Princes Harry and William's ongoing feud has been the subject of many news articles,
books — even a documentary. But is the brothers' icy relationship about to thaw?
Here's how Harry's attempts to make peace have been met with surprising results.
In order to understand the setting of Prince Harry and Prince William's reunion for the
unveiling of Princess Diana's statue in 2021, we have to go back to their last interaction — Prince
Philip's funeral. Robert Lacey, a historian and author of the book Battle of Brothers,
wrote for the Daily Mail that, despite any wishes for the reunion to go well, the brothers had it
out with one another. Those surrounding William and Harry, according to Lacey, had hoped that
the funeral "would bring the warring brothers together," but things reportedly did not go well.
After sharing a public moment together,
William and Harry were said to have gotten into an argument and had gone inside St.
George's Chapel so they could fight. A friend of the brothers told Lacey,
"The rage and anger between those two has grown
so incredibly deep. Too many harsh and wounding things have been said."
Philip's funeral was in April 2021, and Harry left shortly after to return to
the United States — not exactly the best way to leave things.
"Home, home for me now, for the time being, it's in the states."
After Prince William and Prince Harry's reunion at Prince Philip's funeral,
the world watched with bated breath as the brothers came together in July 2021 for the
unveiling of a statue of their late mother, Diana Spencer. According to body language
expert Blanca Cobb, it was Harry who tried to engage with William. Cobb told Us Weekly:
"When Harry would actually turn his feet to angle towards his brother, his brother didn't
respond by turning towards Harry. He was more stoic. He was less engaging with his brother."
Cobb also analyzed Harry's hand gestures, revealing to Us Weekly that the younger
prince was "more relaxed" than his brother, perhaps an indication that he felt as though
he had the upper hand in the situation. If body language is anything to go off of,
it seems as though Harry made more of an effort to reunite than William.
It's been reported that Prince William allegedly tried to plant stories in the
press regarding the status of Harry's mental health following some of his
expository interviews. Omid Scobie, the royal editor for Harper's Bazaar,
was interviewed in the new documentary Harry and William: What Went Wrong? and said,
"[William] briefed newspapers about concerns regarding Prince Harry's mental health."
"I wasn't in an environment where I could talk about it, either.
That was sort of, like, squashed."
In the rough cut of the documentary, Scobie claimed that members of William's
team "planted the story" that Harry was mentally unwell, particularly after he
claimed that he and William were "on different paths" during an interview.
Kensington Palace jumped onto the scene and told ITV and Spun Gold — who are behind the
documentary — that the comments from Scobie were "potentially defamatory." As such, the line in
question was removed from the final cut of the film. But it seems that any of Harry's attempts
at cooling down the fiery tension between him and his older brother were not being reciprocated.
If there is one thing that could bring Prince William and Prince Harry together — despite
Harry's attempts to engage with his brother — it's the memory and legacy of their mother,
Diana Spencer. Not only did the brothers reunite to unveil her statue on what
would've been her 60th birthday, but royal historian Robert Lacey asserted that her
memory could bring them back together in a meaningful way. Lacey told People:
"In the past quarter of a century,
they have placed their mother right at the heart of the royal family."
He went on to say that given that neither Queen Elizabeth
nor King Charles would likely set out to honor Diana in any way,
it's been up to William and Harry to put aside their differences and honor her legacy.
There was a lot of attention paid to the Diana Spencer birthday memorial,
mostly because Prince Harry and Prince William had been at odds for so long. They didn't exactly calm
suspicions about their relationship when it was announced that they'd be giving separate speeches
at the statue unveiling. However, the brothers abandoned their plans to address the small crowd
gathered for the occasion and instead released a joint statement about their beloved mom.
Historian and author Robert Lacey told People that the move was a rare show of solidarity
between the two princes. The statement was, in and of itself, a lovely nod to their mom — the
two princes were 12 and 15 when Diana died, and in their statement, they expressed,
"Every day, we wish she were still with us."
When Prince Harry reunited with Prince William in the United Kingdom in July 2021,
he seemed to be pretty happy, which was surprising given all the drama. Royal expert
Katie Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight that the display from Harry while in London was relaxed,
and from her perspective, it seemed that his efforts to thaw any cold tension between him
and William paid off. According to Nicholl, William and Harry "seemed relaxed in each other's
company," and if there was any tension between them, they did a really good job at hiding it.
Although Harry appeared to be enjoying himself and the occasion, as well as making an effort to
reunite with his older brother, he didn't really stick around for too long. The Kensington-located
event in question took place on July 1st, and Harry headed back to the United States on July
3rd — not exactly a long vacation. According to Nicholl, the relationship with William was still
recovering from the "breakdown of trust." Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped some
serious insight about the royal family during their sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey,
namely their allegations of bullying and racism from members of "The Firm," a nickname for the
royal family. But despite all the drama and the things that have been said, it looked
as if tensions between Harry, Meghan, and some royal family members were starting to dissolve.
Queen Elizabeth hosted Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, at Windsor Castle in July 2021.
A video of the visit was released, and in the background of the official event were photos of
the queen's family, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, as well as a photo of Harry on his
20th birthday. That isn't the only indication that efforts on Harry's part had worked to a
degree. In June 2021, the queen met with Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Buckingham Palace,
and in the background of that event, a framed photo of Harry and Meghan was spotted.
All eyes were on Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, when they traveled
to the United Kingdom in early September 2022. The high profile couple was in the
U.K. to attend the WellChild Awards in London, and it was clear from the distance kept from
the royal family that the ostracized pair had little to no intention of interacting
with the firm or its members. However, tragedy struck on September 8, 2022,
as Queen Elizabeth's health steadily declined. Just a few hours after it was announced that she
was to be placed under medical supervision, Queen Elizabeth's death was confirmed.
"My beloved mother was an inspiration and example to me and all my family."
As many would have predicted given the familial tragedy, members of the royal family rushed to
be by the queen's side amid her final moments. While Prince Harry made his way to Balmoral,
Scotland — where the queen was residing at the time of her death — to be with his family members,
even tragedy couldn't bring the fractured relationships closer together. Royal expert
Katie Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight that Meghan was not invited to travel to
Balmoral alongside her husband to mourn the queen's death with the royal family.
To say that the death of Queen Elizabeth rocked the world is an understatement. While many weren't
entirely shocked by her passing, the end of her life and reign marked the truncation of
a significant portion of royal history. As such, members of the royal family attended
many public events to signify the queen's life and mourn alongside the Commonwealth.
In a shocking move, however, Prince William and Prince Harry reunited in public, joining their
wives for a walkabout at Windsor. The two couples spent about 40 minutes outside, taking in the
countless flowers and mementos left for the queen as well as making time to talk to the public. It
was certainly a sight to see, given the ice-cold tension that has plagued the "fab four" for years.
The reunion, however, may not have been as seamless as it appeared to those watching. As
noted by the Daily Mail, King Charles "ordered" his two sons to put their differences aside,
and as such, William invited Harry and Meghan to the Windsor walk about as an "11th-hour
olive branch." Given the stark difference in body language present between the two couples as well,
it was clear that tension and strife were intertwined throughout the public reunion.
"As brothers, you know, you have good days, you have bad days."
Even amid the devastating aftermath of Queen Elizabeth's death, Prince William and Prince
Harry's royal rift has been maintained. As Omid Scobie, the royal editor for Yahoo! News noted
in his column, the brothers are at a stalemate — William is seeking an apology from his younger
brother, while Harry is waiting for the heir to the throne to take accountability. Still, the two
brothers were able to put their differences aside for an evening during the official mourning period
observed after the queen's death. As noted by Page Six, they even joined each other for dinner.
After the queen's coffin was received at Buckingham Palace, William and Harry,
along with Catherine and Meghan, had an "intimate" dinner at the palace. All four
royals were likely looking to end a rather emotional day in the comfort
of family, as they were seen looking "somber" at the queen's reception.
With all eyes watching the members of the royal family throughout Queen Elizabeth's
many memorial events, eagle-eyed fans couldn't help but notice the subtle ways Harry and
Meghan supported one another non-verbally. When it came to the royal funeral service,
the California-based pair took things a step further. Of their body language and
how it related to the Prince and Princess of Wales, who were also in attendance, of course,
body language expert Judi James revealed to Express that the couple was steadfast,
despite the pressure. James also noted that as they were permitted to move,
Harry and Meghan held hands, presenting a "united front" amid the royal wandering eyes.
An intimate dinner, a Windsor walkabout, and reunions that no one saw coming — so
are Prince Harry and Prince William finally healing the rift between them?
Not likely. While the brothers put their differences aside while mourning the queen,
the royal family made notable digs at Harry during his prolonged stay,
with some fearing that the rift between Diana Spencer's sons is worse than ever.
For example, drama surrounded the issue of Harry's military uniform. King Charles
granted him permission to don his uniform during the grandchildren's vigil – but as
a non-working royal, Harry is technically not allowed to wear his military uniform,
despite having served two tours in Afghanistan. Although being granted permission by the king,
there was a notable absence from his dress. As noted by iNews, the queen's "ER" initials
were removed from Harry's shoulders, leaving him "heartbroken." In another turn of events,
William and Harry were seated quite a ways from each other at Queen Elizabeth's state funeral,
leaving some to wonder if the rift between them was widening.
And while William's children have been formally given prince and princess titles,
Harry and Meghan's children, Archie and Lilibet, did not immediately receive the
monikers they are reportedly entitled to, and it remains to be seen if they ever will. With
Harry's looming memoir and the royal drama dialed to 100, a lasting reunion is unlikely.