Talk of a reconciliation between Prince William and Prince Harry has bubbled away for years, but signs of a thaw remain thin on the ground.
Harry’s relationship with his older brother has been under strain for a long time. After stepping back from senior royal duties and moving to the US in 2020, the Duke of Sussex, now 41, and his wife Meghan Markle began speaking openly about their experiences inside the royal family.
Those accounts, and the serious allegations made along the way, have taken a clear toll. While Harry has since said he would like to repair family ties, the damage appears far from healed.
Last year, Harry admitted he wanted reconciliation. In September 2025, he met privately with his father King Charles for tea, their first meeting in 19 months. Notably, there was still no meeting with Prince William, 43.
Now, a royal author has laid out why any reunion between the brothers remains so difficult.
Prince Harry’s return to the UK
Last week, Prince Harry returned to the UK to attend court hearings linked to his privacy legal case against the publisher of the Daily Mail.
Harry is among several high profile figures suing Associated Newspapers Limited over alleged breaches of privacy. The publisher strongly denies the claims.
William is building a future and he no longer needs Harry’s drama.
Despite being back on British soil, Harry did not meet with any members of his family. Instead, Prince William and Princess Catherine were carrying out engagements in Scotland, where the king was also said to be at the time.
Royal author Robert Jobson says the brothers could hardly be further apart, even when they are both in the UK.
Will Prince William and Harry have a reconciliation?
Speaking to HELLO!, Jobson did not hold back.
He said: “Yes, they were in the same country, but it’s like they’re worlds apart. William and Kate are the embodiment of the future of the monarchy, while Harry looks trapped in the past.
“Right now, William is focused on duty, Harry on grievance. William is building a future and he no longer needs Harry’s drama. You can’t bridge that gap when one brother is moving forward and the other won’t let go of the past and the bitterness.
“Reconciliation needs compromise, but it mostly needs trust, and there is no trust between the brothers.”
The rift has only deepened over time. In his memoir Spare, Harry alleged that William physically attacked him during a disagreement in 2019 involving Meghan.
Harry’s allegations about William
In Spare, Harry claimed William branded Meghan as “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”. He wrote: “He set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor.
“I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”
Harry said William later left “looking regretful” and apologised.
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Elsewhere, during his and Meghan’s Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021, Harry claimed both his father and brother were “trapped” within the royal institution.
Buckingham Palace responded by saying the issues raised would be handled privately.
Despite everything, Harry renewed his call for peace in May last year. Speaking to the BBC, he said: “Of course, some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book. But I would love reconciliation with my family.”
For now, though, that reunion still feels a long way off. Whether time can soften the divide between the royal brothers remains to be seen.
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