Prince Harry is "seriously worried" that he will be "literally banished" from the UK when his brother Prince William ascends to the throne, according to a veteran royal expert.
The analysis comes as representatives of the Duke of Sussex met with those of his father, King Charles, in London for peace talks.
Last week's meeting fuelled speculation of a potential rapprochement between Harry and the King.
However, royal author Tom Bower explained that the Duke's true challenge may be mending the rift with his older brother, who will one day become King.
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|Prince Harry is reportedly anxious about being 'banished' by his brother one day
The author believed that Harry was very concerned that William may "literally banish him" from Britain upon his ascension to the Throne.
In such a scenario, he would be left with "no status in Britain at all" and be rendered "persona non grata" in royal circles.
GB News has approached the Duke of Sussex’s representatives for a response.
Since stepping down as a working royal and relocating to the US in 2020, Harry’s relationship with his brother has been frosty at best.
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|William's relationship with his younger brother has remained frosty at best since Harry stepped down as a working royal
Bower described the Duke as "his own worst enemy" in trying to repair the rift, based on his of repeated public criticisms of the Royal Family, including his bombshell 2023 memoir, Spare.
The biographer also cited Harry's BBC interview following his High Court defeat over state security as a "terrible act of self harm," noting he referred to the legal battle as an "establishment stitch-up" and he did not know "how long the King had left".
"The interview he gave after he lost the security case, and accused the establishment of a stitch up, showed that he's completely uncontrollable. He is unpredictable and his own worst enemy," Bower despaired while speaking with The Mirror.
To that end, the author believed Harry’s anxieties about his brother could only be assuaged by taking steps towards peace with the King.
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|Bower believed Harry's best chance of rapprochement was reconciliation with his father, King Charles
"Harry needs a meeting with Charles to show he is part of the Royal Family and to establish his credibility in Britain," Bower observed.
The author believed such a meeting would be what the Duke "desperately needs".
However, Bower also believed Palace officials harbour deep suspicions about Harry's motivations for seeking reconciliation.
"They suspect that the moment he meets Charles, he will use it to establish his credibility, because that's what he desperately needs, and that's also why he's kept away," Bower stated.
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|Speculation of an end to the royal rift was promoted by a sit down between representatives and Harry and King Charles
The royal expert noted that Harry "can't even get him on the phone because they don't trust him and they're angry with him."
Harry is set to travel to the UK once again in September, while King Charles and Queen Camilla are holidaying in Balmoral Castle.
However, Bower added he was "absolutely" sure a reunion was not on the cards between father and son during the visit.
Speculation on the future of the Duke of Sussex's royal rift has been swirling since Tobyn Andreae, the King's director of communications, met with Meredith Maines, head of Harry's household in California.
Harry and Meghan's PR chief in the UK, Liam Maguire, was also present at the sit-down.
Even if he was the repair his relationship with the Royal Family, Harry and Meghan are thought to have "no plans" to return to the UK.