Harry’s hopes of reconciliation with William and Kate ‘likely to be thwarted’

The very notion that they would have the mental capacity to face Harry is roundly rejected by insiders, who note that the couple now have far more significant concerns requiring their full attention.

Trust in the Sussexes has been well and truly shattered. If there was a moment they could envisage letting Harry back into their inner sanctum, now is not the time.

Prince William currently has the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He, more than anyone, was furious with his brother for the array of barbs and slingshots fired from across the pond in recent years.

The March 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview, in which Meghan claimed a member of the royal family had raised “concerns” about their son’s skin tone, was just the beginning.

The claim prompted William to angrily declare: “We are not a racist family.”

Since then, a string of television interviews, Harry’s memoir, Spare, and a Netflix docuseries have brimmed with accusations and allegations galore: betrayal after betrayal.

The revelation, leaked via a Dutch translation of Omid Scobie’s royal book, Endgame, that both the king and Catherine had commented on the colour of Prince Archie’s skin, was the last straw, reigniting a damaging racism row that the family had hoped was firmly behind them.

Since then, Harry has indicated that he is ready to make amends.

He wants his father and brother back, he has said, but as “a family, not an institution”.

Harry is understood to have dropped his demands for an apology for himself and Meghan, recognising that his attempt to force a reaction had failed.

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He has made tentative progress with his father, who of course still loves his younger son and wants him in his life.

There have been phone calls, video messages, and even a brief, 30-minute meeting at Clarence House last month after an emotional Harry insisted on flying over after Charles’s cancer diagnosis.

But William is a very different character and theirs a very different relationship.

In truth, Harry’s best chance of reconciling with his brother was always going to be the princess, once described as the “big sister I never had”.

A natural mediator, it was she who played peacemaker during Prince Philip’s funeral, just weeks after the Oprah interview.

As the family walked back to Windsor Castle from the chapel following the service, the princess was seen chatting to Harry.

She then appeared to subtly drop back, allowing him to talk to Prince William for a few moments without her.

Those who know the princess have long suggested that if anyone could bring the brothers back together it would be her.

But she too was devastated by the allegations made by Harry and Meghan, who suggested she was cold behind the scenes, making petty observations about shared lip balms and bridesmaid dress fittings.

Now, the princess has far more important matters to contend with. She has asked for space and privacy as she focuses on her recovery and has made it clear that her priority is to shield her children.

Many thousands of miles from friends and family, still seeking career direction and purpose, Prince Harry may well feel rather remote and cut-off.

The cancer diagnoses of both his father and his sister-in-law will only serve to cement any feelings of isolation or helplessness.

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His private messages relayed to Windsor on Saturday (AEDT) might have been seen as a first step on the road to reconciliation. But Harry will have a long time to wait before the prince and pare ready to tackle any further dramas.

The Telegraph, London

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