Prince William and Prince Harry at Windsor Castle on Sept. 10, 2022 in Windsor, England. Photo:
Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Prince Harry’s relationship with the royal family is at a breaking point.
Sources tell PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story that while calls and letters to his father, King Charles, go unanswered, Harry’s attempts to connect with his brother, Prince William — through texts, calls, and messages — are similarly ignored.
The rift with Prince William is “very bad,” says a royal insider, but it’s not “irreparable.”
William, 42, and Harry, 39, last presented a united front with their wives, Kate Middletonand Meghan Markle, when they met mourners outside Windsor Castle after Queen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022.
In May 2023, Harry stayed on the sidelines at the coronation of King Charles and sat two rows behind his brother William and his family. Meghan remained in the U.S. for Prince Archie’s birthday.
It’s been widely reported that the brothers’ rift began in 2016 when William expressed concerns about how quickly Harry’s relationship with Meghan was moving. In his memoir Spare, Harry revealed the complexities of his relationship with William, which, despite a public image of closeness, was marked by tension. Harry described William as both his “beloved brother and arch nemesis,” recounting instances of verbal and even physical altercations between them.
When Prince Harry returned to the U.K. in Mayfor the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, he did not meet with his father or brother. The Duke of Sussex’s spokesperson attributed the lack of interaction between Harry and the King to the sovereign’s “full schedule.” However, sources close to Harry hint at a deeper issue.
(From left) Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry and Megha nMarkle at Windsor Castle to view tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 10, 2022.
Chris Jackson/Getty
The Duke of Sussex wanted to discuss his ongoing battle for security, which he has been fighting for in court for over four years and believes his father the King, 75, has power to reinstate. (Buckingham Palace will not comment on security provisions, but a palace source tells PEOPLE the notion that Harry’s security is in Charles’s hands is “wholly incorrect.”)
The rift that first became public in 2020 when Prince Harry and Meghan, 42, stepped back from their royal roles has been marked by blistering attacks and unresolved tensions. But for Harry, no issue is greater than that of security, multiple well-placed insiders in his circle tell PEOPLE.
Despite a positive meeting between the father and son in February following King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, communication has since deteriorated. Those close to Harry say the monarch no longer takes his son’s calls or responds to his letters.
“He gets ‘unavailable right now,’ ” a friend of Harry’s says. “His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”
Amid the distance, the Duke of Sussex remains deeply concerned for the safety of his wife and children Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, and according to sources, has repeatedly asked his father for help.
“Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father,” a royal insider says. Adds another source close to the situation, “Harry is determined to protect his own family at all costs.”
Exactly what is stopping Harry from securing the protection he seeks is a matter of bitter contention. Constitutionally, the sovereign has no governmental power in the U.K., and the power to bestow police protection lies with the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC), which operates on behalf of the U.K. government. But Harry, whose offer to personally cover the cost of police protection was also rejected in court, feels that as King, Charles could intervene to ensure such protection is extended.
King Charles and Prince Harry arrive at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for the committal service of Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 19, 2022.
David Rose / POOL / AFP/Getty
At the Sandringham Summit in January 2020, which decided the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s fate as non-working royals, Prince Harry emerged from the meeting — attended by the future King Charles, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth and palace staff — confident that their security would remain intact during their transition. Court documents also reveal that the Queen, who died on Sept. 8, 2022, at age 96, deemed it “imperative” for Prince Harry and Meghan to have “effective security” after their departure. Despite this, Harry was informed just weeks later that their police protection had been withdrawn.
“The Queen made it clear that effective security was necessary due to the threats against them, but somewhere along the line there was interference,” the royal insider alleges.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the 2024 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 11, 2024 in Hollywood, California.
Kevin Mazur/Getty
With both sides firmly entrenched — and Harry’s brother William seemingly aligned with their father — any hope for reconciliation appears distant at best.
Some close to the palace suggest that Harry’s memoir Spare and public interviews have compromised the family’s trust in him. Others close to the Duke of Sussex counter that if he had proper security, he wouldn’t need to speak publicly in order to help pay for it. If the matter of security is resolved, says the friend, “it’s ‘swords down,’ ” and nothing “would give [Harry] more happiness than being able to rekindle his bond with his father.”
