Prince William mentions Prince Harry for first time since their falling out
Royal biographer Hugo Vickers says Prince William publicly mentioning his brother Prince Harry for the first time in six years means there is ‘a chance of a reconciliation’.
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Speaking in a new documentary, Prince William recalls how his mother Princess Diana took him and his brother, Harry, to a homeless shelter in London when they were little in order to show them the realities of life beyond the royal family and Buckingham Palace.
“My mother took me to the Passage, she took Harry and I both there … I’d never been to anything like that before and I was a bit anxious as to what to expect,” said Prince William.
It is the first time the Duke of Cambridge publicly named the Duke of Sussex for what is believed to be six years.
The royal biographer and broadcaster Hugo Vickers has said the mention indicates a “step forward” for the brothers to reconcile.
Vickers told The Sun, “Prince William was talking about a historical event going with his mother to the homeless place, which I remember them doing at the time, and of course it would have been very strange if he hadn’t mentioned Prince Harry since Prince Harry was quite clearly there with him.
“However, having said that, it’s nice that he did, and I’m a great believer that every time there’s a step like this it’s a step forward, and, as I’ve said on many occasions, if people are prepared to compromise, there’s always the chance of reconciliation,” added Vickers.
The documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, includes unseen archival images of Prince William and the late Diana at the Passage in Westminster.
In photo, taken when Princess Diana visited with William on 14 June 1993 just days before his eleventh birthday, the young Prince is seen studiously playing chess with a homeless man at the shelter.
In another photo, a young William, in a suit and tie, stands alongside his mother at the shelter, holding gifts ready to give the homeless people.
The documentary shows a photo of the young princes visiting the shelter in 1993.
Vickers commented: “I’d like to say that I see it as an olive branch to his brother, but I think it’s more the case that since he was talking about an event where Prince Harry was present, it would have been very odd if he hadn’t mentioned him.
“On the other hand he could have specifically excluded him, which would have been indicative of a complete breach between them.”
Vickers added that he thought there could come a time when the brother once again appear in public together.
He said: “I think, as time goes on, sometimes the bitterness becomes less strong, and the King has been brilliant because he hasn’t responded in any way at all to any of the jibes that have come from Prince Harry or Meghan.
“I think that Prince William is, I would imagine, rather less forgiving, and in a way the hurt is greater. Harry attacked Catherine, and that’s not very nice.
“I mean, nobody likes that. But possibly there will come a time when they appear together in public for various reasons.
“I think probably Prince William has got enough on his plate frankly worrying about his wife getting better, and his father.”
The film makes a connection between trauma, family breakdown and homelessness, with both Harry and William having spoken extensively about the importance of mental health.
Prior to the film, it is believed Prince William and Prince Harry have not publicly mentioned each other since 2018 when the two princes, alongside the Princess of Wales and Meghan Markle, were interviewed at the Royal Foundation Forum.
The making of the documentary, which began in June last year, coincided with his wife, the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis.
The Prince at that time also launched his Homewards Campaign, which focuses on ending homelessness in six of the UK’s worst affected areas: Aberdeen; Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole; Lambeth; Newport; Northern Ireland and Sheffield.
“I feel with my position and my platform, I should be delivering change,” the royal said.
“I feel compelled to act because I don’t want to just talk about it. I don’t want to just listen. I actually want to see someone smile because their life has been made better. So therefore building a project is the only way I can see at the moment to try and alleviate and help people who are in a much less fortunate or a very difficult situation.”
Prince William: We Can End Homelessness will be shown on ITV on Wednesday October, 30 and Thursday October 31, 2024.
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