Prince William's long-running estrangement from Prince Harry is emerging as more than a private family rupture, with a leading royal historian warning it could weaken the monarchy at a moment of eroding public support. Writing as the Prince of Wales prepares for an eventual accession, Dr. Tessa Dunlop argues that William's refusal to reconcile with his younger brother risks undermining the institution's ability to project unity, even as public backing-especially among young Britons-continues to fall.
William, 43, remains personally popular, but polling shows the monarchy itself struggling to retain legitimacy with a new generation. Dr. Dunlop, writing in The i Paper, framed the rift as incompatible with the unifying role expected of a future monarch. "At its best the royal family is the nation's symbolic repository in an increasingly divided world," she wrote, adding that Queen Elizabeth II served as the model for a reign defined by continuity and restraint.
She cautioned that William's path to emulating his grandmother is blocked by the ongoing feud with Harry, 41, which erupted into open hostility after the publication of Harry's memoir Spare in 2023. "Yet any hopes of that will be dashed if he cannot bring himself to offer Harry a rapprochement," Dunlop wrote. "Forgiveness, after all, is an essential prerequisite for a future defender of the faith."
The warning lands amid stark data on declining royal support. According to the National Centre for Social Research's British Social Attitudes survey, 67% of people aged 16 to 24 now prefer an elected head of state, compared with just 37% who want the monarchy to continue. Overall support has dropped from 86% in 1983 to 51% today, even as backing among those over 65 remains near 80%.
Dunlop linked the generational slide to perceptions of privilege and cost, noting the Sovereign Grant rose 53% to £132 million for 2025-26. She wrote that "to have any chance of halting the royal family's decline, 'Willy' needs to set aside his differences and offer 'Harold' an olive branch."
Others close to the royal household are less optimistic. Royal commentator Robert Jobson told HELLO! magazine that reconciliation is unlikely, saying, "Reconciliation needs compromise, but it mostly needs trust, and there is no trust between the brothers." He added, "Right now, William is focused on duty, Harry on grievance."
The breakdown accelerated after Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020, then escalated through the 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview, the 2022 Netflix series Harry & Meghan, and Spare. In those accounts, Harry accused William of physical assault and alleged that senior royals made racist comments about his son Archie. Sources say William views those disclosures as causing "considerable, nearly irreversible harm."
Harry, however, has publicly appealed for reconciliation. In a May 2025 BBC interview, he said, "I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious." Earlier, he told 60 Minutes in January 2023, "My brother and I love each other. I love him deeply."
Despite those statements, the brothers remain estranged. When Harry returned to the UK in January 2026 for court proceedings, he and William were within 25 miles of each other but did not meet, continuing a silence that dates back to a family funeral in August 2024.
Dunlop acknowledged that reconciliation would be personally painful for William but argued the institutional payoff could be decisive. "To welcome the Duke of Sussex back into the fold would set William apart as the redemptive Prince," she wrote, concluding that the prospect remains "just a pipe dream."
