The King might be ready to extend an olive branch to the Sussexes, but his elder son doesn’t seem to be on the same page just yet. The Prince of Wales is said to have been “unhappy” when Prince Harry and Meghan briefed the press that they would be coming to the UK with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in July.
Rumours soon flew that the family could potentially stay at one of the royal residences and according to Woman’s Royal Editor, Emily Andrews, Prince William was firm about Windsor being completely off-limits to his brother and sister-in-law.
“I’m told [Prince William] made it clear that Harry and Meghan were not to be offered Windsor Castle, or indeed any royal accommodation in Windsor,” she wrote in a recent issue. “He did not want to run the risk of seeing his younger brother – or Meghan – on his home turf.”
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The Prince and Princess of Wales live at Forest Lodge on the Windsor estate and it’s a ten minute drive from the castle and a short walk from Harry and Meghan’s former home, Frogmore Cottage. It’s very possible that they could’ve crossed paths at some point and Emily believes that William was determined to avoid in-person conflict.
She claimed, “A brutal showdown (which is what it would surely be) between the warring brothers is something that William would want to avoid at all costs. I’d go as far as to say that he’d snub Harry if he came anywhere near.”
The last time they were in the same room together was the funeral of their uncle in August 2024 and reports have alleged that the brothers kept their distance there too. Whether or not Prince William’s feelings were the deciding factor for the King, the only royal accommodation we know Harry was offered was at Buckingham Palace.
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Things got confusing fast, with conflicting reports from each side over whether the Duke of Sussex would actually be staying there. In the end, he didn’t, and he wasn’t seen anywhere near Windsor either, so William did manage to avoid a “showdown”.
He and Kate weren’t at Highgrove House when Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet met with King Charles and Queen Camilla. Instead they were miles away at the DMMI Royal Charity Polo Cup. The complicated relationship between the brothers doesn’t look anywhere close to being resolved, even if the King seems more willing to build bridges.
Royal biographer and editor Russell Myers thinks “shutting Harry and Meghan out” has been a key decision Kate and William made, with their wellbeing and the “protection and prosperity” of the monarchy in mind.
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In his book, William & Catherine, he suggested “As an ‘outsider’, Catherine had witnessed the deterioration of William and Harry’s relationship.”.
He claimed she’d tried to act as a “peacemaker” but by the time her brother-in-law revealed he wanted to step back as a senior royal, Kate had a different view.
“Sources suggest Catherine had less interest than her husband in trying to persuade Harry to stay in his current role,” he alleged, before adding, “She believed William and Harry’s fundamental differences as ‘heir and the spare’ had created the inevitability of Harry wanting more from his role than being a bit-part player.”
Emily Andrews’ feature appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.
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