The tense relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry has received a lot of attention in the last few years. When the Sussexes and Waleses reunited in September 2022 amid the mourning that followed Queen Elizabeth’s death, the shattered relationships were closely watched.
Author Robert Hardman discusses the events that took place behind closed doors in his new book Charles III: The Inside Story. He also touches on Prince William’s thoughtful gesture towards his brother.
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The royal author recalled the day the late Queen’s coffin arrived at Buckingham Palace, detailing how the family convened for a “casual” dinner and how Prince William and Kate subsequently extended an invitation to Prince Harry and Meghan to use their police escort.
“Inside the palace, all the members of the Royal Family were there to welcome the Queen back to royal headquarters for the last time, followed by an informal supper,” the author writes.
“After that, since they were all heading back to Windsor, the Prince and Princess of Wales recommended that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should tack their vehicle to their police escort.
“They wouldn’t be driving together, so it was merely a token gesture and not even close to a reconciliation. But the late Queen would have given her blessing.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle went on a walkabout with Prince William and Princess Kate a few days before the funeral. During their visit, the two couples spoke with well-wishers who had traveled from all over the royal family to offer their condolences. Since Oprah Winfrey’s highly publicized tell-all interview and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, this was the first time the two couples had been spotted getting back together.
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The Duke of Sussex went into great detail in his memoir, Spare, about the strained relationship that has existed between William and his brother Harry in recent years.
Harry and Meghan have been critical of the monarchy in the four years since they resigned as senior working royals. They have shared their experiences in a Netflix documentary and in Harry’s book.
The King gave his approval for the couple to leave their UK residence, Frogmore Cottage, earlier this year. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also participated in an Oprah Winfrey interview in March 2021, during which they leveled several accusations against the royal family.
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During the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022 and her funeral in September, they were reunited with the family. Harry and Prince William were last spotted together in May 2023, during King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation.
