Prince Harry and King Charles have been taking steps to bridge their long estrangement, but by all accounts, a “stubborn” Prince William remains firmly against reuniting with his wayward brother.
The heir mightn’t have any choice in the matter though, with their father pushing for a face to face between the warring brothers at Balmoral Castle, the Scottish summer home traditionally used for family summits!
“This is being orchestrated with the utmost of care and sensitivity because it’s no secret that William is a reluctant party,” a royal insider tells Woman’s Day. “It’s taken months of discussion to convince him that there actually was an olive branch being offered by Harry, but now with this Balmoral summit looming, even William reluctantly acknowledges that if he’s to be king to all his subjects one day, that does include his brother.”
After years of bitterness and turmoil, the timing couldn’t be better for all the drama to come to a head. Just weeks after Harry and Charles had their teams hold pivotal peace talks in the UK, the king, 76, has already made his way to the grounds of Balmoral for his summer break, with a free spot in the schedule for Harry, 40, to join him there before he needs to be in London for the WellChild Awards.
“It’s long overdue that he sees his youngest son and while some of it will be about his will and what’s been arranged, the goal is for Harry to be able to bring his family back to the UK and be able to come and go as they please,” the source says of the pair, who haven’t seen each other since a 30-minute meeting in early 2024.
Convincing William, 43, to get on board with the plan towards peace in the family is proving a far bumpier road…
‘RUTHLESS FIREWALL’ WILLS
Assuming all goes well with the King, the plan is for William to join them, for a meeting – at a minimum – but it will be the first time William and Harry will be in the same room in five years,” the source says. “And William will be seeking serious apologies for all the harm Harry has done.”
Indeed, amid all the recent talk about reconciliation between Harry and Charles, the heir’s stance has stayed unforgiving towards his little brother.
No member of William’s camp attended the recent peace meeting, and he’s been dubbed “the monarchy’s ruthless firewall” that Harry must somehow break through if he ever wants to return to the royal family – even if he does have their father’s support.
“William, of course, has been the biggest hurdle and he still hasn’t fully committed to going, but it’s becoming harder for him to say no to his ailing father, especially with his health issues,” the insider says.
The brothers have been at odds since Harry and Meghan left the royal family in 2020, and just last month, insiders speculated that the pair haven’t properly spoken in more than two years.
While they were forced to come together for their uncle’s funeral in 2024, they didn’t interact – making a meeting at Balmoral a crucial moment in their long feud, and a daunting one for Harry.
“While Harry is there to make amends, William won’t be letting him get away lightly with anything,” our source adds.
KATE’S SENTIMENTAL PLEA
“He takes his role as protector of his father, his family and his country very seriously and he’s got a lot to get off his chest too.”
Though Catherine, 43, has publicly stood by husband Wills in his feud with Harry, privately it’s believed that as time goes on, she can see the sentimental side to mending their differences.
“Kate’s been a phenomenal shoulder for William, who’s really struggling with Harry’s betrayal, but she’s also been encouraging him to see the good that could come from it,” the source says. “Charles has told them he wants his boys back together before he dies, but it’s also deeply sad for Kate that their children don’t even know their cousins, Archie and Lilibet.”
