Prince Harry and Prince William are believed to remain estranged even though both brothers now live in the same country again. Tensions between the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex are thought to have been simmering since before Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle at Windsor in 2018.
Years of Separation
Following Harry's decision to step down as a senior working royal, leave the UK and move to Montecito, California, with his wife in 2020, the siblings are not thought to have been on speaking terms. Despite Harry and Meghan's return to the UK with their children, Archie and Lilibet, in August, there have been no reports of the brothers mending their relationship.
After the couple's decision in 2020, they vowed to become financially independent. They produced their own Netflix series, Finding Freedom, in which they discussed their time as working royals. They also took part in several high-profile interviews, including with Oprah Winfrey, making a number of claims about their time within the royal family. Harry also published his memoir, Spare.
Settling into British Life
The family now lives in a non-royal residence outside London. Archie and Lilibet are attending their second British school after security concerns were raised about the journey to their first choice. Meghan shared a video on Instagram showing the family going on walks in the woods, Meghan jumping in puddles, Lilibet riding her bike while Archie ran beside her, and Harry fishing on a pond with his children.
Harry has appeared at the WellChild Awards, a charity he returned to every year while living in America, and made an emotional speech on stage. Meghan met fellow American ex-pat Ellen DeGeneres in a country pub.
Fences Mended with Father, Not Brother
While Harry is believed to have mended fences with his father, King Charles, during several return visits to the UK, the same cannot be said for his older brother. William and Kate are said to be keen to avoid any "drama" surrounding the Sussex family's return, a far cry from the early days when the two couples were dubbed the Fab Four.
Issues were already arising between the four in 2018. In the biography William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, Mirror royal editor Russell Myers explains how the Duke of Sussex was "incredulous" when his request for royal protection for Meghan before their marriage was refused. Harry is said to have felt it was "one rule for him and another for me" after being told Kate was given unofficial palace guidance when she began her relationship with William and received round-the-clock security as soon as the couple got engaged.
Harry was desperate for action for his then future wife after she became a target on social media and was furious when told security would not be forthcoming until the couple were married. His father, Charles, insisted he could not get involved because it was a government decision, despite the assistance given to Kate. Even the Princess of Wales, long seen as the voice of reason between William and Harry, was less keen than her husband to persuade the couple to reconsider their decision to quit, Myers writes. Kate is said to have felt the decision was "inevitable" while William was "saddened" by the events.
