There is still no love lost between Prince William and Prince Harry, whose relationship was recently described as ‘worse than ever’ by former royal editor Duncan Larcombe. A separate source told The Mirror that the argument is a ‘matter of trust’, with William feeling as though his brother has ‘repeatedly chosen public exposure over private resolution’. The insider added: ‘Ever since moving to North America, [the Sussexes] have eroded all confidence in their ability to keep things or their criticisms private. For there to be any chance of moving forward, that trust has to be rebuilt.’
The King, however, appears to be more amenable to the idea of building bridges with his youngest son, as their recent meeting demonstrates. His motivation is not just repairing his bond with Harry, but getting to know his grandchildren better – as sources told The Mirror in 2024 that the King was ‘keener than ever’ to spend time with Archie and Lilibet. Despite only meeting the children on a few occasions, insiders said that he is ‘absolutely committed to being present’ in their lives. They said: ‘He values family above everything, and whatever the course of his relationship with his son, he would never be content with just seeing his grandchildren on the odd video call.’
Perhaps, then, the next generation of royals will be the catalyst to heal the rift that has plagued the family for the last five years. Harry has, according to insiders speaking to The Times, ‘not given up hope on bringing his family back to the UK. He wants to be able to show his children where he grew up. He wants them to know their family here. He really would like to come back to the UK much more.’ Only time will tell, however, whether this dream will become a reality…