Prince William is not willing to forgive Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, due to how both royal rebels treated Kate, Princess of Wales. This has led many to mourn the loss of what was once a "close-knit, brotherly bond" for many years.
"Of course, his mother, the late Princess of Wales Diana, I can't help thinking of her because when those boys were young she made them promise to each other that they would always be friends and that they would always love and support each other," former BBC royal correspondent Michael Cole told an outlet.
"I hope, maybe, a return to his hometown will make Harry think of his mother's words, and perhaps start to make amends toward reconciliation with his brother," he added. "There are two chances of that happening, slim, and none. I would put my money on none. I don't believe Prince William is ready to speak to his brother, the hurt is too deep, it is too real, it is too raw."
Cole continued: "His younger brother Harry has done something which William will find extremely hard to forgive... men don't like their significant other being insulted. I'm afraid Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have said unkind and cruel and unrealistic things and untrue things about the Princess of Wales Kate."
The expert then observed how "that will come very hard for William... before Harry was engaged to Meghan, he was very close to Kate. He was always in their apartments at Kensington Palace. William I think got a bit fed up of him being so close to his wife, but the three of them couldn't have been happier together."
This insight comes amid Harry's return to Britain on May 8, which is not likely to include a reunion visit with his brother or sister-in-law.
"They don’t speak to Harry and Meghan, and they are certainly not about to start when Catherine is at her most vulnerable," a friend of the Prince and Princess of Wales shared.
"Both sides understand each other's position clearly now," they added. "William and Catherine felt completely betrayed by Harry's memoir (Spare)."
This follows earlier reports suggesting the 39-year-old prince would "try hard" to connect with his brother and sister-in-law during the visit.
"Given Kate's cancer diagnosis, Harry will certainly make efforts to see his brother and Kate when he returns to the U.K. in May — if it happens at all, it's to be a very brief, carefully choreographed meeting and organized to last a short time so that the brothers can avoid any difficult conversations," royal author Tom Quinn told an outlet. "At the same time, Harry knows how it will look if he comes back to the U.K. and doesn't see his brother and Kate. It's going to be a very awkward time."
This meeting would come after Harry's "blink, and you'll miss it" meeting with King Charles III on February 6, following the monarch's cancer disclosure.
Daily Express reported on Cole's remarks.
