Prince William and Prince Harry would have been a "brilliant team" together if the brothers were to work side-by-side in the royal family, an insider said.
However, William and Harry are now charting their lives separately after the Duke of Sussex left London to live in California with his wife, Meghan Markle. Harry has said in interviews that he wants to go on a different path than his destiny. He also said that William seems to be "trapped" in his future role in the institution.
The insider told People that the brothers' relationship has become a "sad state of affairs" after Harry quit his royal role. Had he stayed, they could achieve a lot of great things together when William becomes king and his brother becomes his right-hand man.
It comes as William apparently does not agree with his brother's assessment that he's trapped in his royal role. A close friend of the dukes told The Sunday Times that Harry's comment seemed off the mark knowing that William has embraced his future duty as king. The friend also said that William has learned a lot from his grandmother, who has been steadfast in her duties as the monarch.
In recent years, William has become more focused as he prepares to take on bigger responsibilities and has relied on is wife, Kate Middleton, to become his pillar of support. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have had 10 years to learn to become partners in marriage and future partners in the monarchy as there is no jealousy between them. Kate is also content in standing behind her husband as his anchor.
But those close to both brothers said William still misses Harry a lot and he feels his absence in many ways. A source said that the Duke of Cambridge still harbors anger for his brother but their bond together cannot be erased as they spent half of their lives sharing the same struggles.
William feels the pressure to go on his own when the time comes and it doesn't look like it will be easy without Harry. However, he's still optimistic that all things will heal between them in due time, maybe even before he comes the king.
For now, William has the support of the queen and his father, Prince Charles. Because of what happened with Harry, sources said that William and Charles' father-son bond has deepened and the Duke of Cambridge has realized there is a lot more of his father's influence in him as much as his mother, Princess Diana. The source said that the brothers' rift pushed William to seek counsel from his father and he is listening to Charles more than ever before.
