Prince William "Can't Completely Forgive" Prince Harry for No Longer Supporting Him in His Royal Duties, Katie Nicholl Says
King Charles is trying his best, though.
I'm almost certain that, somewhere deep down, Prince William and Prince Harry both want to repair their relationship.
But for royal author Katie Nicholl, it's unfortunately more difficult than we might all think for the eldest brother to make the first move towards a reconciliation—because Harry's departure to the U.S. had a lot of repercussions on the other side of the pond.
"[When Harry stepped back from his royal duties], it was very difficult for William, and I think that’s partly why this rift hasn’t been resolved, because, you know, William can’t completely forgive Harry for what he’s done," Nicholl recently told Us Weekly.
"It had a huge impact on him, on [Princess] Catherine, on their young family. It put them in that prime sort of center. It moved them center stage far sooner than they would otherwise have been."
And there are other reasons William isn't out here extending a million olive branches to Harry, Nicholl explained.
"I think William had always expected that he would have the support of his brother," she continued. "And I think it wasn’t just that Harry had chosen to leave and to stand down. I think a lot of it was how he chose to do that and what William saw as great disrespect to the institution and to his, to his family, to his grandmother."
While it's important to note that Harry and Meghan Markle didn't actually want to fully step down from their royal duties, and instead wanted to negotiate a sort of part-time situation, unfortunately the senior royals at the time couldn't see that working.
"I think, ultimately, it did have to be black and white because this was about preserving the reputation and the integrity of the Crown and the institution," Nicholl said. "And so, while Harry and Meghan had hoped there would be a third way, for the Queen, it was very simple. You are either in or you are out."
Still, all is not lost, and King Charles certainly wants to bring his family back together, likely with the help of his wife Camilla as well.
"It is Charles’ intention to heal this family rift, to try and to try and work things out, because he knows that this will hang over his reign. There cannot be this discord at the heart of the Royal Family," Nicholl explained.
"The funeral was an opportunity for a thawing of what had become incredibly icy relationships, certainly between William and Harry. Of course, we saw them on that walkabout in Windsor. But I think any suggestion that there’s been a long-term and meaningful reconciliation would be wide of the mark. I think there’s a way to go."
Thankfully, Princess Kate is also reportedly on the case when it comes to bringing the two brothers back together, so hopefully one of these strategies will stick.
