Awkward new Prince William, Prince Harry situation arises

The estranged brothers may be about to have an uncomfortable schedule clash within just a matter of weeks.

IN LONDON

Prince Harry’s schedule may briefly align with his estranged brother’s next month, with the pair potentially set to be in New York City at the same time for separate events.

The Duke of Sussex announced on Wednesday that he’ll be taking a solo trip to advance a number of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives, coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week, which runs from September 22 to 29.

However, on September 24, Prince William’s annual Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit is also being held in New York - and while his attendance is unconfirmed, he was present at the same event last year.

Harry and William are likely to be in NYC at the same time.

However, any chance that William and Harry’s possible proximity may lead to a reunion has already been firmly shut down.

“If Prince William does come to New York when Harry is there, it’s likely the brothers will steer clear from one another,” a source told The Sunday Times.

William and Harry’s relationship is reportedly now so fractured that they have not spoken since the late Queen’s funeral in September 2022.

Even then, as Harry himself wrote in Spare, they “barely exchanged a word.”

A source recently confirmed the dire state of the situation, telling the Times that “they are estranged, which is dreadfully sad.”

While William is said to still be furious with Harry over his airing of their personal family issues in multiple interviews and his memoir, the Duke of Sussex has appeared to be angling toward reconciliation in recent months.

The brothers last appeared in public together around the late Queen’s death in September 2022. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

However, in an article published by the Daily Beast earlier this week, a friend of William’s confirmed widespread reports that he has no intention of inviting Harry to his coronation as things are “totally frozen” between them.

“Why would William and Kate want all the distraction and circus that his presence would bring? I suspect that William will see Harry one more time in his life in the flesh — at their father’s funeral,” they said bluntly.

“It is hard to overstate how utterly William feels betrayed and hurt on a very personal level. The two brothers were so close growing up that they would finish each other’s sentences.

“Amid all the trauma of their mum dying and their dad being quite distant, it was an amazing thing to witness.

“Reading Harry’s book, I was really struck by how honest he was about the depth and the importance of his relationship with William when they were younger. It makes his decision to basically sell out his entire family, but particularly William, for a bumper payday even more inexplicable.”

During his bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey back in 2021, before the release of his Netflix series and memoir, Harry told the TV queen that he’d “always be there” for his older brother, despite the fact they were on “different paths”.

“Look, we’re brothers, we’ll always be brothers. And we’re certainly on different paths at the moment, but I’ll always be there for him, as I know he’ll always be there for me,” he said.

“We don’t see each other as much as we used to because we’re so busy, but you know, I love him dearly.

“The majority of this stuff (in the press) is created out of nothing, but you know, as brothers, you know, you have good days, you have bad days.”

Originally published as Awkward new Prince William, Prince Harry situation arises