Harry & William have no chance of making up if they can’t even speak at their uncle’s funeral, says expert
PRINCES Harry and William have no chance of making up if they can’t even speak at their uncle’s funeral, says an expert.
The two brothers attended a memorial service and garden reception on Wednesday following Lord Robert Fellowes’ death earlier this month.
The Duke of Sussex secretly dashed from his US home to the UK for the tribute in Snettisham, Norfolk.
But according to multiple accounts, they didn’t speak despite standing yards apart at one stage – and were seated away from each other during the service.
Royal historian Hugo Vickers told The Sun a reconciliation any time soon is unlikely and there is an “enormous amount of groundwork to be done”.
However, he said there’s always a chance, “especially if both sides are prepared to give a little”.
It comes after Mr Vickers revealed why Harry flew back for the funeral but didn’t come back for son Archie’s godfather’s wedding in June.
He pointed out that they’ve both been present at events since Harry stepped down as a senior royal in March 2020, and been seen to speak.
They chatted as they walked away from St George’s chapel after their grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, for example.
And William even invited his brother and Meghan to join him and Princess Kate to lay tributes to the late Queen in September 2022.
despite the pair’s ongoing feud, they have previously spoken at Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021 and after the Queen’s death in 2022 – when they laid tributes at Windsor with their wives.
Most recently they attended their father King Charles’ Coronation last spring – thought to be the last time they spoke.
Mr Vickers said: “They have been in the same room, if I can put it like that, on several occasions.
“But this doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s going to be a reconciliation.
“I think that, from what I understand, Prince William is very annoyed, and tends to be rather unforgiving, so I think there’s an enormous amount of groundwork to be done.
“I’ve said this before on several occasions: there’s always the possibility of reconciliation, especially if both sides are prepared to give a little.
“And let’s hope that one day this will happen. But I don’t honestly see it happening in the near future.”
I’ve said this before on several occasions: there’s always the possibility of reconciliation, especially if both sides are prepared to give a little.
Hugo Vickers
Charles’ Coronation in May 2023 came just months after Harry’s controversial memoir Spare was published, which included scathing allegations against his brother and sister-in-law.
Referring to Harry, Mr Vickers said: “He has thrown a great number of spears and javelins in the direction of the Royal Family, particularly at Prince William, and indeed at Catherine as well, and, of course, to the King.
“So Prince William, I think, has every reason to be very irritated by his brother.”
The expert added that it’s “very possible” the two could have “patched things up” prior to Harry writing the book, as well as releasing a Netflix documentary around the same time.
He said the way the younger sibling has spoken, however, has “done a lot of damage, which is more than understandable”, and the future King is “very protective of his wife”.
Mr Vickers believes with Charles and Kate still recovering from cancer, and the prospect of becoming monarch himself, means “he has a lot on his shoulders”.
He added that Harry’s state of mind also can’t be ignored.
He said the duke is “quite angry one way or another”, because he’s always wanted to be a “half in, half royal” and has “all sorts of agendas”.
“A lot of his agendas are dictated to him, I suspect – in fact, I’m pretty convinced – by Meghan Markle.
“She is a key figure in all this.”
He pointed out that Harry, William and Kate were “very much a threesome” who were always “going around together, having a lovely time and very supportive”.
Mr Vickers harked back to claims William told his brother to slow down a little when he first met Meghan.
“We don’t know exactly what he (William) said, but I have a feeling that he (Harry) probably repeated that to Megan and that, of course, would never be forgiven,” he said.
PRINCESS DIANA
Asked if Harry and William’s late mum Princess Diana – on what is the 27th anniversary of her death – would have forced them to make up, Mr Vickers said: “I would hope so.”
He continued: “Not only would Diana very much want the two brothers to become friends again, but if you remember, even in Spare the King was quoted as saying, please don’t make my last years miserable by fighting between yourselves.
“And so he, too, would want them to reconcile, but it is very much up to them, and, as I say, it’s a question of reconciliation is always possible if two people are prepared to make the journey towards each other.
“And I don’t think at the moment that they are quite in a position to do that.”
The Sun has approached representatives for the Sussexes for comment.