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Article Highlights:

  • What Prince Harry has said about his rift with Prince William
  • What William did that has an expert convinced ‘the ice between the brothers has still not thawed’
  • Did William and Kate Middleton acknowledge Meghan Markle’s 40th birthday?
Prince William and Prince Harry arriving in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace for the unveiling of a statue of Princess Diana
Prince William and Prince Harry arriving in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace for the unveiling of a statue of Princess Diana | Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they were stepping down as senior royals in 2020. But even before that, the Duke of Sussex spoke about his frayed relationship with his brother, Prince William, on a few occasions. Now, some are wondering what things are like with the princes’ relationship today. Well according to one royal expert, something recently done on William’s behalf is very telling and shows that there is still ice between them.

When Prince Harry publicly acknowledged his rift with Prince William

Prince Harry confirmed his rift with Prince William publicly during the Harry & Meghan: An African Journey documentary in 2019.

“Inevitably stuff happens. But we’re brothers, we’ll always be brothers. We’re certainly on different paths at the moment,” the Duke of Sussex told journalist Tom Bradby. “I’ll always be there for him and as I know, he’ll always be there for me… The majority of stuff is created out of nothing. As brothers, we have good days and we have bad days.”

Harry brought up his older sibling again when he and Meghan sat down with Oprah Winfrey for their primetime special on March 7, 2021. When asked about the state of their relationship Harry said: “I love William to bits. We’ve been through hell together and we have a shared experience, but we are on different paths. The relationship is space at the moment and time heals all things, hopefully.”

Expert says William’s message is ‘proof the ice between the brothers has still not thawed’

Many royal fans have been waiting for that time when everything is healed but as royal expert Duncan Larcombe noted that time hasn’t come yet. He pointed to William’s recent message to Harry on the younger prince’s 37th birthday as a sign that progress hasn’t been made.

William and Kate Middleton’s official Instagram did not mention Harry’s 37th birthday on Sept. 15 at all but their Twitter account did. That, however, was a very brief message which simply read: “Happy Birthday Prince Harry!” Larcombe believes that tells us everything we need to know to about where things stand between Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s two sons.

Larcombe told The Sun: “William and Kate’s curt birthday message to Harry only serves as proof the ice between the brothers has still not thawed. Short of ignoring the Duke of Sussex’s 37th landmark completely, their social media post was the bare minimum from a couple who once welcomed Harry as their official royal gooseberry. If anything, this year’s birthday wishes from the Cambridges are an indication of just how far relations between the two warring clans have deteriorated over the past 12 months.”

What Prince William and Kate’s accounts posted for Meghan’s birthday

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Instagram account didn’t have any posts about Harry’s wife, Meghan, on her birthday either. However, just like with Harry, the pair’s Twitter account did mark the duchess’s birthday with a photo and a few more words than Harry’s happy birthday tweet writing: “Wishing a happy 40th birthday to The Duchess of Sussex!”

It’s not known if Meghan has spoken to anyone in the royal family after stepping down. While the Duke of Sussex has flown home a couple of times since then, his wife has not been back in the U.K. since she and the prince completed their official duties in March 2020.

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