It has been well known that Prince Harry's relationship with some of the other senior royals has been rather icy over the past few years. This is something that has been going on for quite some time.
The last time Prince Harry met his father was earlier in the year, not long after King Charles made the announcement that he had been diagnosed with cancer. The Duke of Sussex did not waste any time in returning to the United Kingdom so that they could have a face-to-face conversation.
Since that time, Prince Harry has traveled back to the United Kingdom to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games. Although he was there, his spokeswoman informed him that the queen did not have the opportunity to meet with him.
Prince William is less likely to budge when it comes to welcoming Harry back into the fold, to the point where his position has become a "major barrier" to the relationship between King Charles and Prince Harry as well. This is despite the fact that King Charles still has hopes of a reconciliation with his youngest son, according to a report.
Both of the brothers recently attended the funeral of their uncle Lord Robert Fellowes, despite the fact that The Sun stated that they sat apart and were not seen communicating during the service. The brothers were last spotted attending the same event, which was the coronation of King Charles.
It has been said that Prince William's stance on his brother, with whom he formerly had a close relationship, has not changed, which has created a "barrier" for the King and the Duke of Sussex to reconcile their differences, as stated by the Mail on Sunday.
"A major barrier to peace, however, is Prince William's intransigence. He is said to believe his own relationship with his brother is irreparably damaged and to have rebuffed the idea of a reunion. Moreover, William is toying with the idea of abolishing the religious oaths of the Coronation – potentially leading to the disestablishment of the Church of England,” the report claimed.
On the other hand, King Charles is far more eager to make peace with his son and spend time with the two children of the Sussex family, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
"Charles misses his son. He still loves Harry and wants him back for personal reasons – regardless that he and Meghan do not [want to] return to royal life. Harry will always be Charles's much-loved son. He has faith that Harry could return. He misses the bond they once had, and the door will always remain open to him and his family. He does not want years of discord and disharmony clouding his reign,” an unnamed source told the newspaper.
Their recent meeting at their uncle's funeral would not have been the proper time to "settle scores," according to a royal expert who spoke to The Mirror. It is unknown whether or not Prince Harry and Prince William's relationship will improve to the point where they will be able to get back together.
"Harry is close to Robert Fellowes' widow Jane. She and sister Sarah come to all of Harry's UK events and were at Archie's christening. The thought of having to see his estranged brother would not have worried Harry as much as the other way around. I am certain they were civil to each other. A funeral is not the time to settle scores. Or indeed a time to make up as Harry is well aware,” Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, explained.
Business Times has reached out to Prince William for comments.
