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Over the years Prince William and Prince Harry always appeared to be extremely close. To the outside world, the siblings looked and acted as though they were best friends. But looks can be deceiving.

In 2020, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, quit working for the royal family and moved to America. Before that happened, Wiliam tried to arrange a peace meeting with his brother which the duke reportedly rejected with a two-word response.

Prince Harry’s 2-word response when he decided not to meet with Prince William

Long before the Sussexes’ Netflix documentary and the duke’s book Spare ruined any image the public had of a great relationship between the siblings, Harry admitted things weren’t so good. In the 2019 documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, the prince stated that he and William were on “different paths.”

According to the book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown by veteran reporter Valentine Low,  William reached out to his younger brother after the interview aired and asked him for a meeting which Harry was initially open to but ended up rejecting.

An extract from the book read: “The day after the documentary aired, William WhatsApped his brother to ask if he could come and see him. Initially, Harry was in favor. Then he spoke to his brother again and asked him whom he would tell. William explained that he’d have to clear his schedule, which would mean telling his private secretary. At that point, Harry told him: ‘Don’t come.’ He was so concerned that William’s team would leak the visit to the press that he would rather not see his brother than risk it getting into the papers.”

Low’s book added that failure to have a meeting was another “heartbreaking” blow further damaging the princes’ relationship.

Some believe the brothers’ relationship is damaged beyond repair

Prince William and Prince Harry, who had a blunt and damaging 2-word response to a peace meeting, on the long Walk at Windsor Castle view flowers and tributes to Queen Elizabeth
Prince William and Prince Harry on the long Walk at Windsor Castle view flowers and tributes to Queen Elizabeth II | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Given all that has happened since then, some believe that the siblings’ relationship is beyond repair including former butler Grant Harrold who worked under King Charles for seven years and looked after his sons too.

Speaking on behalf of Spin Genie, Harrold recalled: “[William and Harry] were always having fun together and having banter. They played practical jokes and wound each other up, but it was harmless. They were best friends and they had the same friends too. You’d see them in the pubs together … That’s what’s so sad about it now, how they’ve gone from best of friends to non-existent really.”

A source close to the Prince of Wales told The Daily Beast that William is still extremely angry over the things Harry said about him in interviews as well as in the Netflix documentary and the claims he made in Spare.

“William feels utterly betrayed. Relations have never been this bad, and he hates Harry for what he has done to the family in the books and interviews,” the insider said. “It’s no secret William would prefer it if Harry never stepped foot in England again.”