Tensions within the royal family have been brewing for years. Take a look at the familial rift and the shocking reasons why Prince William and Princess Kate would not welcome Prince Harry and Meghan Markle back into the royal fold.
The British royal family was once seen as a tightly-knit unit, with Princes William and Harry often viewed as inseparable. However, that image slowly unraveled over the years, particularly after Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle.
Prince Harry, King Charles III, and Prince William on their annual skiing holiday in 2002
While the public may hold out hope for a reconciliation, those close to the royals suggest that the possibility is more uncertain than ever. What are the issues standing in the way of a royal reunion? The reported answer reveals much about the ongoing divide.
Princess Kate, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle are photographed at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, on September 10, 2022
Prince William ‘hopeful’ the Princess of Wales will undertake royal tours in 2025
How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Relationship with the Royal Family Frayed Over Time
The tensions between Harry and the royal family, particularly with his brother, William, have been brewing for years. What started as a family bond between two brothers grew into a deep rift, complicated by personal, familial, and public pressures.
In 2019, it became increasingly clear that the relationship between Harry and the rest of the royal family, especially his brother, had reached a breaking point.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the Commonwealth Service on Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey in London on March 11, 2019
This was a particularly difficult year for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as the couple dealt with relentless media scrutiny and the emotional toll it took on them.
Meghan openly admitted that she had experienced extreme emotional distress due to constant criticism from the British tabloids, which had a “race element,” according to Harry.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a walkabout as they visited a new sculpture in Hamilton Square on January 14, 2019
Harry, recalling the trauma of losing his mother, Princess Diana, at such a young age, said, “Yes, I feared, I feared a lot that the end result, the fact that I lost my mum when I was 12 years old, could easily happen again to my wife.”
By the end of that year, it was clear the brothers were on increasingly different paths. Tensions between them had reached a head, and Harry described a specific incident at his Kensington Palace cottage that made it evident how deep the divide had grown.
Prince William and Prince Harry attend the Remembrance Sunday memorial at The Cenotaph in London on November 10, 2019
According to Harry, during a heated argument in early 2019, William became so frustrated that he physically attacked his younger brother. This confrontation, which allegedly escalated from a shouting match into physical aggression, ended with Harry being knocked to the floor, where he landed on a dog bowl.
For the Duke of Sussex, the argument wasn’t simply a clash between brothers, but a defense of his wife, as William’s frustrations were directed toward Meghan.
William, as his brother described it, had been influenced by certain members of his office and consumed by the tabloid press’s portrayal of Meghan. The British media’s focus on her background — her being American, biracial, divorced, and an actress — only exacerbated the royal family’s initial unease.
Harry felt that many of the stories William believed were unfounded, yet they contributed to the increasing animosity between the two brothers.
Prince William and Prince Harry attend Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on September 19, 2022
When Harry first introduced Meghan to the royal family in 2016, the initial reaction was not as warm as he had hoped. While King Charles III, then the Prince of Wales, appeared to like Meghan, William remained skeptical.
He reportedly referred to her dismissively as “an American actress.” As time passed, the brothers grew more distant. By the time Meghan and Harry decided to step back from their royal duties in early 2020, it became clear that the rift had deepened considerably.
Meghan Markle speaks at the “Afro Women and Power” forum at the Municipal Theatre in Cali, Colombia, on August 18, 2024
The Sussexes’ departure from royal life shocked the public and reportedly blindsided William, further fueling his frustrations. The brothers, once seen as inseparable after their mother’s tragic death, were now leading vastly different lives.
While Prince William prepared for his future role as king, Harry sought a new life outside the royal spotlight, prioritizing his family’s well-being over royal responsibilities.
Prince Harry and Meghan visit Unidad Recreativa El Vallado in Cali, Colombia, on August 18, 2024
In one of the more personal moments of his 2021 memoir, “Spare,” Harry reflected on his relationship with William. He described a meeting in which he observed how his brother had changed over the years.
Yet, despite this sharp observation, Harry maintained that he loved his brother and held no desire to cause him harm through his words. He instead wanted to set the record straight, emphasizing that Meghan was not responsible for the breakdown of their relationship.
Prince Harry and Meghan visit Cali, Colombia, on August 18, 2024
However, despite Harry’s sentiments, communication between the two brothers remained sparse. By the time of Harry’s interview with Anderson Cooper in 2023, he admitted that he and his brother were not on speaking terms.
The deepening divide also extended to his relationship with their father, with whom Harry said he had not spoken in quite some time.
While William reportedly expressed a desire to reconcile with his brother, he had not made any significant moves toward that goal and remained in no rush to mend the broken ties between the two families.
“William wants his relationship with his brother to improve, but they’re not speaking right now. So when that will happen is still uncertain,” a source revealed to US Weekly in 2023. Princess Kate, on the other hand, has shown little interest in rekindling a relationship with Harry or Meghan.
Meghan and Prince Harry attend the Afro-Descendant Women and Power: Voice of Equity at the Teatro Municipal in Cali, Colombia, on August 18, 2024
According to the insiders, the Princess of Wales had no desire to communicate with the Sussexes, as too much had happened for her to feel comfortable with any form of reconciliation.
Why Prince William and Princess Kate Won’t Welcome Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Back
While many hoped for reconciliation between William, Kate, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the reality remains far more complicated. The strain in their relationship isn’t merely about bruised egos or sibling rivalry; it is rooted in unresolved betrayals that continue to divide the two families.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, during their Colombia tour on August 18, 2024
According to the DailyMail, the first reason William and Kate won’t be welcoming is that Harry stands by, and is happily married to Meghan, who has publicly claimed during her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey that Kate made her cry and accused the Royals of being racist, although she never put names to the accusations.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the “Responsible Digital Future” on August 15, 2024, in Colombia.
A close associate of Harry and Meghan later hinted that those implicated were Charles and Kate, a revelation that stoked further animosity within the family.
The second reported reason is that the future King and his wife stayed out of airing grievances publicly. Throughout the revelations Harry and Meghan shared with the media, William once responded when a reporter asked about accusations of racism in the Royal family. “We are very much not a racist family,” William shot back.
Behind the scenes, insiders revealed that William’s anger ran deeper. The accusations and insults hurled from across the Atlantic left scars, and there was a reported lingering fear that any attempt to reconcile could result in further betrayal.
William’s reluctance to welcome his brother back lies in his desire to protect his family’s privacy. In the years since their split from the royal family, Harry and Meghan’s revelations have consistently drawn negative attention to William and his wife.
A friend of the royals revealed, “It’s hard to see a reconciliation. How could there be, when William and Catherine have the justifiable fear that anything they say could appear in a future book or be repeated in a TV program?”
Prince William and Princess Catherine visit Southport Community Centre in northwest England on October 10, 2024
Despite Prince Harry’s attendance at family events, any hopes of reconciliation appear distant. Though some onlookers speculated that this could be a sign of thawing relations, insiders quickly dispelled the notion, stating that no such reunion was on the horizon.
“There will be no reunion until Harry and Meghan apologize to their Royal Highnesses for everything they have said, and there is no sign that is likely,” a source revealed to DailyMail.
Advertisement
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince William, and Princess Kate photographed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018, in London, England.
“Nobody would put up with a friend treating them in the same way, so why should they have to forgive them?” one social media user commented on the situation.
Another shared, “Likely the real reason he wants to reconcile is he has woken up from the dream and found reality a nightmare. He doesn’t want to be on his lonesome when things don’t turn out as he hoped.”
Kate, Princess of Wales, Prince William, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex photographed at Windsor Castle on September 10, 2022, in Windsor, England.
A third added, “I don’t think there will ever be a full reconciliation whilst Harry remains married to Meghan.” A fourth typed, “Prince William is not alone in not welcoming Harry and Markle back, I suspect the majority of the UK wouldn’t want them back either after the way they publicly insulted this country.”
Prince William and Princess Kate during their visit to Royal Liverpool University Hospital on January 13, 2023, in Liverpool, England.
Health Challenges and Their Impact on the Royal Rift
The royal family’s internal struggles have taken on a new dimension with recent health challenges faced by Charles and Kate. These personal battles have deepened the complexities of reconciliation with Harry and Meghan, adding emotional weight to an already strained relationship.
Princess Catherine and King Charles III visit The Prince’s Foundation in London on February 3, 2022
In February 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles had been hospitalized for a routine procedure to address benign prostate enlargement. During the treatment, doctors identified a “form of cancer.”
King Charles III speaks at St. James’s Palace to be proclaimed King, on September 10, 2022
The news surprised the public. While the Palace did not specify the stage or type of cancer, it confirmed that Charles would step back from public-facing engagements while continuing essential state duties.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend the Sunday service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham on February 11, 2024
According to the Palace, the King expressed gratitude to his medical team and shared his diagnosis to prevent speculation and raise awareness about cancer.
“His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer,” the Palace stated.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak provided the British public with further insight into the King’s condition, reassuring them that the cancer had been detected early.
In the wake of the news, Harry reportedly returned to the UK to visit his father, while William, the heir to the throne, stepped up to take on additional public duties as the monarchy adjusted to these unexpected changes.
King Charles III, Prince William, and Prince Harry visit the Vimy Memorial Park on April 9, 2017
A month later, in March, Kate revealed her own health challenge in a heartfelt Instagram post. She shared that after undergoing major abdominal surgery in January for what was thought to be a non-cancerous condition, doctors found cancer. This led to preventative chemotherapy, which she began soon after.
Princess Catherine views floral tributes at Sandringham House on September 15, 2022
“It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family,” Kate wrote, reflecting on the emotional toll. She described how she and William carefully explained her diagnosis to their children—George, Charlotte, and Louis—reassuring them while navigating their own shock.
By September, Kate had completed chemotherapy and announced the news with optimism. She shared how the journey had given her a renewed perspective on life and a focus on staying healthy.
Princess Catherine reacts while speaking to emergency services at the Southport Community Centre in Southport, England, on October 10, 2024
“Despite all that has gone before I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life,” Kate shared.
Kate continued, “William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time. Everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling.”
Princess Catherine and Prince William attend the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance in London on November 9, 2024
In October, Kate resumed her royal duties, bringing hope and inspiration as she met with a young photographer at Windsor Castle. The moment was a quiet symbol of her determination to heal while continuing to serve the public.
Amid these personal challenges, the prospect of reconciliation with Harry remains a difficult issue for Charles. Reports suggest the King is reluctant to reach out, fearing it could complicate Harry’s ongoing legal battle with the UK government over security arrangements.
King Charles III and Prince Harry follow Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin into Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022
Experts warn that Harry’s habit of sharing private family conversations, as seen in his memoir “Spare,” where he allegedly misremembered events, could cause “legal jeopardy” for the King if those discussions were brought up in court.
Prince Harry attends the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, 2023
This ongoing mistrust over private disclosures has deepened the rift between Prince William, Princess Kate, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex appears far from resolution.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leaving the annual Commonwealth Service in London on March 9, 2020
Without an apology or meaningful steps toward reconciliation, the divide between the brothers and their wives is likely to persist for the foreseeable future.
