Prince William ‘Not Able to Forgive’ Prince Harry for ‘Turning His Back on His Duty,’ Expert Says
Prince William and Prince Harry may never mend their fractured relationship, a royal expert believes. The way Harry “turned his back on the monarchy” is unforgivable in William’s eyes, according to Katie Nicholl, author of The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown.
Expert calls Prince William and Prince Harry relationship ‘complex situation’
Royal author Katie Nicholl shared her perspective on whether a reconciliation between the brothers is possible, telling Daily Beast she doesn’t think William will be “able to forgive” Harry.
“I think what’s at the core of it is a lack of willingness to forgive and a lack of understanding on the part of both princes,” she explained.
“In the course of writing the book, I spoke to a wide circle of their friends as well as courtiers and advisers who worked with them in the past, and in some cases still work with them,” Nicholl continued.
“It is such a complex situation. But when you boil it down, I think it does come down to William not really being able to forgive Harry for turning his back on his duty, and the way he did it,” she added. “William feels that a lot of what Harry has done has been very disrespectful.”
Expert says Prince William and Prince Harry haven’t shown any signs their relationship is improving
Nicholl further commented on how the tension between William and Harry impacted Queen Elizabeth. “This idea of this rift between the brothers on a personal level for her was incredibly upsetting.”
The author also shared her thoughts about why there weren’t any signs of their relationship improving when William and Harry were together following the queen’s death.
“The reason why you didn’t see any real, meaningful reconciliation over the funeral is because William knows that, even if it’s delayed, there will be a book, there will be a Netflix series, and they will inevitably cause controversy and inevitably be damaging for the royal family,” Nicholl explained.
“Harry has not just turned his back on the monarchy; he has thrown a stick of dynamite into the whole thing,” the author said. “William still can’t quite believe it has happened.”
According to Nicholl, King Charles wants the brothers to resolve their issues. “Solving this problem is high up on Charles’ agenda. I am told by sources that he is determined to do everything he can to make the peace,” she said. “But he’s going to expect loyalty in return.”
There’s a ‘trust issue’ between the brothers, expert says
During a Sept. 22 appearance on Dan Wootton Tonight, Nicholl spoke about William and Harry’s relationship and how “lack of trust” plays such a huge role.
“I think this all comes down to a trust issue,” she said. “There is a fundamental lack of trust between Charles and William and Harry and Meghan because, quite simply, the royal family just don’t know what’s going to come next with Harry and Meghan.”
Nicholl continued, “We don’t know what’s going to come out in this autobiography, potentially on their Netflix series … and it is, well understandably, it’s a source of a lot of concern and a massive lack of trust.”
The biographer said that William likely can’t forgive his brother. “He always thought that Harry would be his wingman. Now William’s doing it on his own,” Nicholl noted. “Thank goodness he’s got Kate by his side because together, they’re a really strong team.”
