Is William and Harry's relationship over for good?
Royal biographer Robert Hardman on whether reconciliation is possible
Hello Royal Clubbers,
It's Ainhoa here. You may have heard that Prince Harry is making an imminent return to the UK to attend the WellChild Awards. The Duke has been patron of the charity for 17 years and on 8 September – which also happens to be his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's third death anniversary – Harry will be present in London to deliver a speech at the ceremony and hand out the Award for Inspirational Child (aged 4-6).
As with any of his rare and fleeting visits to the UK, the question always arises of whether Harry will meet up with members of his family, in particular his father King Charles and his brother Prince William. And this leads to the even bigger question – will Harry ever reconcile with his estranged family?
In May, you may remember Harry's interview with the BBC, in which he stated he "would love a reconciliation" with the royal family. For context, he was speaking just after losing a legal challenge over the levels of security he and his family are allowed in the UK. Harry blamed the royal household for influencing the decision to reduce his security, describing his court defeat as a "good old-fashioned establishment stitch up". He also stated: "I can't see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point."
But in the interview, Harry did make clear his feelings on a resolution: "I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious." He also said he does "not know how much longer my father has".
There were also reports that in July, two members of Harry and Meghan's communications team and the King's aide met up at a private members' club in London, to discuss a potential family reunion. Obviously, we will never know exactly what was discussed, but it's safe to assume that there is still a very long road ahead towards any kind of reconciliation.
As for Harry's relationship with Prince William, the last time the two brothers were in a room together is thought to be in August 2024 when they both attended the funeral of Lord Robert Fellowes in Norfolk. Lord Robert was Queen Elizabeth II's former private secretary and married to Lady Jane Fellowes, the sister of Princess Diana. Harry and William reportedly sat at the back of the church, separately, and avoided each other. They kept their distance and did not speak to each other.
In the past, much has been said about the seismic and ever-growing rift between the brothers. The question on all our lips is – will William and Harry ever reconcile? Or is their relationship over for good?
Last year, my fellow Royal Club authors Emily and Andrea had the pleasure of interviewing royal author Robert Hardman as his new book, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, hit shelves. And one takeaway from their chat was Robert's opinion on the brothers' very public feud.
Robert explained why he thought a reconciliation would be a "tough obstacle" and a "tricky prospect", particularly after Harry made some "veiled criticisms" of his sister-in-law Princess Catherine. But he did also have some positive comments to make on Harry's relationship with his father King Charles.
Make sure you're a paid subscriber to read the interview below.
I personally can't see Harry meeting up with Charles or William during his visit to the UK next month. I don't think a reunion is happening any time soon, let alone a reconciliation…
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