote (via the Daily Mail), "Diana, who knew she would soon face divorce herself, regarded her sister-in-law's negotiations as the road map of how to mess it up."
This meant turning to Mischon de Raya's deputy chairman Anthony Julius, versus a palace-approved firm like Ferguson used. Julius later served as a founding trustee and vice president of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, a role that put him in close contact with Prince William over the years.
