As the British royal family grapples with the health crises of King Charles III and Princess Catherine, who are both undergoing cancer treatments, Prince Harry is reportedly planning a visit to the UK in May with hopes of mending his strained relationship with his brother, Prince William. However, royal experts suggest that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's desire to return as working royals may be a long shot.
According to a source who spoke to The Mirror, "Prince Harry will do all he can to 'win' back his brother Prince William on his trip to England - but he knows it will take time. He will do all he can to let his brother know he is there for him and to repair that bond. He knows it won't be easy. He wants nothing more for them to get back to how they once were. He knows it will take time, and Harry is ready to put in the work as he is determined to have his family back and show support."
The source's comments come in the wake of the heartbreaking announcement that both King Charles and Princess Catherine have been diagnosed with cancer. In light of these developments, Prince Harry is said to be keen on offering his support to the Royal Family, which would include meeting his older brother, Prince William.
However, royal expert and author Tom Quinn believes that any meeting between the two brothers would likely be brief and carefully orchestrated to avoid difficult conversations. "Given Kate's cancer diagnosis, Harry will certainly make efforts to see his brother and Kate when he returns to the UK in May - if it happens at all it's to be a very brief carefully choreographed meeting and organised to last a short time so that the brothers can avoid any difficult conversations," Quinn told The Mirror.
Quinn also shed light on Prince William's cautious approach towards his brother, citing trust issues and Harry's emotional volatility as key factors. "William would much rather keep Harry at arm's length, simply because of this trust issue - if William felt Harry could be relied on, he would certainly want him back in the UK, because this is one of the most stressful times in William's life. But with a brother who can't fully be trusted, the situation is a nightmare," he explained.
It has been suggested that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still hoping for a temporary return to the UK's royal fold, but on their own terms. The couple is said to have expressed interest in helping out with royal duties while King Charles III and Kate Middleton undergo their respective cancer treatments.
However, Quinn believes it is unlikely that the royals will have the Sussexes return. "Both Meghan and Harry still hope that at some point they might be asked back to become working royals on their own terms - it's a rapidly shrinking possibility, but the couple have talked about this at length and the fact that senior royal numbers are seriously down at the moment has rekindled their hopes," he told the Mirror. "As I understand it from palace contacts, they are kidding themselves if they think they will be invited back in any way."
Despite the Sussexes' reported hopes, it appears that Prince William has been "blocking" Harry's return to the royal fold in a bid to protect his ailing wife. Nevertheless, some royal commentators, such as Richard Fitzwilliams, believe that the royal family's health woes could provide the "perfect opportunity" to mend the royal rift.
Following the Princess of Wales's shock cancer announcement, Harry and Meghan issued a statement saying, "We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace." It is understood that the couple made contact with the Prince and Princess of Wales "privately" following Middleton's announcement, though sources suggest that the Waleses made a conscious effort to keep the Sussexes out of the loop regarding their health woes.
As Prince Harry prepares for his upcoming UK visit, the world will be watching to see if the royal brothers can set aside their differences and come together during this challenging time for the royal family. While the path to reconciliation may be difficult, the shared experience of dealing with family health crises could potentially serve as a catalyst for healing the long-standing rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family.
