Prince Harry and Prince William’s Rift Is ‘Very Bad’ but Not ‘Irreparable,’ Royal Insider…see more

Prince Harry and Prince William’s Rift Is ‘Very Bad’ but Not ‘Irreparable,’ Royal Insider Says (Exclusive)
Sources tell PEOPLE that the Duke of Sussex’s attempts to connect with his brother have been ignored

Prince Harry’s relationship with the royal family is at a breaking point.

Sources tell PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story that while calls and letters to his father, King Charles, go unanswered, Harry’s attempts to connect with his brother, Prince William — through texts, calls, and messages — are similarly ignored.

The rift with Prince William is “very bad,” says a royal insider, but it’s not “irreparable.”

William, 42, and Harry, 39, last presented a united front with their wives, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, when they met mourners outside Windsor Castle after Queen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022.

In May 2023, Harry stayed on the sidelines at the coronation of King Charles and sat two rows behind his brother William and his family. Meghan remained in the U.S. for Prince Archie’s birthday.

It’s been widely reported that the brothers’ rift began in 2016 when William expressed concerns about how quickly Harry’s relationship with Meghan was moving. In his memoir Spare, Harry revealed the complexities of his relationship with William, which, despite a public image of closeness, was marked by tension. Harry described William as both his “beloved brother and arch nemesis,” recounting instances of verbal and even physical altercations between them.

When Prince Harry returned to the U.K. in May for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, he did not meet with his father or brother. The Duke of Sussex’s spokesperson attributed the lack of interaction between Harry and the King to the sovereign’s “full schedule.” However, sources close to Harry hint at a deeper issue.

The Duke of Sussex wanted to discuss his ongoing battle for security, which he has been fighting for in court for over four years and believes his father the King, 75, has power to reinstate. (Buckingham Palace will not comment on security provisions, but a palace source tells PEOPLE the notion that Harry’s security is in Charles’s hands is “wholly incorrect.”)

The rift that first became public in 2020 when Prince Harry and Meghan, 42, stepped back from their royal roles has been marked by blistering attacks and unresolved tensions. But for Harry, no issue is greater than that of security, multiple well-placed insiders in his circle tell PEOPLE.

Despite a positive meeting between the father and son in February following King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, communication has since deteriorated. Those close to Harry say the monarch no longer takes his son’s calls or responds to his letters.

“He gets ‘unavailable right now,’ ” a friend of Harry’s says. “His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”