Skip to main content

Prince William is taking steps to avoid meeting his estranged brother, Prince Harry, when the latter returns to the U.K. in July. 

For the first time in four years, Harry, his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children will be visiting Great Britain together next month. The official reason for the much-discussed visit is to promote the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. But the Duke of Sussex is also planning a reunion with his father King Charles III, who is reportedly eager to get to know his two young grandchildren, Prince Archie and Prince Lilibet. 

Prince William will be ‘miles away’ when Prince Harry returns to the U.K. with Meghan Markle

Although a royal meeting with the King is apparently in the works, Harry will not be meeting with his elder brother. The siblings have been on the outs for years, and William is not eager to heal the breach, insiders say. While exact details of Harry and Meghan’s upcoming itinerary aren’t available, William and Kate might go so far as to avoid London entirely during their visit. (The future King and Queen and their children make their home in Windsor, about 25 miles from the capital city.)  

“William won’t be seeing his brother. I suspect he will make sure he’s miles away when Harry visits to avoid any awkward encounters,” a source told Vanity Fair.

“Harry has tried to make contact repeatedly, but William won’t take his calls,” the insider added. “He is not minded to a reconciliation at all, and the fact that his father is bending over backwards to make Harry’s visit happen has become the source of deep irritation for William.”

William isn’t the only royal who would prefer not to meet Harry and Meghan. Queen Camilla is also “steering well clear” of the couple and is “not going to be around when they arrive,” a source told The Daily Express (via Marie Claire).

Charles has reportedly offered Harry and his family royal accommodation during their visit, in addition to covering their security arrangements. That apparently doesn’t sit well with William. (A long-running dispute over security has made Harry reluctant to return to his home country with his family.) 

Prince William was out of town during his brother’s last visit 

This isn’t the first time William has taken pains to avoid his younger brother. When Harry was in London in January, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were conveniently out of town on royal business in Scotland. The couple were visiting the National Curling Academy in Stirling, as well as a weaving studio, noted People. They’ll likely be otherwise occupied during his upcoming visit as well. 

 “He won’t go anywhere near him, I believe, and he won’t let Catherine (Middleton) go anywhere near him,” royal expert Angela Levin recently said during an appearance on TalkTV.

Though they were once close as children, Harry and William’s relationship has been strained for years. And in 2021, their bond was irreparably damaged. That’s when Harry published his tell-all memoir Spare and he and Meghan gave a candid interview about their decision to step down as working royals. 

“William is known to hold a grudge,” a source told Vanity Fair. “[A]nd more than that, he cannot forgive his brother for what Harry has put his family through.”

For more​​ news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram. 

Best in News