Prince William and Prince Harry’s historic fallout has been widely documented since the Duke of Sussex stepped away from royal life in 2020. In the wake of his relocation to the US with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two young children, Harry has spoken about his fractured relationship with William in both his autobiography, Spare, and throughout various televised interviews.
While Harry is currently making amends with King Charles, William has reportedly been ‘tougher to crack’, according to insiders. In recent weeks, some insiders have claimed that Harry is offering an olive branch to William and hoping for a ‘secret truce’ with his brother. But, according to royal expert Omid Scobie, renewed hopes for a reunion between the estranged siblings may be premature.
In an interview with People, Scobie – who co-wrote the Sussexes 2020 biography, Finding Freedom, claimed that ‘nothing has changed’. He explained: “The expectations and wants and wishes of Prince Harry are exactly the same as they were then – and none of them have been met.”
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He adds that despite Harry’s ‘repeated attempts’ to build bridges, William is ‘avoiding dealing with this matter whatsoever’. Scobie added: “The ball has been in William’s court for some time now, and he’s chosen not just to knock it back, but to kick it in the other direction.”
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Sharing his thoughts on how the royal fallout could impact William’s future as King, Scobie also added: “There’ll be a lot of things that he stands for, or will seemingly stand for. And if he’s unable to mend a fracture, for all the reasons that we know are behind it, with his brother, I think that also says something about him as a future monarch that may not work in his favour.”
In recent weeks, insiders have claimed that William has strategically distanced himself from Harry in preparation for his future royal role, but others have warned that his success as a King could depend on how he navigates the estrangement. Last year, on an episode of The Royal Beat, journalist Afua Hagan claimed: “If Charles having cancer hasn’t brought them all together at this point, I honestly don’t know what will. However, I would like to think that all is not lost. I don’t think we can have a reign of a King William with this fractured relationship still in place. I think that there will have to be some sort of reconciliation before then. It’s worrying that it is taking this long.”
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