Speculation mounts over Harry and William’s future relationship after feud
Princes Harry and William came together to farewell their grandfather - but now the funeral is over, will the feud reignite or will their brotherly bond seal a longed-for truce?
The funeral is over, the dust is settling on the royal family and their show of strength and unity in grief with two feuding princes coming together to farewell their beloved grandfather.
But now Princes William and Harry have met and talked after months of angry accusations, resentments and hurt, will the rift between the Queen’s grandsons be healed?
As the world watched for the much longed-for truce, every second of the princes’ walk last Saturday to and from the Duke of Edinburgh’s laying to rest was scrutinised.
There were glimmers of hope, as royal expert, Eve Pollard, observed, “they were talking – and that’s a very good sign”.
But although there is a way to go, it’s of vital importance beyond the royal soap opera: “Let’s hope they sort their recent troubles out because the Queen needs them both.”
Although Britain’s national week of mourning has ended, the royal family continues to observe its own two-week grieving period, making the Queen’s 95th birthday on Wednesday a sombre affair.
What would have been a joyous occasion will be marked by muted celebrations, but it was hoped Prince Harry would stay for it and not rush back to California.
This would give him a chance to further mend fences with William, who remains somewhat stand-offish still despite their father Prince Charles’ reported desperation for his sons to make up.
It would be a consolidating step ahead of Harry’s return to London in July, just after the expected birth of his and Meghan’s second child, a daughter in June.
Harry and his brother will stand side-by-side for the unveiling of a memorial statue to their late mother Diana, at Kensington Palace, to coincide with what would have been the Princess of Wales’ 60th birthday.
As William and Harry walked behind their grandfather’s coffin last Saturday in a touching and emotional royal procession, royal commentators were reminded of Diana’s 1997 funeral.
On that occasion, and at Prince Philip’s urging, the teenage William and 12-year-old Harry, with a card addressed “Mummy”, walked with their grandfather, father and uncle behind Diana’s flag-draped coffin.
Before his death, Prince Philip was said to have been deeply upset his grandsons had fallen out.
The Queen’s instructions conveyed to the princes to bury the hatchet for the day, at least in respect for their grandfather.
Royal aides were reportedly on “eggshells” about the looming encounter.
Prince Harry, who flew from California a week earlier to observe COVID-19 quarantine rules, was hoped to have a meeting with William on the Saturday morning of the funeral.
For the past week, while his seven months pregnant wife Meghan Markle, who is expecting a baby girl, stayed home on the advice of her doctor, Harry self-isolated at Windsor.
Vanity Fairreported that “sources close to Harry” said he was nervous about coming home and attending the funeral, about the emotion of the day and what it would be like finally seeing William.
“It was a case of being told to put their differences aside by the Queen for the sake of the family,” Vanity Fair reported a family friend saying.
“William and other members of the family have some very strong feelings about some of the things Harry and Meghan said on Oprah.
“Things need to be talked through, but this was not the occasion and everyone respected that. “It’s going to take more than a wake to sort things out, but this is hopefully a start.”
Despite Harry meeting with his beloved “Granny”, the Queen, prior to the funeral, the anticipated reunion with William on the morning just did not take place.
Who could blame William?
In Harry and the Duchess of Sussex’s interview with Oprah Winfrey last month, Harry had described both his brother and father as being “trapped” in the royal family.
On the day of the formal and low key – but nonetheless – public procession of Prince Philip’s final journey, crowds were hoping to glimpse the brother princes walking side-by-side.
It was reportedly William who suggested their cousin Peter Phillips walk between the two as they followed their grandfather’s coffin in the Land Rover from Windsor Castle’s gate to St George’s Chapel.
As the procession stepped off solemnly behind Prince Philip’s bespoke Land Rover hearse, Peter Philips (Princess Anne’s son) stepped back and allowed the princes to fall in together.
William’s jaw was clenched, Harry nervously tapped his grandfather’s order of service against his trouser leg.
When the service was over, Harry and William emerged into the sunshine, both wearing masks.
Afterwards, it was Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, who would bridge the brothers together.
Kate chatted with Harry as they walked away from the chapel, before walking off, leaving
the prince and her husband fall into step physically and hopefully mentally.
Harry and William were seen speaking to each other for about four minutes as they walked together from St George’s Chapel.
A lip reader hired by the media later reported how the conversation went:
Harry: “Yeah, it was great wasn’t it.”
William: “Absolutely beautiful service, the music.”
Harry: “It was as he wanted.”
Harry and William are said to have arrived together at the Windsor Castle Quadrangle, before being joined by their father and stepmother, Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Tatlerreported.
Family members reportedly split into small groups on the grass and spoke two metres apart without their masks, sharing words of “solidarity” and “comfort”, The Sun reported.
When Camilla departed at 5pm, Charles stayed behind with his sons for an hour longer.
“Desperate” for their reconciliation, he recognises William is more cautious, perhaps more hurt by Harry’s indiscretions via Oprah Winfrey, open to developing a better relationship, but over time.
“William needs to know he can trust Harry and that private conversations will stay private,” Vanity Fair reported a source saying.
And even if Harry does stay for his granny’s 95th, that remains the elephant in the room.
Can the royal family expect discretion from Harry, and by extension Meghan?
Because although a man is entitled to confide in his wife, what if she is a blabber-mouthed American who cannot help retelling everything, especially to TV hosts?
Royal biographer Penny Junor said any hopes for a full reconciliation hinged on Harry not returning to Meghan in America at least until he has made further inroads with a rapprochement.
“There is a lot to be unravelled here,” she told The Sun.
“This is a falling-out that has gone on for a long time. They need the time, space and the trust.
“Harry should stay for the Queen’s birthday as it is the least he can do for his grandmother and it gives him even more opportunity to talk to his father and his brother.”
William and Harry’s mother broke royal protocol in 1995 in her famous bombshell BBC interview in which she laid bare the royal family’s secrets, scandals, infidelity and betrayal.
Diana was not forgiven, except in death almost two years later.
But while the media and the royal family had turned their backs on Diana after the interview, the British public did the opposite, they embraced her.
In the 1990s when people didn’t speak about mental health, Diana’s honesty about her postnatal depression, self harming and bulimia struck a chord with the public.
Meghan’s complaints about her treatment while pregnant with Archie and claims about royal remarks on the colour of her baby’s skin have either not struck a chord or just don’t ring true.
She didn’t stay in the royal family long enough for people to love her and while Harry was one of the most loved royals bar the Queen, people are torn.
Royal commentators believe it will be a show of the brother’s mettle, the power of William’s ability to forgive, and the strength of Harry’s skill for prudence and enduring his wife’s discretion.
If he can’t do that, there are not further conversations beyond observations about music and prayers in a church service.
And despite her wishes, don’t expect the Queen to intervene.
The Times reported Ingrid Seward, who edits Majesty magazine, saying the Queen “hates confrontation”.
“The royal children have so much difficulty in getting the Queen to discuss anything other than dogs or horses,” Seward said.
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