Prince Harry was recently joined by wife Duchess Meghan in Britain for a long-awaited reunion with King Charles.
Despite the rancor between Harry and the rest of the royal family, the chill that has existed appeared to thaw when Charles met his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, for the first time in years.
A Strained Relationship
According to a report from People, Harry may be making strides to repair his relationship with his father, but that doesn’t appear to be the case with brother Prince William.
“It’s so broken,” a royal family insider tells People of the strained relationship between the once-close siblings.
“I thought it would have perhaps eased a little bit by now, to be honest,” added a source who reportedly knows both brothers. “But there has been no movement, especially on William’s side. There is no contact.”
Harry’s Book Scorched the Earh
Relations between Harry and William first began to deteriorate in 2020 when Harry announced he and Meghan would be stepping back from their royal duties.
A move from London to California was followed by the publication of Harry’s scorched-earth memoir “Spare,” in which he made all manner of unpleasant allegations against his brother and other members of the royal family.
Since then, there has seemingly been no movement on either side to repair the relationship as William prepares for his eventual role as king.
Diana Would Be ‘Devastated’
Speaking with People, royal author Simon Vigar observed that the princes’ mother would be shattered by the situation were she alive to see what had become of their once-powerful bond.
“[Princess] Diana would be devastated that it has turned out like this, particularly because [the brothers] were once so close,” Vigar said.
Harry Needs to Mend Fences
In a previous interview with People, royal historian Robert Lacey shared his belief that the onus is on Harry to set things right.
“The rift is very profound and very long-lasting,” he said. “It will not be changed, in my opinion, until Harry makes a move and apologizes.”
His fellow historian Amanda Foreman agreed, insisting that there will be no reparation of the royal relationship until one of the brothers makes the first move.
“Everyone wants it to happen on their terms, but that’s what makes it impossible,” she explained.
Harry and Charles’ Relationship Getting ‘Better’
Meanwhile, Harry has been making inroads to repair the damage to his relationship with his father.
Making the trip to London so that the king could reconnect with Archie and Lilibet was reportedly a big step in the right direction.
“The relationship is better,” a source told People.
“I would love reconciliation with my family,” said in a 2025 interview with the BBC, adding, “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.”
A ‘Fantastic’ Visit with King Charles
Prior to their recent meeting, the last time Charles saw Harry and his grandchildren was back in 2022, when Harry and Meghan returned to London to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II.
Previously, People reported that the 2022 reunion between Charles and Harry went as well as it could have gone.
“It was a fantastic visit. The prince was delighted to see his grandson and meet his granddaughter for the first time,” a royal source said at the time.
“The Prince and the Duchess [of Cornwall] were absolutely thrilled to see them,” the source added, referring to Charles and Camilla by their titles at the time.
