Wills and Harry to end their royal double act

WILLIAM and Harry are quietly preparing to end one of the Royal Family’s most popular ‘double acts’.

The princes are reportedly considering a ‘formal division’ of their joint royal household at Kensington Palace.

The split would create separate courts to reflect their increasingly different responsibilities.

A source told the Sunday Times: ‘The brothers have leant on each other and looked after each other since their mother died.

‘But now they have their own families, they no longer rely on each other as before.’

The separation could take place after Meghan and Harry have their first child – due in the spring – the report suggested.

The Daily Mail understands, however, that the process has been slowly taking place since the brothers’ first joint private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, retired from his post in 2013.

The top aide, who is still an influential figure and is Prince George’s godfather, was acutely aware the time will come when 36-year-old William inherits his father’s title as Prince of Wales, signalling his immersion in public life.

By contrast Harry, 34, now sixth in line to the throne, has significantly more freedom to shape his future. Another source said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will have ‘more of a blank canvas with their roles’, adding: ‘There is a gulf in the style and approach to the work that William and Kate will increasingly do as future head of state and consort.’

While sharing domestic staff and a press office, the brothers have been working largely independently for the past five years, while combining forces for their mental health drive Heads Together and their charitable organisation, the Royal Foundation.

But they will become increasingly independent in the future, with more of William’s time spent on matters of state and the Duchy of Cornwall, the private estate that will fund his public work, as well as his private household, as direct heir to the throne.

Questions also remain about how this will be funded. William, Harry, Kate and Meghan are paid for by Prince Charles out of the Duchy of Cornwall. It is unclear if Harry will ultimately come under the umbrella of Buckingham Palace, which currently supports the Queen’s other children Andrew, Edward and Anne.

Kensington Palace declined to comment last night.