Charles has a plan to 'step in' and ease tensions between William and Harry

The King wants to 'play peacemaker'

Prince William and King Charles
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Since Prince Harry stepped down from royal duties in 2020, his fractured relationship with Prince William has been widely reported. Although several publications had claimed that the brothers were drifting apart long before the Duke of Sussex left the UK, in his book Spare Harry gave his account of the breakdown of their relationship for the first time.

In his memoir, Harry alleged that William physically attacked him and called the heir to the throne his 'beloved brother' and 'archnemisis'. While William has not spoken about their fall-out publicly, insiders have claimed that he was 'burning inside' over Harry's revelations and that peace talks were unlikely as he felt 'utterly betrayed'.

William and Harry both attended King Charles' coronation in May last year, but their last public outing together was after the late Queen Elizabeth II's death in September 2022. The brothers are not believed to have seen one another in a personal capacity since, but according to a new report Charles is ready to step in and encourage a reunion between his sons.

Harry will be returning to the UK next month for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, with a service planned at St Paul's Cathedral on 8th May. Former royal butler Grant Harrold - who was the King's butler for seven years - explained that the Charles would 'want the brothers to patch things up' when Harry returns and therefore could step in to put an end to their ongoing feud.

He told Sky News: "It is very likely that Harry and William will see each other next month and anything is possible. The King will want the brothers to patch things up so it’s more than likely that he could play peacemaker."

He also added that Charles 'may get everyone together for a dinner or reception' but it would depend on their schedules, and that - much like the late Queen - family is one of Charles' 'top priorities'.

Harrold continued: "Family means everything to the King, like his mother and one of his top priorities will be to ensure that this family rift is healed."

Jadie Troy-Pryde
News Editor

Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.