The serious rift between the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex has grown wider than ever before, with William furious over the King’s decision to offer his brother a room at Buckingham Palace when he returns to the UK next month.
Since Harry, 41, the Duchess of Sussex, 44, and their two kids, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, had their private visit to Highgrove to meet with Charles, 77, William is concerned this new gesture will be exploited by his untrustworthy younger sibling.
“The relationship between William and Harry is so broken,” reveals a well-placed royal source.
“There’s been absolutely no movement, especially on William’s side. In fact, this recent trip has made him angrier than ever.”
William’s fury
Fiercely protective of his mother’s memory, William is reportedly deeply distressed by Meghan sharing pictures on social media and “gathering content” at Althorp, where Princess Diana is buried.
“With the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death coming up next year, William is suspicious that obtaining footage for a docuseries was the real motivator for Meghan to come to the UK,” a palace insider reveals.
“He blames her for tearing the family apart and doesn’t believe for a second that Diana would approve.”
Given the couple’s previous Netflix series, their bombshell 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and Harry’s memoir Spare, royal sources say William remains very wary of private family moments becoming public.
The Diana comparison
On top of that, Harry continues to push the idea that Meghan is Diana 2.0 – a move that is really getting under William’s skin. In their 2022 series, Harry said, “So much of what Meghan is, and how she is, is so similar to my mum. She has the same compassion, empathy and confidence. She has this warmth about her.”
But William does not share this view.
“He finds the comparisons deeply offensive and way off the mark,” says our insider.
“The thought of Meghan ending up front and centre in any sort of tribute to Diana would make him explode at Harry.”
A family divided
Despite the tension, Charles is believed to be quietly working to repair his relationship with Harry, with reports that he and Meghan have been invited to spend time with the royal family during their summer holidays in Balmoral.
But William has reportedly decided that no matter what, he’s determined to keep his distance.
“My sources tell me he did not want to run any risk of seeing his younger brother – or Meghan – on his home turf,” insists veteran royal reporter Emily Andrews.
“A brutal showdown between the warring brothers, which it would surely be, is something that William would want to avoid at all costs.”
What Diana would think
Nearly three decades after Diana’s tragic death, the rift between the siblings is now so deep that they haven’t spoken to one another since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022. It’s a situation
many believe would have pained their mum.
“She’d be very sad but not surprised,” says royal biographer Ingrid Seward, who knew the princess personally.
“They were always very different and she understood that. But what would really upset her is the fact that they are the only two people in the world who know what it’s like to be in their situation.”
Sussex family snaps
Meghan offered fans a rare glimpse into her family’s life when she shared a series of intimate holiday snaps on Instagram.
Captioned “Summer Holiday”, the post marked Meghan’s first trip to the UK in more than four years, and included a touching image of Archie and Lilibet carrying bouquets of flowers while on the Althorp Estate. The picture is thought to show the family visiting Diana’s grave, which lies on an island on the estate’s Oval Lake.
Before returning to California, the family also spent time in Portugal, from which Meghan shared candid moments of a beach day out, Harry playing with Lilibet in the pool, Archie exploring an aircraft cockpit and the couple enjoying a relaxed dinner together.
