Prince William ‘preventing’ Prince Harry, King Charles reconciling

A friend of Queen Camilla’s has revealed Prince William’s dislike of Prince Harry is bordering on “pathological”, making the bitter situation increasingly difficult for King Charles.

Prince William allegedly doesn’t want Prince Harry and King Charles to mend their fractured relationship.

Writing in a column in London’s Telegraph newspaper, Petronella Wyatt, who has known Queen Camilla for more than 50 years, pointed the finger squarely at Prince William over the increasingly bitter royal estrangement.

She claimed that a “former Palace official” who used to work with the siblings told her: “There is a public misconception about William and Harry. It is William who was often the difficult one, and it is William who is preventing his father from having a proper reconciliation with Harry.”

Prince William, King Charles and Prince Harry at the launch of the Invictus Games in 2014. Ten years later, the family is estranged. Picture: Getty Images

“This isn’t helpful at a point in time when the country would be buoyed up by seeing them together again, as would the King.”

Prince Harry has been estranged from his family since he and wife Meghan Markle quit their royal duties and moved to the US in 2020.

He didn’t see any of his family members when he was in London last week for the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Invictus Games.

Only the prince’s uncle, Charles Spencer, attended.

The last time Prince Harry saw his father was in February, when he briefly flew home after learning of the monarch’s cancer diagnosis.

Relations between the three around the Queen’s death in 2022 were tense. Picture: Getty Images

A friend of Prince William and Princess Catherine told the Daily Beast that “there is a grain of truth” in Wyatt’s claims.

“Although William wouldn’t dream of telling his father what he can or can’t do in relation to his other son,” she said.
“But what is true is that Charles’ absolute priority is the unity of the monarchy, and given the extent of William’s animosity to Harry, Charles can hardly roll out the red carpet and invite Harry and the kids to stay at Balmoral for the summer holidays —however much he would like to.”

In her column, Wyatt claimed that Prince William and King Charles treated Prince Harry in an “inhuman” way before the Duke of Sussex gave up his royal life.

Better days for the royals (with Sir David Attenborough) in 2019. Picture: Samir Hussein

But Wyatt thinks that Prince Harry should return to the Royal Family, regardless of the drama, because “the royal family is a microcosm for every family in Britain, and that a divided family, like a divided political party, has an intrinsic weakness”.

When the Duke of Sussex was in the UK, friends of the king claimed that Charles offered his son a place to stay in a royal residence, and that Prince Harry rejected his father’s offer.

However, sources close to Prince Harry alleged that he made a request to see his father well ahead of his trip to his birth country, but Charles chose not to see his son.

King Charles’ friends claimed that is not true.

“While it is true that the King is understandably wary about meeting with Harry, given the publicity circus that seems to surround all such visits, he did of course agree to see his son at the most vulnerable moment of his illness, and at very short notice,” a friend of the monarch told the Sunday Times.

Prince William reportedly refuses to speak to his brother. Picture: Getty Images

The rift between the father and son widened even more when Prince Harry allegedly “forced” King Charles to choose between him and Queen Camilla, a friend of the Royal Family claimed to the Daily Beast.

“Harry has made it very clear, very publicly, that he despises her,” the insider said. “He has forced Charles to choose, which was a very silly thing to do because Camilla and he both chose each other a long time ago.”

Harry shared his feelings for his stepmother in his protocol-shattering memoir, Spare, in which he sensationally branded her “dangerous” and “the villain.”

The father of two also accused Prince William of physically attacking him during an argument about Markle in his book, which completely fractured their relationship.

Prince Harry has not reconciled with his relatives since the controversial memoir came out.

MEGHAN, HARRY REVEALS PLANS FOR FUTURE

Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Ms Markle have opened up about their marriage in a gushing interview, saying they are “really happy” while watching their young children “grow up and evolve”.

It came as the pair arrived back in Los Angeles after a marathon 18-hour flight from Nigeria via London’s Heathrow Airport.

Speaking to People magazine during the pair’s visit to Nigeria, Meghan described the three-day tour as “really meaningful”.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Armed Forces Complex in Abuja, Nigeria. Picture: Getty Images

Prince Harry, who spent a year working in Lesotho as a young man, spoke of his love for Africa.

“You know what Africa means to me over the years,” he said. “It is a very, very special place, and to be able to include Nigeria now, I’m very happy.”

It comes after a tumultuous week for the Sussexes after their Archewell Foundation was initially declared “delinquent” due to failed payments. The Archewell Foundation said after investigating that it found payments were made “promptly” and all paperwork was filed “without error or wrongdoing”.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit the Lagos State Governor. Picture: AFP

Meghan Markle charmed the people of Nigeria. Picture: AFP

Detractors have slammed the couple for undertaking a “faux-royal” tour of the West African nation after ditching the royal family in 2020 to start a new life in the US.

But the Sussexes are ploughing ahead with their initiatives and told People they are looking forward to more travel opportunities.

The Duchess of Sussex had some emotional encounters with children on her trip. Picture: Getty Images

The couple meet with the Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja. Picture: Getty Images

The Sussexes are looking forward to more travelling. Picture: AFP

“There’s only so much one can do from home and over Zoom, so we look forward to travelling more because the work matters,” Prince Harry said.

“Whether it’s the Archewell Foundation, Invictus or any of our other causes, there will always be reasons to meet the people at the heart of our work.”

Meghan told the magazine the trip had brought her closer to her roots.

In 2022, she took a DNA test which revealed that she is 43 per cent Nigerian.

“It was incredibly memorable and special,” she told People.

“That alone is the best souvenir to take with us — all the memories we’ve made.”

Referring to the empowering message she shared with a group of young students on their first day in Nigeria, Meghan said: “I saw myself in them. I see the potential in all of these young girls — and, by the way, in these young boys as well.”

The Duchess of Sussex said the moment made her think about the future of her own children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

“It’s what we see in our own children — to give them that promise and excitement for their futures,” Meghan tells People.