Tensions within the Royal Family have been simmering for years. The longstanding family rift between Prince William and Princess Kate and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle makes the former couple uninclined to welcome back the US-based pair into the royal fold.
The British Royal Family was once perceived as a united front, with Prince William and his younger brother, Prince Harry, seen as particularly close. However, that perception began to unravel over the years, especially after Prince Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle.
While the public may hope for a reconciliation, those close to the royals suggest that the chances of it happening are increasingly slim because key issues are standing in the way of a royal reunion. The reasons reveal the depth of the ongoing division.
The strain between Prince Harry and the Royal Family, especially with his brother Prince William, has been growing for years. What began as a close relationship between siblings gradually turned into a significant rift. The feud became complicated with personal, familial, and public challenges.
By 2019, it became evident that Harry’s relationship with the rest of the Royal Family, especially with William, had reached a breaking point.
It was an especially challenging year for Harry and his wife, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The couple faced relentless media scrutiny, which took an emotional toll on them.
Meghan candidly revealed that she experienced severe emotional distress due to continuous criticism from the British tabloids, which, according to Harry, included a racial element.
Reflecting on the trauma of losing his mother, Princess Diana, at a young age, Harry said, “Yes, I feared, I feared a lot that the end result, the fact that I lost my mum when I was 12 years old, could easily happen again to my wife.”
By the end of that year, it was evident that he and William were on diverging paths. Tensions between them came to a head when Harry recalled a specific incident at his Kensington Palace residence, highlighting just how deep the divide had become.
According to Harry, during a heated argument in early 2019, William, in a moment of frustration, physically attacked him. The confrontation escalated from shouting to physical aggression, resulting in Harry being knocked to the floor, where he fell on a dog bowl.
For Harry, the altercation wasn’t just a typical brotherly spat — it was a defense of his wife, as William had aimed his frustrations at Meghan.
Harry said William had been influenced by members of his office and the tabloid press’s portrayal of Meghan. The British media’s focus on Meghan’s background — being American, biracial, divorced, and an actress — only deepened the Royal Family’s initial reservations.
Prince Harry felt many of the stories his brother believed were baseless, yet they contributed to the growing animosity between the brothers.
When Harry introduced Meghan to the Royal Family in 2016, their reception was not as warm as he had hoped. While King Charles III, then the Prince of Wales, appeared to like Meghan, William was reportedly skeptical.
He is said to have referred to her dismissively as “an American actress,” and over time, the brothers grew more distant. When Meghan and Harry decided to step back from their royal duties in early 2020, it became clear that the rift had deepened significantly.
The Sussexes’ departure from royal life surprised the public and reportedly caught William off guard, further adding to his frustration. The brothers, once united by the loss of their mother, were now on very different paths.
While Prince William prepared for his future role as king, Harry sought a life away from the royal spotlight, prioritizing his family’s well-being over royal obligations.
In his 2021 memoir, “Spare,” Harry reflected on his relationship with William, describing a meeting where he noticed how much his brother had changed over the years.
Despite his observations, Harry maintained that he loved his brother and had no intention of harming him with his words. He wanted to set the record straight, stressing that Meghan was not to blame for the breakdown of their relationship.
However, despite these sentiments, communication between the brothers remained limited. When Harry spoke in a 2023 interview with Anderson Cooper, he confirmed that he and William were not on speaking terms.
The strained relationship extended to his father, with Harry admitting they had not spoken in a while. While William reportedly expressed a willingness to mend their relationship, he had made no significant moves toward reconciliation. Instead, he seemed in no rush to repair the fractured family ties.
“William wants his relationship with his brother to improve, but they’re not speaking right now. So, when that will happen is still uncertain,” a source shared in 2023. Meanwhile, Princess Kate has also shown little interest in re-establishing a relationship with Harry or Meghan.
Insiders reported that the Princess of Wales was not keen on communicating with the Sussexes, believing that too much had happened to make reconciliation possible.
While some have hoped for a reunion between William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan, the reality is more complex. The strain in their relationship isn’t merely about bruised egos or sibling rivalry; it stems from deeper, unresolved issues that continuously keep the families apart.
The first cited reason for William and Kate’s unwillingness to welcome them back is that Harry continues supporting his wife, with whom he is happily married. This situation is complicated further by Meghan’s past claim during her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey that Kate once made her cry.
Meghan also suggested that there were racist undertones within the royal institution, although she did not specify any individuals. However, a close associate of Harry later implied that the individuals involved were King Charles and Princess Kate, which further strained family ties.
The second reason for William and Kate’s reluctance to reconcile is that they have refrained from publicly airing their grievances. William only responded once to Harry and Meghan throughout their media revelations.
When asked by a reporter about the allegations of racism within the Royal Family, William stated, “We are very much not a racist family.”
It was reported that William’s anger ran deeper than it appeared, with accusations and criticism from across the Atlantic creating lasting damage. There was a growing concern that any attempt at reconciliation could lead to further breaches of trust.
His reluctance to reconcile with Harry is reportedly rooted in his desire to safeguard his family’s privacy, as Harry and Meghan’s revelations since their departure from royal life have often cast William and Kate in a negative light.
A royal insider noted, “It’s hard to see a reconciliation. How could there be, when William and Catherine have the justifiable fear that anything they say could appear in a future book or be repeated in a TV program?”
Despite Prince Harry attending family events, the chances of a reunion seem impossible. While some observers thought his attendance might signal improving relations, insiders quickly dismissed the notion, saying no reconciliation was in sight.
There will be no reunion until Harry and Meghan apologize to Their Royal Highnesses for everything they have said, and there is no sign that is likely,” a source revealed.
Besides the insiders, netizens have also weighed in on the matter.
One social media user commented, “Nobody would put up with a friend treating them in the same way, so why should they have to forgive them?”
Another observed, “Likely the real reason he wants to reconcile is he has woken up from the dream and found reality a nightmare. He doesn’t want to be on his lonesome when things don’t turn out as he hoped.”
A third added, “I don’t think there will ever be a full reconciliation whilst Harry remains married to Meghan.” A fourth person remarked, “Prince William is not alone in not welcoming Harry and Markle back, I suspect the majority of the UK wouldn’t want them back either after the way they publicly insulted this country.”
The rift between William, Princess Kate, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex appears far from resolved. Deep-rooted issues, public accusations, and fears of further disclosures have left the families estranged.
Without sincere apologies or meaningful attempts to rebuild trust, the distance between the brothers and their wives will likely persist for the foreseeable future.
