Will Harry’s return heal the rift with his brother? Don’t hold your breath
Daniela Relph, Senior Royal Correspondent, BBC
For the past six years, Prince William and Prince Harry have been practically and emotionally separated by oceans. But with the Sussex family’s move back to the UK, will closing this physical distance bridge the gap between them?
The return of Harry and Meghan isn’t a typical sibling fallout; it’s a deeply rooted fracture filled with anger, resentment, and a complete breakdown of trust. Much of their conflict has played out in public. While Harry expressed a desire for reconciliation in his BBC interview last year, stating, "I would love reconciliation with my family… There’s no point in continuing to fight any more", the road to healing appears fraught with challenges.
Prince William, still hurting from perceived betrayals, is reluctant to forgive and forget. "William is very stubborn," a family friend revealed to the BBC. "To feel cheated by your own brother has been painful. He can’t just put it behind him."
The proximity of Harry’s return adds pressure on William to make amends. The siblings will likely live close to one another, potentially prompting William to take the initiative for reconciliation. However, royal author Valentine Low suggests that William might not be willing to reconcile due to his brother’s actions. **"If he doesn’t want to reconcile… because of the things he’s done, the wrongs that he feels Harry’s done to him, he’s not going to reconcile"*, she notes.
In coming months, Prince Charles will prioritize his public work, focusing on avoiding becoming entangled in the drama surrounding the return of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Several sources from organizations with whom William has worked expressed a desire to support him and protect him from Harry and Meghan’s potential distraction. "This is a hard situation for him full of emotion and anger," one source shared, "and we will support him… It is really important… that any work we do with William will be focused on making a positive change and won’t be affected by the Harry and Meghan drama."
Back in 2018, the mood was vastly different. The focus then was not on reconciliation but on supporting William as he navigated the loss of their mother together with his brother.
