Prince William has reportedly severed personal communication with Prince Harry following the Duke of Sussex's latest public appeals for reconciliation and criticism of the royal family after losing a legal battle over government-funded security in the U.K.
"William doesn't talk about Harry anymore," a palace source told Us Weekly. "Everyone knows it's a subject that they shouldn't bring up, so he hasn't brought up the interview and won't." The Prince of Wales, 42, is said to be "done" with his brother and has no intention of engaging in any further public or private dialogue. "When he becomes king, everybody thinks the divide will become even wider," the source added.
The remarks follow Prince Harry's interview with the BBC on May 2, hours after a London court denied his appeal to reinstate taxpayer-funded protection for himself and his family. "There have been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family," Harry, 40, told the outlet. "I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight anymore." He added, "Life is precious. I don't know how much longer my father has."
The Duke claimed that King Charles III, 76, "won't speak to me because of this security stuff" and said he was "devastated" by the court's decision. In response to the ruling, Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement: "All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion."
Royal expert Christopher Andersen criticized Harry's interview, calling it a contradictory and confrontational gesture. "He slams his father for interfering in the trial, then says the Palace rigged the outcome," Andersen said, "then accuses the Royal Family of not caring about the safety of his wife and children, and winds up declaring that for now he can't foresee any scenario in which he would take his family to the U.K."
Andersen added that Harry "delivered the coup de grace when he said he wanted to bury the hatchet with his father because he doesn't know how much time the King has left to live."
The royal family has offered no formal comment on the interview or Harry's remarks. Instead, they presented a show of unity on Monday, appearing together on the Buckingham Palace balcony during VE Day commemorations.
The rift between the brothers traces back to 2020, when Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties. Tensions escalated with the publication of Harry's memoir Spare in 2023, which included claims of personal conflicts, including a physical altercation with William.
Further strain followed revelations that King Charles no longer responds to Harry's calls or letters. According to sources close to the Duke, he found out about his father's March 27 hospitalization through news reports. Charles has reportedly been advised against contact during the legal proceedings, which some aides feared could pose "serious legal jeopardy."
In July 2024, friends of Harry told the Post that he had been effectively shut out of family affairs, with many in the palace concerned about further public disclosures. The latest BBC interview appears to have confirmed those concerns, reinforcing the distance between the Duke and the rest of the royal family.
