The Longstanding Rift with Prince William
Despite the humor in his WellChild exchange, tensions between Harry and his brother remain. The once-close bond between King Charles’ sons has fractured over the years, most visibly since 2020 when Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal duties.
“Things were said that sparked the initial rift, and it’s never healed,” royal biographer Andrew Morton told PEOPLE recently.
On the same day Harry attended the WellChild Awards in London—coinciding with the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s passing—he privately visited her burial site at Windsor Castle.
Meanwhile, Prince William, 43, and Kate Middleton marked the day with an appearance at The National Federation of Women’s Institute in Sunningdale, just eight miles away. Despite the proximity, there were no expectations of a reunion.
Subtle Remarks About Family
Over the summer, William himself made a comment that some royal watchers interpreted as a quiet nod to the strained relationship with Harry. While visiting the Army Air Corps in Wattisham, Suffolk, he asked soldiers, “Is the pace of life good at the moment?”
When one man replied that it was “a mixed bag,” William quipped, “Families okay? See you enough? Some of them might not want to see you that much. It’s a mixed bag sometimes.”
