Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s former First Minister, opened up in her memoir Frankly about a moment that left her disappointed with Prince William. Although she usually respected the royal family, she admitted she felt “aggrieved” after a meeting with him in 2021.
Sturgeon said her own conversation with William was polite and non-political. But shortly after, she discovered he had held a private meeting with former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Since Brown had just launched a think tank opposing Scottish independence, many wondered if their talk crossed into politics.
The secrecy of the William-Brown meeting fueled suspicion. Sturgeon suggested the optics were damaging, especially at a time when Scotland’s constitutional future was hotly debated. When William’s office defended the meeting, Sturgeon dismissed their explanation as “disingenuous,” hinting she believed they weren’t being fully honest. See More
This incident ties into a broader debate about the royal family’s role in politics. Royals are expected to stay neutral, but reports suggest William has occasionally pushed boundaries. A royal biographer, Valentine Low, even claimed William encouraged the late Queen to influence the 2014 independence referendum with her famous words urging Scots to “think very carefully about the future.”
Nicola Sturgeon’s account highlights the tension between the monarchy and politics in the UK. While Prince William may not have openly taken sides, the optics of meeting Gordon Brown, a known anti-independence figure, raised doubts about royal neutrality. For Sturgeon, it wasn’t just about politics—it was about trust and transparency. The story adds fuel to ongoing questions about whether the royals should quietly influence big political moments or strictly stay out of them.
