Tensions in the Royal Family have been building for years. The ongoing split between Prince William and Princess Kate and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle makes it hard for them to welcome the couple back into royal life.
The British Royal Family used to look very united, with Prince William and his younger brother, Prince Harry, appearing to be very close. However, that image started to change over time, especially after Prince Harry married Meghan Markle.
While many people hope for a fix between the royals, those close to them say the chances are getting smaller because some important issues keep the families apart. These reasons show just how deep the divide really is.
How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Relationship with the Royal Family Frayed Over Time
The problems between Prince Harry and the Royal Family, especially with his brother Prince William, have been getting worse for years. What started as a close sibling bond slowly turned into a serious split. The conflict grew with personal, family, and public challenges.
By 2019, it was clear that Harry’s relationship with the rest of the Royal Family, especially with William, had reached a breaking point.
A Challenging Year for Harry and Meghan
It was a very hard year for Harry and his wife, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They faced constant media attention, which was very stressful for them.
Meghan openly shared that she felt very sad due to the nonstop negative stories from British tabloids, which Harry said had a racist tone.
Harry’s Fear for His Family
Thinking about the trauma of losing his mother, Princess Diana, at a young age, Harry said, “I feared a lot that what happened to my mom when I was 12 could happen again to my wife.”
By the end of that year, it was obvious that he and William were taking different paths. Tensions between them peaked when Harry remembered a specific incident at Kensington Palace, showing just how deep the divide had grown.
A Physical Fight Between Brothers
Harry said that during a heated argument in early 2019, William, out of frustration, physically attacked him. The argument escalated from shouting to violence, with Harry being knocked to the floor, where he fell on a dog bowl.
For Harry, this fight wasn’t just a typical sibling clash — it was about defending his wife since William had directed his anger toward Meghan.
Harry felt that William had been influenced by members of his office and the tabloids’ portrayal of Meghan. The media’s focus on Meghan’s background — being American, biracial, divorced, and an actress — only added to the Royal Family’s early concerns.
Harry believed many of the stories William accepted as truth were unfounded, but they added to the growing tension between the brothers.
Mixed Reception for Meghan
When Harry introduced Meghan to the Royal Family in 2016, they did not receive her as warmly as he had hoped. While King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, seemed to like Meghan, William was reportedly doubtful.
He is said to have called her “an American actress,” and as time went on, the brothers became more distant. When Meghan and Harry chose to step back from royal duties in early 2020, it was clear the rift had deepened.
The Sussexes’ exit from royal life shocked many and reportedly caught William by surprise, further increasing his frustration. The brothers, once united by the loss of their mother, were now on very different paths.
Different Paths for Harry and William
While Prince William prepared for his future as king, Harry sought a life outside royal duties, focusing on his family’s happiness over royal responsibilities.
In his 2021 memoir, “Spare,” Harry looked back on his relationship with William, recalling a meeting where he noticed how much his brother had changed over the years.
Even with these observations, Harry insisted he loved his brother and never meant to hurt him with his words. He wanted to make it clear that Meghan was not responsible for their broken relationship.
However, despite these feelings, the communication between the brothers remained limited. In a 2023 interview with Anderson Cooper, Harry confirmed that he and William were not talking.
Strained Relationships with Their Father
The tension extended to his father, with Harry admitting they had not spoken in a long time. While William reportedly wanted to improve their relationship, he had not made any real efforts toward fixing it. Instead, he seemed in no hurry to mend their broken family ties.
“William wants his relationship with his brother to get better, but they’re not speaking right now. When that will change is still unknown,” a source shared in 2023. Meanwhile, Princess Kate also seemed uninterested in rebuilding a relationship with Harry or Meghan.
Kate’s Stance on the Situation
Sources said that Princess Kate was not eager to communicate with the Sussexes, believing too much had happened for reconciliation to be possible.
Why Won’t William and Kate Welcome Harry and Meghan Back?
While some people wish for a reunion between William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan, the truth is more complicated. The problems in their relationship go beyond hurt feelings or sibling rivalry; they stem from deeper, unresolved issues that keep the families apart.
Support for Each Other
The first reason for William and Kate’s reluctance to welcome them back is that Harry continues to support his wife, with whom he is happily married. This situation is made worse by Meghan’s past claim during her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey that Kate once made her cry.
Meghan also hinted that there were racist issues within the royal family, although she didn’t name anyone. However, a close friend of Harry later suggested that the people involved might be King Charles and Princess Kate, which only worsened family relations.
Publicly Silent About Their Grievances
The second reason William and Kate hesitate to reconcile is that they have not publicly discussed their issues. William has only responded once to Harry and Meghan’s claims.
When asked about the accusations of racism within the Royal Family, William said, “We are very much not a racist family.”
Reports indicated that William’s anger was deeper than it seemed, with accusations and criticism from across the ocean causing lasting damage. There was growing worry that any attempt to reconcile could lead to more broken trust.
His hesitation to mend things with Harry likely comes from wanting to protect his family’s privacy, as Harry and Meghan’s comments since leaving royal life have often made William and Kate look bad.
Fear of Further Disclosure
A royal insider noted, “It’s hard to see a reconciliation. How could there be, when William and Catherine fear that anything they say could show up in a future book or be mentioned in a TV show?”
Even though Prince Harry has attended family events, the chances of a reunion seem very low. While some thought his presence might mean better relations, insiders quickly dismissed this idea, saying no reconciliation was on the horizon.
Apologies Needed for Reconciliation
“There will be no reunion until Harry and Meghan apologize to Their Royal Highnesses for everything they have said, and there’s no sign that is likely,” a source revealed.
Social media users have also commented on the situation.
One user remarked, “Nobody would stay friends with someone who treated them this way, so why should they have to forgive them?”
Another noted, “The real reason he wants to reconcile is that he has woken up to a reality that is not what he wanted. He doesn’t want to be alone when things turn out differently than he hoped.”
The Future of Their Relationships
A third user commented, “I don’t think there will ever be full reconciliation while Harry is married to Meghan.” A fourth person said, “Prince William is not alone in not welcoming Harry and Meghan back; I think most of the UK wouldn’t want them back after the way they insulted this country.”
The rift between William, Princess Kate, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex seems far from over. Deep issues, public accusations, and worries about more revelations have kept the families apart.
Without real apologies or genuine efforts to rebuild trust, the distance between the brothers and their wives will likely continue for the foreseeable future.
