We Could See a Reconciliation Between Prince William and Prince Harry – For One Key Reason
EXCLUSIVE: One Royal Commentator told The Royal Observer the reason why the brothers could eventually put their past behind them.
A reconciliation between Prince William and Prince Harry may seem inconceivable today, but one royal commentator has predicted that an eventual family reunion could well be on the cards.
The sons of the Late Princess Diana have been the subject of a high-profile rift and have been estranged for several years. This came after multiple high-profile projects by Prince Harry following his departure as a working member of the Royal Family.
Since then, relations have shown little – if any - signs of improving. Afua Hagan is an expert commentator and has specialised in covering the work of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. She predicts that as their father continues to age in his role as Monarch, Prince William and Harry will eventually put their differences aside.
“There is no benefit for either side for there to be this division in the royal family,” she told me. “Especially as we move into the reign of [a future] King William, what he wants really is to put a footnote on that the whole saga of the royal story.”
After stepping away from his role as a working member of the Royal Family, the younger son of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana gave a highly publicised interview to Oprah Winfrey, released his bombshell memoir Spare, and spoke about the impact of his childhood in his own docuseries on Netflix. This led to what some have described as one of the deepest divisions in the modern history of the Royal Family.
But in Afua’s view, the current heir to the throne would want to put the family drama behind him, especially with all the practical realities of the Monarchy when he eventually ascends to the throne.
“What Prince William really wants is for the animosity between him and his brother to die when his father passes away [so to speak], for that whole thing to just literally be buried, right? For it to stop at that point, and for us to move into a new era.”
Before their public fallout, the pair were known to have shared a close bond. Both attending the same school (Eton College), were bonded over their shared grief for their mother. Previously, they shared joint charitable initiatives and Harry lived near to his brother at Kensington Palace. The brothers also took on the important personal role as best man for each other’s public wedding celebrations.
However, Afua pondered that the relationship could be forever changed due to the tumultuous events over the last few years, but the brothers could still navigate a way forward especially in support of their respective causes. She told the Royal Observer: “It's not going to be a band of brothers, and they're not going to be skipping in front of Buckingham Palace. But [we could see] a new era where they are respectful of each other, where they support each other's endeavours, like the Invictus Games, like the Earthshot Prize.”
As Prince William and Princess Catherine’s children continue to grow, Afua suggests the spotlight will shift onto the younger generation of royals. She told me that this also means that the brothers will not have to ‘compete’ with each other and could in fact go onto to complement each other’s causes.
'It's not going to be a band of brothers, and they're not going to be skipping in front of Buckingham Palace.'
She admitted: "It doesn't have to compete, and they don't have to brief against each other. And each side, each couple, each family can be doing their brilliant work, supporting each other and not having to argue with each other, not having to be on opposite sides." Adding: “I think it's possible, absolutely possible”
