Prince Harry and Prince William are on their way to repairing their relationship as brothers.
A source told Us Weekly on Wednesday that the British royals have made strides to heal their alleged rift, but still have a long way to go.
“William and Harry’s fallout was very real, very ugly and incredibly intense,” the insider claimed to the outlet. “They’d reached an impasse, there was so much mud under the bridge and a lot of people felt their feud was beyond repair.”
Harry, 36, confirmed that he and his older brother, 38, were “on different paths” in 2019. Things allegedly escalated when Harry and his wife Meghan Markle announced in early 2020 that they were taking “a step back” as senior members of the British royal family.
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Prince Harry currently resides in Santa Barbara, Calif. with his wife Meghan Markle and their son Archie.
(Photo by Simon Dawson-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, yearning to work independently, currently reside in Santa Barbara, Calif., with their firstborn Archie, 1.
“It’s certainly been a roller coaster for everyone involved, especially the brothers, who are vowing now to let things get this out of hand in the future and have learned a lot from this difficult experience,” the source explained.
The insider also insisted there has been “a lot of rejoicing” from the family, especially from their grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, as they work toward reconciliation.
“[William and Harry] are looking forward to spending time together in person the moment it’s safe to travel,” said the source, adding they will likely reunite in England.
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Kate Middleton and Prince William pose for a photo with their three children, George (right), Charlotte (middle) and Louis.
(AP)
Rumors of an alleged royal feud came to light in 2019, when British bestselling author Katie Nicholl claimed that since Markle, 39, and Harry announced their engagement in 2017, William grew increasingly worried for his brother and his whirlwind romance with the American actress.
“William was quite concerned that the relationship had moved so quickly,” Nicholl claimed in the TLC documentary “Kate V. Meghan: Princesses at War?” “And being close to Harry, you know, probably the only person close enough to say to Harry, ‘This seems to be moving quickly. Are you sure?’ And I think what was meant as well intended brotherly advice just riled Harry.”
“Harry is hugely protective of Meghan,” Nicholl continued. “He saw that as criticism, he interpreted that as his brother not really being behind this marriage, this union. And I don’t think things have been quite right ever since.”
Harry hinted at an alleged rift with his older brother in ITV’s 2019 documentary “Harry & Meghan: An African Journey.”
PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKLE SHARE PHOTOS OF THEIR MOTHERS AND YOUNGER SELVES IN WEBSITE RELAUNCH
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019, in Cape Town, South Africa. It was during their tour of Africa where Harry got candid about his relationship with older brother Prince William.
(Photo by Toby Melville – Pool/Getty Images)
“Part of this role and part of this job, this family, being under the pressure that it’s under, inevitably stuff happens,” he said at the time. “But look, we’re brothers, we’ll always be brothers. We’re certainly on different paths at the moment but I’ll always be there for him and I know he’ll always be there for me.”
In November 2020, royal historian and biographer Robert Lacey told Fox News that William had reason to be concerned about his sibling’s whirlwind romance with the former American actress.
“Let’s make clear that William’s reservation wasn’t whether Meghan was right for Harry, but whether she was right for the royal family and royal life,” Lacey explained at the time. “When it came to Kate [Middleton], William was slow and cautious. He followed duty. Harry immediately fell in love and discovered a new destiny for himself, a new meaning in his life. William saw Meghan as a self-made woman who created her own celebrity and wealth in the process. The royal family, on the other hand, is in the business of representing values.
“Royals are expected to know their place,” Lacey continued. “And Harry, of course, was expected to marry a nice girl named Henrietta or Gabriella who lived in the provinces of Britain in the countryside and settle down. But Meghan and Harry both made it clear they wanted to do so much more than that. And let’s just say there are things that you can and cannot do when it comes to running the royal family and what it stands for.”
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Prince William is second in line to the British throne.
(Photo by Tim Rooke/Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)
Lacey said that while William and Harry “speak on the phone from time to time,” it will take a while for their relationship to heal.
“I think it would always have happened that Meghan and Harry would live on the other side of the world,” he explained. “I think Meghan and Harry will remain based in North America. Unless the brothers can find a way to reconcile, they will have to go their separate ways and keep mutual respect for each other.”
“We do know that in July 2021, both brothers have committed to being in Kensington Gardens for the unveiling of the statue dedicated to their late mother, Princess Diana,” he pointed out. “The world will judge then. But there is a lot of work to be done.”