It’s been three weeks since the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, and the book still sits atop the list of nonfiction bestsellers.
That’s the good news for Harry.
The bad news is that his family is still royally pissed about the book, and it doesn’t look as though they’ll be settling down anytime soon.
Yes, it seems that several members of the Windsor clan still have their knickers in a twist over Harry’s literary debut, and insiders say no one has pitched a bigger fit than Prince William.
As you may recall, Harry accused William of assaulting him in the book.
Word of the excerpt got out more than a week ahead of the publication date, and William reportedly flew into a rage.
Sources claimed that the Prince and Princess of Wales were so furious what Kate Middleton began plotting revenge against Harry.
Now, multiple palace insiders have spoken to People magazine and confirmed that the situation is every bit as ugly as it appears from the outside.
“This is all so ghastly,” one royal source tells the outlet.
“Although there is sorrow because the Queen has died, the coronation should be a joyful moment, too, because Charles will be crowned,” the insider adds.
“But this is a massive shadow.”
A separate source confirms that no one is more upset than William.
“William is the one who is most upset and needs time to calm down,” says a source close to the royal household.
Along with the rest of his family, William has avoided publicly speaking about the book.
In fact, he ignored questions shouted from the press during an appearance alongside Kate last month.
“They didn’t want to fan the flames of the rift and the dispute,” says royal correspondent Valentine Low.
“They know that anything said in a statement or a briefing would prolong it. They wanted it to calm down as soon as possible. The longer it goes on, the less hope there is for reconciliation.”
As for whether or not Harry will attend King Charles’ coronation in May, journalist and royal expert Tom Brady says it’s too soon to say.
“There’s a lot that can happen between now and then. But, you know, the door is always open,” Bradby tells People.
“The ball is in their court. There’s a lot to be discussed, and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it.”
“The problem is that [the Sussexes] want a capitulation and apology by the palace, but when ‘recollections vary,’ that’s quite difficult,”
A source close to the situation says that Charles is quite keen to invite Harry, both because he loves his youngest son, and because he knows what sort of message Harry’s absence would send.
“It is such a momentous occasion for Charles, and he would want his son to be at the coronation to witness it,” says the insider.
“He would like to have Harry back in the family,” the source adds.
“If they don’t sort it out, it will always be part of the King’s reign and how he has left his family disjointed. He has had a reputation as a distant parent, and it would be awful for him for that to continue.”
Yes, a missing prince is certainly the sort of thing that people tend to remember.
But can the royals get back on decent terms with one another between now and May?
It’s the first major challenge of Charles’ reign, and it’s certainly a formidable one!