Prince William Will 'Cut Off' Prince Harry When He Becomes King, Royal Insider Predicts
Prince William may "cut off" Prince Harry when he ascends to the throne, a royal expert and commentator has predicted.
Daily Mail columnist Maureen Callahan suggested in a new piece that Prince Harry's brief visit to the U.K. and lack of meeting with his estranged older brother were signs of "what's to come under William's reign."
While some royal experts and fans held hopes that their father's cancer diagnosis could spur reconciliation between the brothers, Callahan painted a pessimistic picture of Prince Harry and Prince William's relationship in the years to come.
"It seems, on that fraternal front at least, that all is lost," Callahan wrote in the Daily Mail.
Prince Harry flew more than 11 hours and arrived in his home country Tuesday after Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles was diagnosed with cancer.
After a reported 45-minute meeting with his father at Clarence House and alleged overnight stay at a hotel, the Duke of Sussex was spotted at Heathrow Airport on Wednesday afternoon and returned home to California without seeing Prince William, the Daily Mail reported.
Callahan suggested that "William has made it clear that there is no hope of reconciliation. Their father's diagnosis will not move the needle."
The columnist added that she anticipates a "total and complete severance from the royal family" for Prince Harry once Prince William becomes king.
An unnamed royal source told People this week that there were "no plans" for the brothers to meet during Prince Harry's most recent visit to his home country.
The Mirror U.K. also quoted an unnamed source reportedly close to Prince William as saying, "There are no plans for Harry's visit to act as some kind of vehicle for reconciliation."
However, an anonymous insider reportedly close to Prince Harry suggested to the outlet that the Duke of Sussex would have been open to meeting with his brother "if the opportunity were to arise."
The brothers' relationship reportedly has been strained since Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from their roles as working royals and relocated to the U.S. in 2020.
Royal author Omid Scobie's 2023 book "Endgame" delved into the rift, suggesting that it widened significantly after Prince Harry aired his grievances about the royal family and the Firm during his and Markle's 2021 CBS tell-all, Us Weekly reported.
Subsequent public comments and projects by the Sussexes, including a Netflix documentary and Prince Harry's 2023 memoir "Spare," only fueled the flames of the ongoing family discord.
Last year, The Daily Beast cited an unnamed "old friend" of William as claiming that the Prince of Wales now "hates" his younger brother after his alleged betrayal.
"Harry sold his family out to the media for millions of dollars, and William can't forgive that breach of trust," the friend claimed, according to the outlet. Enstarz could not independently verify this information.
Meanwhile, BBC royal correspondent Daniela Relph echoed Callahan's sentiments, telling Radio 4 that the lack of a meeting between the brothers during Prince Harry's recent visit does not bode well for an imminent reconciliation.
Ralph suggested that the sibling relationship appears "incredibly broken," and as of now, there are no signs of "any attempt to find a truce."
