Relations between King Charles and Prince Harry may be warming, but a new source of “irritation” is reportedly emerging for Prince William.
The Duke of Sussex is set to return to the UK this month alongside his wife and children for the first time in four years. The visit has been made possible by King Charles extending an olive branch, and arguably represents the strongest signal yet that the cancer-stricken monarch is determined to bring an end to the royal family rift.
William, however, remains firmly unmoved, with “no plans” to meet with the Sussex family during their stay.
With Harry’s security status still under review by the Home Office, Harry had reportedly felt he had little choice but to accept Charles’ offer of accommodating the family in a royal residence in order to make the July trip a reality. While the offer has been turned down previously, Harry is believed to have this time reluctantly considered the security arrangements “sufficient” for the visit.
The trip has been in the pipeline for some time, with Harry scheduled to attend events marking the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. However, Charles’ pivotal role in facilitating the visit has only recently come to light.
Prince Harry could bring his kids to the UK (Image: Instagram)
Royal author and historian Andrew Lownie suggested Charles’ efforts toward reconciliation with Harry demonstrate both strong leadership and a heartfelt desire to repair his relationship with his son. Speaking to The Mirror, he described it as “genuine reconciliation.”
“For many years now, these two royal dramas [Andrew and Harry] have been going on, and this one is now playing out. No one wants to fall out with their children, and I think there’s a genuine personal desire here to see his grandchildren. But I also think the King believes that having an estranged royal is not good for the optics,” Lownie said.
However, with Harry and William showing no indication of reconciliation, Charles must now “deal with William,” who is “adamant that they have nothing to do with Harry.”
“It’s a matter of banging some heads together and saying, ‘Look, we’re going to be a bit more grown up about this,'” Lownie suggested. “This is [Charles] exerting his authority a bit more.”
Meghan Markle could also join her husband (Image: undefined)
In a separate analysis for Vanity Fair, royal commentator Katie Nicholl reported that William has been disregarding Harry’s outreach efforts, with the heir to the throne feeling “irritated” that Charles is “bending over backwards” for his younger son.
“William won’t be seeing his brother. I suspect he will make sure he’s miles away when Harry visits to avoid any awkward encounters,” an insider revealed to the magazine. “Harry has tried to make contact repeatedly, but William won’t take his calls. He is not minded to a reconciliation at all, and the fact that his father is bending over backwards to make Harry’s visit happen has become the source of deep irritation for William.”
Harry has been remarkably open about his complaints regarding his elder brother, especially in his autobiography Spare, where he presented a difficult picture of their relationship. “William is known to hold a grudge, whereas Charles just wants peace,” a source told the magazine.
They added, “They come to the Harry situation from different perspectives. Charles is of the view that one must forgive and move on. William won’t do that. Not yet and maybe never… he cannot forgive his brother for what Harry has put his family through.”
The last time Harry and William were in the same room was at their uncle Sir Robert Fellowes’ funeral in August 2024, yet the two brothers reportedly did not speak.
In Spare, Harry claimed that following Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021, a heated confrontation took place between himself, his brother, and his father – the death of his grandfather coming just weeks after he and Meghan sat down with Oprah Winfrey for their explosive interview about their departure from the royal family. As Harry and William clashed, Charles reportedly implored his sons to reconcile, pleading, “Please boys, don’t make my final years a misery.”
Since Harry’s departure from the UK, William has endured an extraordinarily difficult period in his personal life. With both his wife, Kate Middleton, and Charles temporarily stepping back from royal duties to undergo cancer treatment, William found himself as one of the most senior working royals left to shoulder the additional responsibilities, all while supporting his young family through the ordeal.
In November 2024, he acknowledged it had been a “brutal” time. “It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult,” he said.
Prince William is unlikely to meet with his brother (Image: Getty)
It is understood that the Sussex family will be staying at Buckingham Palace during their stay in the UK. Notably, King Charles is believed to have only met his granddaughter Lilibet once before, back in 2022, when the family traveled to the UK to mark the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.