Prince Harry may be enjoying his time back in the UK, but despite his return to Britain after relocating to the US six years ago, the Duke of Sussex is not believed to have mended any fences with his older brother, Prince William.
Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, shocked the country when they announced they were quitting both the UK and their lives as senior working royals back in 2020. The couple moved their family to Montecito in California and vowed to become financially independent. Harry and Meghan signed big money deals with Spotify and Netflix, appearing in their own series, Finding Freedom, about their time in the royal family. They also took part in several big name interviews and Harry published his memoir, Spare.
Both Harry and Meghan made a number of controversial claims about the royal family before making the shock U-turn decision to return to the UK with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, just a few weeks ago.
Return to the UK
Since then, their two children have been enrolled in two schools following security fears around the journey to the first one picked by the family. Harry has also appeared at the WellChild Awards, where he made an emotional speech, while Meghan was pictured in the pub with fellow US star and ex-pat, Ellen DeGeneres.
While Prince Harry is believed to have eased the tension with his father, King Charles, following a number of meetings during his visits back to the UK over recent months, the monarch and Prince William are said to be in "complete agreement" that the duke cannot have a 'half in, half out' role within the monarchy.
William is not believed to have reconciled with his brother since Harry's return to the UK, and it is not thought the pair have spoken. The Prince of Wales and Kate Middleton are said to be keen to avoid any "drama" surrounding his brother's return.
Inside the royal rift
In his biography, William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, Mirror royal editor Russell Myers looks at William and Kate's private reactions to Meghan and Harry's behaviour, both in the run up to Megxit and after their departure.
William and Kate had spent a great deal of time fostering a happy, relaxed working atmosphere - but in the few months following Meghan and Harry's wedding, it seemed to be falling apart with staff leaving all the time. The couple were not only fearful of the impact Harry and Meghan were having on team morale, but also how they would be able to work with the Sussexes moving forward.
A source said: "In one camp you had the people who cared, wanted those working in the household to enjoy themselves while working there, and on the other side it was something different every day. Nothing was ever good enough, there were constant complaints. It was exhausting."
Failed reconciliation attempts
Two months after the Sussexes' wedding, William and Kate invited Harry and Meghan to their home in an attempt to clear the air surrounding the treatment of their staff. However, the couple refused to admit that they were responsible for the departure of two of Meghan's PAs, or for the unhappy atmosphere which saw members of staff reporting they were sick with stress.
An insider said: "It had reached an intolerable situation for so many of them, there were a lot of issues surrounding people needing time off work, not wanting to come in or be on engagements on duty with Harry or Meghan. Everything possible was being done at all stages to help them but nothing was ever good enough."
Harry disputed the allegations of bullying in his autobiography, and instead claimed that Meghan had gone out of her way to create a happy working environment. He said: "Despite what certain people were saying about her, I never heard her speak a bad word about anybody, or to anybody. On the contrary, I watched her redouble her efforts to spread kindness."
However, the claims persisted and at the beginning of 2019, William arranged to see his brother at his home to question him directly over Meghan's behaviour towards palace staff. It allegedly resulted in the now-infamous 'physical fight' between the brothers during which William pushed Harry into a dog bowl.
William has never spoken publicly about the incident, but sources close to the Prince of Wales have said Harry's recollection of events is 'massively overblown'. One said: "It was a cheap shot [from Harry] to present such an argument. Tensions were running very high and yes there certainly were cross words exchanged that on reflection were regrettable, but the prince [William] is adamant there was no physical violence."
