HODA KOTB, co-host:
The royal family has always been a source of interest not to just the British, but to people around the world. And as the sons of
Diana
, the heirs to the throne,
Princes William
and
Harry
have had their every single move scrutinized by the media.
KATHIE LEE GIFFORD, co-host:
Hm. Now a new book gives a detailed account of their lives, from their childhood to present day, and it's called "Behind the
Palace Walls
."
Katie Nicholl
is the author, and we're delighted to have you. Thanks for sticking around.
KOTB:
Hi,
Katie
.
Ms. KATIE NICHOLL (Author, "William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls"):
I am delighted
to be with you
both.
GIFFORD:
What are we going to learn in this book that we haven't heard before?
KOTB:
Mm-hmm.
Ms. NICHOLL:
Well, this book brings the story right up to date. So there's a lot of
Kate
, a lot of
William
and
Kate
, which is great because, of
course
, it's the question everyone's asking. But I think, you know, I've got to see the princes in a way that a lot of people haven't. I've been to polo with them, I've been to clubs with them.
KOTB:
Hm
.
Ms. NICHOLL:
So I hope that you will take away the real princes, who they really are.
GIFFORD:
And you like them, don't you?
Ms. NICHOLL:
I really do like them.
GIFFORD:
Yeah.
Ms. NICHOLL:
They are good boys. They're -- it's a difficult, difficult position they're in, and I think they do it very well.
GIFFORD:
Hm
.
KOTB:
We've been hearing a lot about are they going to get married,
William
and
Kate
, are they going to get married? And then in your book you talk about a secret marriage pact, which sounds very sneaky.
Ms. NICHOLL:
Yeah.
KOTB:
So what's the story there?
Ms. NICHOLL:
Well, what happened is you remember when they split back in
2007
and we thought it was all over.
KOTB:
Yeah.
Ms. NICHOLL:
Well, they got back together.
William
whisked her away for this romantic holiday to the
Seychelles
, and that's where they agreed that they were going to stay together, that
William
basically gave her his word that they would marry, but just that she had to wait. He had a military career, he had commitments to fulfill. And she said, 'I'll wait.'
KOTB:
How long is she going to wait, do you think?
GIFFORD:
Well, it's been nine years.
KOTB:
That's a long time.
Ms. NICHOLL:
Well, she's wait -- she's waited a long time. Of
course
, we call her "Waity
Katie
" in the press, which she hates.
GIFFORD:
I'm sure.
KOTB:
I bet.
Ms. NICHOLL:
And blames me for, I think.
KOTB:
Yeah.
Ms. NICHOLL:
But I don't think she's going to be waiting that much longer. All the signs at the moment -- you know, the parents shooting at
Balmoral
,
Kate
now having all her dresses made for her.
GIFFORD:
A wardrobe.
KOTB:
Yeah. Yeah.
Ms. NICHOLL:
You remember the story I wrote about the
Royal Mint
preparing a coin.
KOTB:
Yeah.
Ms. NICHOLL:
So all of these things I think are signs that it's very close.
And I
'm thinking new year I think we're going to see an announcement.
GIFFORD:
Because he has to ask his mother, right?
Ms. NICHOLL:
He has to ask his grandmother.
GIFFORD:
His grandmother for the --
Queen Elizabeth
.
KOTB:
Of
course
.
Ms. NICHOLL:
And that is how it will be done. And, you know, they all gather together at
Sandringham
, which is her
Norfolk
estate, over
Christmas
, and that sort of would probably be the right time where he can say, 'Granny, the time is right.'
GIFFORD:
Yeah.
KOTB:
Tell the story -- I know
Harry
's kind of the nuttier one, the crazier one. Tell the story about how
Queen Elizabeth
wanted him to leave -- to set up her voice mail.
Ms. NICHOLL:
Well...
KOTB:
This is interesting.
Ms. NICHOLL:
Well, you know the queen's on
Facebook
and everything now.
KOTB:
Yes, we...
Ms. NICHOLL:
But she's always been up to date on technology. She got a new phone and she wanted just a standard greeting --
course
, she couldn't work the thing. So she passed the phone over to
Harry
, who recorded a very personalized message which was, 'One for
HM
,' of
course
,
Her Majesty
...
KOTB:
Yeah.
Ms. NICHOLL:
...'One for Prince
Phililp
, and three for the corgis.' And with
William
and
Harry
guffawing in the background. So when the queen's private secretary called up, I mean, he got the shock of his life. He's like, 'Mum, change your voice mail.'
GIFFORD:
Oh, that's so funny.
KOTB:
Didn't he start by saying, 'Hey, what's up? This is
Liz
,' or something -- 'This is
Liz
.'
GIFFORD:
They're...
Ms. NICHOLL:
'
What's up
? This is
Liz
.'
KOTB:
Yeah.
Ms. NICHOLL:
But that's...
KOTB:
I mean, imagine that.
GIFFORD:
Yeah. They're just trying to be real kids.
Ms. NICHOLL:
That's
Harry
through and through. He's great fun, he's very mischievous...
KOTB:
Yeah.
Ms. NICHOLL:
...got a great sense of humor, and he's wonderful.
GIFFORD:
Now, is he going to marry -- what's her name,
Chelsy Davy
?
KOTB:
Chelsy
.
Ms. NICHOLL:
Well, he and
Chelsy Davy
are on a bit of a split at the moment.
KOTB:
Yeah.
Ms. NICHOLL:
She's gone
back to
South Africa
. He's, of
course
, training in the
UK
. So I'm saying don't rule a reconciliation out because they've been, you know, broken up and back together again.
GIFFORD:
Yeah. She doesn't seem to care that he's a prince.
Ms. NICHOLL:
And that's why I like her.
GIFFORD:
Yeah.
Ms. NICHOLL:
And that's why he loves her.
GIFFORD:
And their mother's passing, have they -- have they found some sort of closure about that?
Ms. NICHOLL:
Well, they gave an interview only recently, just after we got back from
Africa
with them, and they said not a day goes past when they don't think about her.
GIFFORD:
Yeah.
Ms. NICHOLL:
And I
think that says a lot.
KOTB:
Sure.
Ms. NICHOLL:
I think
Diana
is never far away from their thoughts.
GIFFORD:
Of
course
.
KOTB:
Well, we wish you very good luck with the book.
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