Prince Harry and Prince William’s relationship has reached its lowest point following a telling silence, a royal commentator has suggested.
The Duke of Sussex and Prince of Wales rift is said to have deteriorated significantly since their final public appearance together following Queen Elizabeth II's death in September 2022.
The damning analysis comes after it emerged several moves towards reconciliation between Harry and King Charles had been made in recent months.
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Despite the apparent overtures, former royal editor Duncan Larcombe believed the gulf between Harry and William was “worse than ever”.
Prince Harry and Prince William's relationship has been described as 'worse than ever’
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"There's no doubt the feud between them is worse than ever, so much has happened and there has been so much betrayal and fury," Larcombe explained.
He warned that the prolonged lack of contact between the brothers only deepened the divide: "The longer they don't speak, the deeper the feud will get."
The former editor felt the current state of affairs between the brothers appears particularly bleak, with William maintaining complete public silence about Harry since their grandmother's passing.
"He hasn't said a single word about his brother publicly in the time since their grandmother's death, which is a sign that frankly, the situation at the moment is just dire,” Larcombe despaired.
The two brothers have not publicly spoken since the funeral of their grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II
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The question of reconciliation remains contentious, with disagreement over who should extend the olive branch first.
"Harry said in an interview at the start of this year that the ball was now effectively in William's court, in terms of triggering any changes in their relationship.
“But I'm not sure that's how William sees it, I think the apologies need to come from Harry not William's side," Larcombe told Ok! Magazine.
Prince Harry's scheduled return to Britain for the WellChild Awards ceremony in late September could offer a rare opportunity for reconciliation, particularly with his father.
The Duke of Sussex has previously shared his desire for a reconciliation with the Royal Family
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The Duke of Sussex will attend the charity's 20th annual awards as patron, travelling without Meghan Markle to honour young people facing serious health challenges.
Larcombe speculated that Harry would be eager to meet with King Charles during the visit, following private discussions between their respective aides over the summer.
"From what I've heard, Harry is quite keen to see his father. Whether that will happen or not remains to be seen.
“But him coming over to England is at least a chance for them to meet, and start the process of trying to build bridges," Larcombe noted.
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Larcombe believed the Sussexes various media appearances had contributed to the frostiness with William
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Larcombe also discussed the history of revelations from the Sussexes which he felt had inflicted considerable damage on family relationships, beginning with their televised interview with Oprah Winfrey.
"Their Oprah Winfrey interview was the first big blow, so to speak, because it showed that Harry and Meghan were prepared to speak about the royals, particularly Charles and William, in a way one would never expect from another family member," he said.
Prince Harry's 2023 memoir proved even more damaging to fraternal relations in his mind.
"Then Harry's book, Spare, was incredibly damaging and made William furious because of the betrayal of family secrets," Larcombe added.