It’s been over a year since Prince William and Prince Harry were in the same room together, and two years since they’ve spoken to each other in earnest.
That was when their beloved grandmother Queen Elizabeth died in 2022.
Sadly, it sounds like another death in the family will force these brothers together again.
But is Harry ready to take the leap and confront William? Does his older brother even want that?
Can the young royals avoid “drama” for the sake of their mother’s family?
We’re about to find out
Prince Harry Considering UK Return for Uncle’s Funeral & Facing His Brother
Earlier in the summer, Prince Harry and Prince Williams’ uncle Robert Fellowes passed away.
Lord Fellowes was married to Diana’s sister, Lady Jane Fellowes, and served for a time as the late Queen Elizabeth II’s private secretary. He died of undisclosed causes on July 29 at the age 82.
Given Harry’s close ties with his aunt and cousin, who he reportedly has been in contact with since Robert’s passing, he is considering returning to the UK to attend his uncle’s funeral.
However, he’s told his family, including his late mother Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, that he’ll come only “if it doesn’t cause too much drama”.
According to a pal of Harry’s, it is very unlikely that his brother Prince William and his father, King Charles, won’t also attend the service. Harry has not seen his father since his impromptu visit after Charles announced his cancer diagnosis.
He has not seen his brother since Charles’ coronation.
“In normal times it would be unimaginable that Harry would not be there to support Jane. Of course he would want to be there. It will be a huge gathering of the Spencer clan,” Harry’s friend told the Daily Beast.
“But these are not normal times and it may well be that everyone feels Harry’s attendance would just create too much drama. It will be very sad for him if he can’t make it.”
Confronting His Brother & Father: The “Impact” on his Family Relationships
Having a face-to-face encounter with his estranged brother, Prince William, has reportedly been on Harry’s to-do list ever since Kate Middleton’s own cancer diagnosis was revealed.
Unfortunately for him, William isn’t ready for bygones to be bygones.
For that reason, even if father and both his sons were to attend the funeral, it wouldn’t have much of an “impact” on their broken relationship.
“Robert Fellowes’ death will not affect family dynamics,” royal commentator Michael Cole told the Daily Mail. “Prince William and Prince Harry have always been on good terms with their late mother’s sisters and brother.”
“Aside from extending their sincere condolences to their aunt Jane, the death of their uncle will likely have minimal impact on the two royal princes.”
Will Meghan Markle Join Harry In The U.K.?
What may make the situation less awkward is the fact that Prince Harry’s wife will likely not join him in the UK for the funeral.
For one thing, she has their two children, Archie and Lilibet to look after. For another, she is currently busy trying to get a lifestyle brand and cooking show off the ground.
But perhaps more significantly, Prince Harry still does not feel that his family would be safe if they accompanied him across the pond.
Harry is still at war with the British tabloids and the lies he claims they write about his wife continuously. This was part of the reason he left his royal duties to begin with, and he’s not eager to give them more ammunition.
“It’s still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read,” Harry said on ITV’s documentary “Tabloids on Trial,” referring to what he views as incendiary tabloid reporting on his wife.
And What About Kate Middleton?
There have been conflicting reports about Kate’s relationship with Prince Harry over the past year.
Some have suggested that both Harry and Meghan have extended olive branches while she’s been battling cancer to mend their fractured relationships. Some reports have even gone so far as to suggest that Prince Harry feels losing Kate’s friendship has been his greatest loss since Princess Diana.
Then again, ever since both Kate and his father King Charles have been diagnosed with cancer, Harry has not been back to the UK, save for that first meeting with Charles.
While it’s true that he’s reportedly been shunned by his father and Kate, some would argue that he needs to put more work into repairing their relationship, since he was the one to cross the line of airing their family secrets in his memoir and Netflix documentary.
Perhaps the first step would be going to his uncle’s funeral and attempting to make nice.
But then again, perhaps the damage has already been done.