As the year draws to its close, a major development in the bitter feud between the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex has stunned royal watchers.
For the first time in six years, Prince William warmly mentioned Prince Harry publicly, which many have interpreted as a tentative peace offering from the future King.
Some even think William may even be ready to forgive his brother!
In Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, the Disney+ documentary that aired in the UK last week, Wills says: “My mother took me to [homelessness charity] The Passage, she took Harry and I both there … I’d never been to anything like that before and I was a bit anxious.”
Wills, 42, also shared never-seen-before pictures of himself, Harry, and Princess Diana during a visit to the shelter in 1993.
Things have been “quite poisonous” between the siblings for many years. In fact, one of the last times the pair were seen at ease with each other was the night before Harry’s wedding in 2018.
Photos unearthed by New Idea show the pair deep in conversation on the grounds of Windsor Castle. So, the fact that William is even mentioning Harry now, and in a positive manner, “is a big step”, a palace insider tells us.
Another source reveals it could signify that Harry is willing to keep his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, at a distance from the royal family so he can repair his own relationships.
“If Meghan is out, Harry is in,” the insider states bluntly.
“With Harry and Meghan attending events separately of late – and even unfounded whispers of marital trouble – that could be his way of signaling to the royals that he is willing to do what it takes to win back their trust.
“Deep down, Wills would love nothing more than to have Harry back in some capacity, but it would be a stretch now to go back to how things were before Meghan came into their lives.
“He knows there is a lot of air to clear before they can truly move forward.”
Nonetheless, William’s mention of Harry in his documentary – and the fact that the Prince and Princess of Wales wished him a happy 40th birthday in September via social media – suggests a very tentative thaw in William’s feelings.
“William and Kate hadn’t mentioned Harry’s birthday publicly since 2021 – and no royals made mention of Meghan’s 43rd birthday in August,” our source says. “
The birthday and the documentary mention are two big signs that Wills is considering making peace with Harry.”
It likely won’t happen overnight, however.
“Harry will have to be on his best behaviour,” adds our source.
“William is famously stubborn, but he knows a reconciliation is something King Charles desperately wants to see happen in his lifetime – and that is playing on his mind.”
