The British royal family continues to feel the absence of its matriarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8, 2022, just months before she would have turned 100 at the end of April.
In a new article by PEOPLE magazine, sources close to the palace speak of the ongoing rift of about six years between Prince Harry and Prince William, emphasizing that the Queen, if she were still alive, would have played a unifying role behind the scenes. "No matter how different their views were, she did not take sides. She saw the family as complicated, but always family," said a palace source.
Ailsa Anderson, the Queen's former press secretary, stresses that reconciliation between the two brothers can only happen if they take the first step themselves: "She could have been a bridging figure, but it is something they must resolve on their own."
According to sources, recent slight efforts have been observed to improve relations between Prince Harry and King Charles III, who are said to have resumed communication after a meeting in September 2025.
Prince Harry, 41, and Prince William, 43, have had a strained relationship for years. Reports indicate their crisis began around 2016, when William expressed concerns about Harry's rapid relationship with Meghan Markle. In his memoir Spare, Harry described the complicated relationship with his brother, calling him a "beloved brother and sworn rival," and spoke of verbal and physical conflicts between them.
Tensions deepened further after Harry and Meghan Markle's departure to the U.S. in 2020, as well as after their candid interviews, documentaries, and Harry's book published in 2023, where they publicly shared their grievances with the royal family.
According to a new book by Russell Myers, William has been deeply angered by the situation, feeling betrayed and firmly refusing any approach from his brother.
However, it is said that the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, has played a calming role in this situation, helping William maintain composure and focus on his family.
Although problems within the royal family persist, sources close to it emphasize that these challenges are not expected to be fatal to the monarchical institution, which they believe has weathered even more severe crises in history.