Prince Harry has returned to the UK with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, but it is not thought his relationship with his older brother, Prince William, has yet improved.
Following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's departure from Britain and their roles as senior working royals in 2020, the two brothers are believed to have had minimal contact. Harry and Meghan made the decision to return to his homeland last week, and their two children are enrolled in British schools. The couple have moved to a private, non-royal home outside of London, and both King Charles and the Prince of Wales were told at the same time about their plans.
Fractured Relationship
The Duke of Sussex is believed to have mended some fences with his father, the King, on some of his previous visits to the UK, but he is not thought to have seen his brother. William and Kate Middleton are said to be determined to have no part in the "drama" surrounding Harry and Meghan's return. Friends of the couple have said that while they "cannot forgive" the Sussexes for their accusations against the royal family during their time in America, they are determined to "look forward to the future".
King Charles and William are also said to be in "complete agreement" that Harry cannot have a 'half in, half out' role within the monarchy, and the Duke will not be returning to royal duties. After they quit the UK six years ago, Harry and Meghan said they were determined to become financially independent. They took part in a number of high-profile interviews, including one with Oprah Winfrey, about their time as working royals. They also had their own Netflix series, Finding Freedom, and Harry published his memoir, where he detailed his experiences within the royal family.
Origins of the Rift
However, William and Harry's fractured relationship is believed to have started long before 2020, according to a book by Mirror royal editor Russell Myers, William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story. Since leaving the royal family, which was dubbed Megxit, Harry has claimed cracks had appeared in his relationship with his family around the time of his wedding to Meghan in 2018. However, in his book, Myers says things had become difficult between the brothers long before then.
Meghan and Harry went on a royal tour to South Africa in 2019 and made a documentary with ITV's Tom Bradby about the trip, in which Meghan admitted she had been "struggling", and Harry said he and his brother were on "different paths". Myers reveals the breakdown in the formerly close relationship between the brothers did not include one major turning point from William's perspective; this documentary made the future King and Queen realise just how much had changed between them and Harry. William felt Harry had become "paranoid" despite his attempts to help him.
Disagreement Over Africa
The book also describes an argument between the royals over their shared love of Africa during a meeting at St James's Palace. Both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex have focused much of their official charity work on the continent over the years, and both have chosen to mark key milestones in their private lives there. But Myers reveals conflict arose when it came to charity work there.
He wrote: "For years William had shown an interest in the environment and conservation, especially across Africa, and was keen to follow in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather." It was an area that William felt a deep passion for, it connected his love of the countryside to the wider environment, and was somewhere he could use his profile to push for change. "Again, Harry regarded this as confrontational. 'You don’t just get Africa', Harry told William in one meeting at St James’s Palace."
Despite their disagreements, William was "saddened" when Harry made the decision to step down as a working royal. Myers writes in his book: "William was intensely saddened at his brother’s decision to quit." He added: "He and Harry had been drifting apart for years, but now he knew deep down that there would be no turning back. Fond memories of their childhood, from helping each other through the tragedy of their mother’s death to growing up in the public eye, were now tarnished by the division at the heart of the family."
However, Kate is believed to have been less inclined to persuade her brother-in-law to stay, feeling his departure was "inevitable". Myers wrote: "Kate believed William and Harry's fundamental differences as the ‘heir and the spare’ had created the inevitability of Harry wanting more from his role than being a bit-part player."
