It appears that King Charles III and his two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, might be growing further apart.
Charles, who ascended the British throne in 2022 after the death of mother Queen Elizabeth II, shared his two children with late ex-wife Princess Diana. (Charles is now married to Queen Camilla, and they recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.)
Ever since 2019, the royals have been plagued by familial drama and estrangements. Fresh off his wedding to Meghan Markle, Harry and William opted to formally split their households. The once-tight sibling bond fractured even more when the Duke of Sussex claimed that William had helped leak false stories about Meghan online. (William, for his part, has never addressed the accusations.)
Harry’s relationship with Charles also fractured, as he claimed that the king financially cut him and Meghan off when they stepped back from their senior royal duties in 2020 and moved across the pond to California.
Related: Prince Harry’s Ups and Downs With the Royal Family Over the Years
Prince Harry‘s relationship with his relatives is complex and complicated. Harry is the youngest son of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana. As children, he and his older brother, Prince William, seemed inseparable, but as they got older, cracks began to form in their relationship. “There’s always been a part of Harry that […]
“I will always love him, but there’s a lot of hurt that’s happened,” Harry said during a 2021 CBS interview. “I will continue to make it one of my priorities to try and heal that relationship.”
Harry and Charles started reopening the lines of communication after the monarch was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in early 2024.
“I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that,” Harry said on Good Morning America that Feburary. “I jumped on a plane and went to go see him as soon as I could. … I’ve got other trip plans that will take me through the U.K., or back to the U.K. So, I’ll stop in and see my family as much as I can.”
However, it appears the dynamic might have backslid on the heels of Harry’s court case, William’s latest charity hire and surprising plans for the family’s Easter celebrations. Keep scrolling for a full breakdown:
Prince Harry’s Deeply Personal Court Case
Harry had a hearing in April 2025 over his appeal regarding the decision to revoke his and Meghan’s security whenever they are in the U.K. with kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Speaking with The Telegraph, Harry called the decision “difficult to swallow” as speculation swirled that it was a factor in his tension with Charles.
“[My] worst fears have been confirmed by the whole legal disclosure in this case — and that’s really sad,” Harry added to People, with several royal watchers speculating that the comment is a subtle reference to Charles. Many believe that Harry hinted his dad could have sway in the appeal result, given his royal position as king.
Separate Easter Plans
News broke days later that William and his wife, Princess Kate Middleton, were not planning to attend the family’s annual Easter church services in favor of spring break with their children. (The Prince and Princess of Wales usually join Charles and Camilla at the Sunday mass, often bringing kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.)
“This is a big deal,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly. “It’s royal tradition for the family to attend this together. Everyone understood the family not attending last year when Kate was sick, but there’s been a lot of raised eyebrows at the palace about William’s decision to skip again this year. It feels like a deliberate move and even a snub.”
Kate battled an undisclosed form of cancer in 2024. She went through chemotherapy treatment and is currently in remission.
Related: Prince William’s Former Aide Discusses ‘Sad’ Rift With Prince Harry
A former royal aide for Prince Harry and Prince William is getting candid about the brothers’ fractured relationship. “It’s very difficult to have this stuff play out in the public eye, but [William]’s chosen to keep his thoughts on it private, and I think all of us who know him really have to respect that […]
William’s Surprise Earthshot Prize Hire
The same day as the Easter news broke, it was revealed that Jason Knauf would become the CEO for the Earthshot Prize organization after an appointment by the Board of Trustees. William had launched the nonprofit to, per a website description, “find, support and celebrate those who turn bold ideas into real solutions to repair our planet.”
“As we look ahead to the future of The Prize and the urgent work needed to scale more inspiring solutions to the world’s greatest challenges, I look forward to working with Jason to chart the course for the next five years of The Earthshot Prize and beyond,” William said in a statement.
Knauf previously served as communications secretary for William, Kate, Harry and Meghan. In 2018, Knauf accused Meghan of bullying and claimed that she drove two assistants out of a job and undermined the confidence of another employer. She denied all allegations at the time.
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