Despite living an ocean away in California, Prince Harry hopes to mend fences with his estranged brother, Prince William. However, the Duke of Sussex’s unrealistic expectations appear to block the path to reconciliation.
The rift between the once-close brothers has been a subject of intense media scrutiny since Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from their royal duties in 2020. Their subsequent revelations about life within the royal fold, including a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey and Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare, have only widened the chasm between the siblings.
After the shocking news of Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis, royal watchers hoped the personal crisis could maybe bring the family closer together. However, no reunion materialized despite Harry’s brief visit to the UK for the Invictus Games anniversary in May. The two brothers have only been together recently on August 29, 2024, at the funeral of Lord Fellowes. Harry even considered skipping the funeral to avoid bumping into his brother but decided to attend out of respect for his beloved uncle.
While the whole affair seems irreparable at times, an insider reveals that Harry wishes to be welcomed back into the Royals’ wealthy arms (a future that scares the life out of King Charles). Yet, considering Harry’s demands, no one should hold their breath waiting.
What are Prince Harris’ conditions for restoring his relationship with Prince William?
At the heart of Harry’s alleged reconciliation efforts lies a poignant motivation – the relationship between his children and their royal cousins. Archie and Lilibet, the Sussex children, have spent most of their lives an ocean away from their cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Royal biographer Tom Quinn claims that Harry is deeply concerned about this growing distance. “He wants to reconcile with his brother so that the children can have some kind of a relationship,” Quinn told The Daily Mirror. However, the expert adds a crucial caveat: “But he and Meghan still think that a groveling apology needs to come from William and Kate first.”
The situation is further complicated by reports that King Charles III is also expecting an apology from Harry. Quinn suggests that the monarch is privately furious with his younger son and is now refusing to take his calls.
While Harry seems to be holding out hope for a royal reunion, his wife appears to have a different perspective. Charlotte Griffiths, editor-at-large for the Mail on Sunday, told GB News that while Meghan had been pushing for an apology “for quite a long time,” recent reports suggest she has “sort of given up” on the idea.
For anyone following the drama, it’s clear that the much-desired “groveling apology” from William and Kate “just isn’t going to happen,” as Quinn puts it.
So, for the time being, the demand for apologies on both sides has created a stalemate that shows no signs of resolution. Meanwhile, the children of the once-close brothers continue to grow up worlds apart, with their potential relationships as casualties of proud adults bickering.