Brothers can heal rift, says friend
THE depth of the rift between Princes William and Harry was laid bare when they last saw each other almost a year ago.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s final engagement as working royals was the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020.
Sitting a row behind the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Queen, Harry looked pensive and strained. Earlier, as the Cambridges arrived to take their seats, Kate appeared to blank Harry and Meghan. The brothers exchanged only the briefest and most awkward of greetings.
William was widely reported at the time to be furious about the way the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had behaved in announcing that they wanted to quit as working royals. The brothers had earlier fallen out over William’s advice to Harry to get to know Meghan slowly and not rush into marriage.
After the service, Meghan went straight to Heathrow to fly to Canada, where the couple were living at the time. Harry stayed in the UK for a few days, before joining her and their son Archie.
A former aide of the brothers said: ‘My view is that, yes, it has been very tough and difficult, but when it comes to the crunch they will always be there for each other. I do think they’ll be able to fix this, however tough things are now.’
A friend of the Cambridges said: ‘There will always be bumps in the road, but they’re a family and families come through these things.
‘They both remain hopeful of a reconciliation with Harry and Meghan. It has been very difficult for both sides and there has been a lot of sadness, but ultimately they want things to improve between them in the fullness of time.’