Prince William’s remark about “not directing others what to do” was a covert shot at his brother Prince Harry, claimed a royal expert.

Following criticism of his eight-day trip to Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas with the Duchess of Cambridge last week, the Duke of Cambridge responded.

In a concluding address, he said the journey had brought “questions about the past and the future” into a clearer perspective.

“Catherine and I are devoted to service,” he continued. That, in our opinion, is not instructing individuals what to do. It’s about leveraging the platform we’re fortunate to have to serve and assist people in whatever way they see fit.”

Angela Levin, a royal biographer, speculated that the remark was aimed at Prince Harry, who has been a strong activist for causes near to his heart since leaving the royal family.

“I believe he’s right, I think that worked very well to articulate what he felt without telling people what to do – which I thought was also a jab at his brother,” the author, who previously spent a year with the Duke of Sussex for an authorized biography, said of William’s comments on Sky News.

Since leaving the royal family, Harry has spoken out about his beliefs at a number of public speaking engagements, as well as in interviews and as the chief impact officer for professional coaching and mental health organization BetterUp.