Prince William and Prince Harry’s Royal Rift: ‘There’s No Turning Back’ (Exclusive)

Prince William and Prince Harry grew up side by side, playing on the manicured grounds of Kensington Palace as children and later attending the prestigious Eton College before they both went off to serve in the armed forces. In 2020, their paths famously and dramatically diverged when Harry left his royal post for the luxe celebrity enclave of Montecito, California, while William doubled down on dutifully fulfilling his role as the future king of England.

The 5,000 physical miles between the currently estranged brothers are nothing compared to the emotional distance. “There is no relationship,” a source tells Us Weekly of William, 42, and Harry, 40, who have not spoken in more than two years. Says royal historian Marlene Koenig: “Bridges have been burned on both sides.”

Things reached a new low in early May when Harry sat down for an emotional interview with the BBC after losing his high court appeal for U.K. security protection for himself, wife Meghan Markle and their children, Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3. During the sit-down, Harry called out his father, King Charles — who’s in treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer — saying that despite his desire to mend fences, the monarch won’t speak to him because of “this security stuff,” adding, “I don’t know how much longer my father has… it would be nice to reconcile.” He also criticized the royals for not wanting to ensure the safety of his family and said he doesn’t “see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point.”

The source says William is “absolutely appalled” that Harry spoke out yet again and referenced their dad’s health battle — and believes the future king has reached the point of no return with his younger sibling.

“There is no turning back for William,” says the source. “The door is firmly shut.” Another source adds, “Just as Kate has gotten back into action, [Harry and Meghan] pull another stunt,” says a source.

Sources and royal experts reveal how the once-close brothers got here, the repercussions of their rift on the royal family’s image and the herculean efforts it would take to save what’s been lost.

Trust Issues

Trust has become a huge factor in the feud. “For William, there’s a fear that Harry would go to the press and talk about what was said between them if he speaks to him,” says Koenig. Adds royal commentator Richard Fitzsimmons: “The royals don’t trust the Sussexes and their relationship with the media.” While William has followed royal protocol of not commenting on private family matters, Harry has taken the opposite route, revealing personal details about their relationship in his 2022 Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, as well as his memoir, Spare (among other revelations, Harry detailed a 2019 physical altercation in which he claimed William physically attacked him during an argument about Meghan, 43). “William cannot forgive Harry for having betrayed the royal family in destructive interviews and a memoir while at the same time ruthlessly monetizing their royal connections in the U.S.,” says Fitzsimmons. A second source says William feels “hurt and betrayed” by his brother’s public comments. “[William and Kate] just don’t understand why Harry doesn’t stay quiet.”

Meghan’s Role

“Everything changed when Meghan came into the fold,” says the second source, adding that the With Love, Meghan star has a lot of influence over her husband. “[Kate and William] feel like she’s encouraging him to push them away.” (The source also says people avoid mentioning Meghan at the palace because it causes Kate, 43, stress.) Royal commentator Amanda Matta says the idea that a reconciliation between the foursome would be more likely if Meghan were out of the picture oversimplifies the fracture between the brothers. “The tensions within the family run much deeper than any one woman’s influence. The cracks were already there. If anything, Meghan’s presence helped Harry process and articulate the ways in which the institution had already failed him,” explains Matta, adding that blaming Meghan “conveniently” allows the royals to avoid reflecting on their parts in the fallout. “It reduces a complicated generational conflict into a simplistic narrative about one woman’s impact.”

Kate’s POV

Kate and Harry were famously close before things turned ugly, and she’s sad to no longer have a relationship with him. “They remain distant,” says Matta. The first source says Kate was scarred by Meghan’s 2022 tell-all TV interview, during which she claimed that despite reports to the contrary, it was Kate who had made her cry in the days leading up to her 2018 wedding to Harry. “The reframing of events upset her, and making up a narrative that Kate is mean was devastating,” says the source. “She can’t retaliate, and Meghan knows that.” Koenig says Kate — who’s been open about her cancer battle — isn’t preoccupied with the drama. “William and Kate have had to deal with her cancer and not worry about what Harry is saying. They’re doing what they do as a family and as the future king and future queen consort and live their lives.”

Charles’ POV

According to the second source, Charles would not have been able to talk to Harry as his security case played out for legal reasons — whether or not he wanted to make contact. “He legally couldn’t talk to him about it,” claims the source. Koenig believes the king, 76, is taking a “tough love” approach with his youngest. “Charles never stopped loving Harry, but he doesn’t want to [cause] any more tension within the family,” she says. “He can’t bring his two sons together — that’s something they need to do. It must be awfully painful for the king that he doesn’t see his grandchildren and that he can’t talk to his son for fear of what will happen,” she adds, “but he’s keeping his distance until they can find a way to talk.”

The Security Debate

Matta says Harry’s safety concerns are well-founded, noting that he’s faced threats from extremist groups, including neo-Nazis. “These are real threats and legitimate concerns that influence his visits to the U.K.,” she tells Us. Fitzsimmons says Harry will probably travel to his home country solo for the 2027 Invictus Games (scheduled to take place in Birmingham), while Meghan is unlikely to want to come regardless of security measures. He cites a new YouGov poll that claims 65 percent of Brits dislike the As Ever founder.

Crossing Paths

Charles’ inevitable funeral will mark the first time the former “Fab Four” would see each other. (It could also be the last, says the first source: “I can’t imagine William would invite Harry to his coronation.”) Matta says it likely wouldn’t be any kind of fairy-tale reunion, noting, “Even significant occasions like that don’t guarantee a reconciliation.” Harry has said publicly he wasn’t directly informed of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth’s 2022 death or Charles’ cancer diagnosis (which was announced in early 2024). Says Koenig: “I can envision a situation where Harry learns of his father’s illness at the last minute and flies over. But I think access will be regulated, and it will all depend on what the king’s wishes are.”

What the Kids Know

The issues with Harry and Meghan are not a topic William and Kate speak of at home with their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. “There is no real communication [between the families]. You hear stories that the king and [William and Kate] sent presents to Archie and Lili for their birthdays or Christmas, but they’re not confirmed,” says Koenig. Adds the first source: “Kate would have loved for her kids to have a relationship with Harry’s, but the dream that [they] could all play together couldn’t be further away.”

Royal PR Crisis?

Koenig says the Palace hasn’t taken too big of a hit in the aftermath of William and Harry’s divide. “The monarchy is popular. William is especially popular, so it really hasn’t affected them. And as time goes by, Harry becomes far less important.” Royal expert Christopher Andersen disagrees, telling Us: “There was so much affection for Queen Elizabeth, and while Charles has done well despite the odds, the monarchy really needs to show unity going forward. It can’t afford to be showing any cracks in its foundation.”

What It Would Take to Make Up

Matta says the ball is in William’s court but notes the path forward will be an uphill battle. “This complex rift is about two very different worldviews: One is rooted in preserving tradition, the other in breaking from them when they start to cause harm. Until that disconnect is addressed, even a basic working relationship will be hard to rebuild.” Professor of Psychiatry Gail Saltz tells Us William and Harry’s best chance at reconciliation would involve open communication in a one-on-one setting. “If you’re only willing to try if the other person is eternally guilty, it won’t work. True reconciliation requires a certain amount of forgiveness and not keeping score,” she says, adding that making peace is a worthy goal. “These are essential human relationships. Harry and William are the only brothers they’ll ever have.”

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With reporting by Christina Garibaldi, Justin Ravitz & Andrea Simpson