Prince Harry’s long-awaited reunion with his father, Charles III, is unlikely to help mend his fractured relationship with Prince William, according to multiple royal experts.
“I think it’s almost impossible to draw any conclusions about Prince Harry and Prince William’s reconciliation at this stage,” royal commentator Amanda Matta exclusively told Page Six on Monday.
The co-host of the Off With There Headlines podcast described the relationship between the Duke of Sussex and Prince William as “the most strained” of the family relationships involved.
Matta said: “Prince William has recently been trying to demonstrate strength and leadership, which has resulted in frequent press conferences in which he disagrees with the King’s handling of sensitive issues such as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and now Prince Harry’s possible return.”
Royal correspondent Emily Nash agreed, telling Page Six exclusively on Monday that she doesn’t believe Prince William, 44, and Prince Harry, 41, will reunite during this trip.
“I have absolutely no expectations that anything will happen on this trip,” Nash said, adding, “I mean, you never know.”
“If it was part of a broader family gathering, they may have been in the same location at the same time,” she continued. “But, as you know, given that William and Harry’s relationship is so rocky, it doesn’t seem like they’ll be in any rush to spend time together just because Harry is back in the UK.”
As for whether Prince Charles will play a role in reconciling Prince William and Prince Harry, Nash believes the current monarch will not be involved in the reconciliation.
“I think he’s probably just focused on spending time with his son, who he hasn’t seen in a long time,” Nash said of Charles, adding, “Especially potentially meeting his grandchildren…I’m sure that’s probably his main focus right now.”
Matta believes that for the brothers to resolve their issues, William needs to deal with the situation “realistically rather than emotionally.”
“It’s the exact opposite of King Charles’ approach,” she says. “William has long resisted Harry’s betrayal, believing it to be unacceptable.”
Matta said a private meeting between Prince William and Prince Harry would be a clear signal that “the lines of communication have been reopened.”
But Nash doesn’t expect a reconciliation to happen anytime soon.
“These things have to happen in stages,” Nash said. “When you have a situation as difficult and estranged as that family, you don’t expect things to change overnight.”
Last week, Page Six confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to take their children to the UK for the first time since 2022.
Our source previously said Prince Harry is “desperate” for his children to meet their grandfather.
Days later, a source told the US Sun that Prince Charles had extended an olive branch to Harry and Markle, inviting them to stay at the royal residence during a visit to Britain next month. Charles is also said to have offered to take care of their safety arrangements.
Prince Harry and Markle were stripped of their security privileges in the UK after quitting royal duties and moving to California in 2020. Since then, Prince Harry and Markle have been out and about with Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The Sussexes’ trip across the pond will be Markle’s first visit to the UK since September 8, 2022, when she attended the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Harry.
Their children – Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have not returned to the UK since Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.
