Why Prince William's royal future 'depends on Prince Harry'

Prince William and Prince Harry's fractured relationship has been thoroughly documented since the Duke of Sussex stepped away from royal duties and moved to the US. While Harry has discussed the breakdown of his relationship with William at length - in his autobiography, Spare, as well as during various TV interviews - the Prince of Wales has remained tight-lipped about his younger brother.

However, in recent weeks experts have been discussing the possibility of a union between the estranged Princes - particularly in the wake of Princess Kate's cancer diagnosis. According to insiders, she has been the driving force behind recent olive branches (notably the Wales' decision to publicly wish Harry a happy birthday for the first time since 2021), as she hopes to 'restore peace and forgiveness' and believes 'life is too short to bear grudges'.

But it seems that there could be royal repercussions for William if he is unable to build bridges with Harry, according to one royal expert. During a segment on The Royal Beat, journalist Afua Hagan discussed how the estranged brothers' relationship could impact William's future as the King. She said: "If Charles having cancer hasn't brought them all together at this point, I honestly don't know what will. However, I would like to think that all is not lost. I don't think we can have a reign of a King William with this fractured relationship still in place. I think that there will have to be some sort of reconciliation before then. It's worrying that it is taking this long."

Newsweek's royal correspondent Jack Royston also elaborated on the potential for a family reunion at some point in the future, particularly when it comes to Harry and King Charles rebuilding their relationship. He said: "I would not rule it out, I think it would be in everybody's best interests which is why I don't want to rule it out."

The Palace has not commented.