Prince William remains unlikely to revise his views of his younger brother and sister-in-law, even as King Charles III shows signs of openness to easing a family rift that has defined the modern British monarchy. With Prince Harry expected to return to the UK for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, the competing instincts of father and heir have sharpened into a consequential institutional question.
Royal commentators say the divide between the brothers remains entrenched. Richard Fitzwilliams, a long-standing royal expert, has assessed that the Prince of Wales is unlikely to soften his position toward Harry and Meghan Markle, regardless of any overture that might be welcomed by the King. The assessment underscores how personal grievances have hardened into a broader governance challenge for the Crown.
The Sussexes, now based in California with their two children, have been at odds with the Royal Family since stepping back from official duties in 2020. Their dispute has played out across courts, documentaries and interviews, each widening the gulf with the institution Harry once served.
That tension was underscored this week in London's High Court, where Harry described the constraints of royal life. "I was not permitted to complain," he said during testimony, invoking the palace maxim, "Never complain, never explain." He framed his silence as an institutional requirement that persisted even as he said Meghan faced sustained and, at times, racially charged media scrutiny.
Rather than prompting reconciliation, such disclosures appear to have reinforced William's stance. Fitzwilliams told the Mirror that any encounter between the brothers would be "extremely tense," while adding that the family would ensure there is no public rupture. "The Sussexes have created endless cracks, but we will never see a public showdown," he said, recalling what he described as the "catastrophic mess" of the March 2020 Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey.
That service, attended by Queen Elizabeth II, then-Prince Charles and senior royals, was widely seen as a low point. Observers noted that the brothers were "looking daggers" at one another during what became Harry and Meghan's final official appearance as working royals.
Attention has now shifted to the Invictus Games, Harry's signature charitable project celebrating wounded, injured and sick service personnel. Reports suggest the Duke of Sussex hopes to invite the King to formally open the 2027 Games in Birmingham, a move that would mark the most visible rapprochement since the family split.
Fitzwilliams characterized the invitation as a potential "trump card," offering Charles a way to support his son while honoring the armed forces. Yet he also warned of a likely "divergence" between the King and the Prince of Wales. While Charles may lean toward public reconciliation, William is seen as unyielding, viewing Harry's memoir Spare, the Oprah Winfrey interview and the Netflix series as betrayals rather than necessary candor.
"I don't think William's opinion of them and what they have done can be altered," Fitzwilliams said. Even so, he suggested Harry is "banking on the Windsors putting duty before their personal feelings," betting that institutional responsibility and public expectation could outweigh wounds that remain deeply personal.
