Prince Harry has made another public plea to reunite with his estranged brother, Prince William, after the pair are believed to have not spoken in four years. In a recent interview with GQ magazine, the Duke of Sussex spoke candidly about the ongoing rift with the Prince of Wales, admitting he was 'grieving' their broken bond and that there is "enough drama in the world to continue with issues with family."
Harry's plea for reconciliation
While issuing a plea to reconcile with his family, Harry claimed "some people don't want it to work out." He continued: "With everything else that's going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile - that's the key point... scars stick around forever."
Harry and William's rift came to a head in 2020 when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to quit their royal roles and relocate to the United States in search of personal and financial freedom from the Firm.
Public grievances and family tensions
In the years that followed, both Harry and Meghan spoke freely about their grievances with the Royal Family, most notably in their 2021 tell-all interview with Oprah, their 2022 Netflix docuseries, and Harry's memoir Spare, released in 2023.
Amidst these public jibes, Harry claimed he got in a physical altercation with his brother, and alleged they argued over disputes between Meghan and the Princess of Wales. It is believed Harry has not seen his brother since 2022 when they both attended the funeral of their late grandmother Queen Elizabeth.
Signs of moving forward
Following the release of the GQ interview, a friend of Harry's told news.com.au that the intention of his interview was clear, as he hopes to send a message to the Royal Family that he is laying down his sword and is finished with fighting. The friend said: "Harry's come back to the UK with a very different perspective on things, given everything that's happened since 2020. He's genuinely very keen to find a way to make things work here, he wants to be here, and part of that is rebuilding a relationship with the media … and in a way that works for everyone on all sides."
They continued: "There's just no point pretending the environment wasn't incredibly toxic before they left, but I think he's clearly now keen to move forward from that."
William's silence and expert views
While Harry has continued to mend his relationship with King Charles in the last year - after meeting in person several times, along with Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet - William has yet to comment on the status of his relationship with his brother.
According to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, William could find it "increasingly difficult to ignore" any reconciliation between the King and the Duke. She told the Mirror: "William, as far as we can see, seems set on concentrating on his own family and his work without the angst of dealing with his rift with Harry. But it's going to become increasingly hard for William to ignore the situation [between Harry and Charles]."
Dai Davies, former head of Scotland Yard's Royal Protection Command from 1994 to 1998, added about the brothers one day burying the hatchet: "Well, never say never, as we've now seen him meet with his father and stepmother [during their private Highgrove meeting]. But when you think about the things he has said in public about his brother, he [Harry] has to remember that if you wash your dirty linen in public, and it was pretty dirty linen, then you shouldn't expect the fees for your laundry to be met."
