William, Prince of Wales, is heir to British throne
The Prince of Wales is said to have made it known that when he is crowned king, he wants his coronation to “look and feel different,” the UK Sunday Times reported. Pals claimed to the outlet that the father of three does not want the Duke of Sussex present.
“They are estranged, which is dreadfully sad,” one of the brothers’ closest friends claimed to the outlet.
The friend also claimed that William and Harry hadn’t spoken in nearly two years.
Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” told Fox News Digital he remains hopeful that William won’t shut Harry out on his big day.
“Despite all the bad blood between the brothers, I’m convinced that, when the time does come, William will not be foolish enough to exclude his only sibling, now fifth in line to the throne, from his coronation,” said Andersen.
A spokesperson for Kensington Palace, which handles the offices of the Prince and Princess of Wales, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
William would ascend to the throne upon his father’s death. King Charles became monarch when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died in 2022 at age 96.
Charles, as well as William’s wife, Kate Middleton, are battling cancer. The relationship between the battling brothers has been strained since Harry made his royal exit in 2020 alongside his wife, Meghan Markle.
“Things probably have never been worse between the brothers than they are now,” Andersen explained. “William and Charles have pretty much made the joint decision to effectively cut Harry out of their lives, at least for the time being. There is no sign of a reconciliation on the horizon, and everyone involved seems to have pretty much come to terms with that.”
Kate Middleton and her father-in-law, King Charles III, are both battling cancer. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
“I really don’t think Harry and Meghan would be making what looks like royal tours to Nigeria and Colombia if they thought a thaw in the relationship was possible,” Andersen shared. “Everyone knows how angry the king and Prince William get every time the Sussexes behave as if they are still working members of the royal family.”
“That being said, we have to remember that William is carrying a very heavy psychological burden at the moment,” Andersen continued. “He is deeply upset that his wife and his father are battling cancer at the same time. He must keep a brave face not only for his three young children but also for the sake of the monarchy.”
Oprah Winfrey interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for a special in 2021 where they revealed their struggles with royal life. (Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese via Getty Images)
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were stepping back as senior royals. At the time, the couple said the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British press were what had prompted them to step back. The father of two has since detailed his rocky relationship with his family in TV interviews, a documentary and his memoir.
Prince Harry detailed his sibling rivalry in “Spare.” (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)
In “Spare,” Harry, 39, details his rivalry with William, 42.
In the book, Harry alleged that during an argument in 2019, William called Meghan “difficult” and “rude” and then grabbed him by the collar and knocked him down. Harry suffered cuts and bruises from landing on a dog bowl. Harry claimed Charles implored the brothers to make up. Following the funeral of Charles’ father, Prince Philip, in 2021, the king pleaded, “Please, boys, don’t make my final years a misery.”
According to several royal experts, William and Harry’s relationship has been nonexistent since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the U.K.
“Despite all the bad blood between the brothers, I’m convinced that, when the time does come, William will not be foolish enough to exclude his only sibling, now fifth in line to the throne, from his coronation.”
Prince Harry and Prince William attend the unveiling of a statue they commissioned of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace on what would have been her 60th birthday on July 1, 2021, in London. (Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital she isn’t surprised by recent reports that William doesn’t want Harry at his coronation.
“Most sadly, Prince Harry is going through life looking in the rearview mirror,” said Fordwich. “It’s sad because he was born into a life of privilege and had become the favorite royal after Queen Elizabeth II. Due to his own actions and words, he’s now at the bottom. It’s unproductive, since crying over split milk won’t and can’t change the past.”
Prince Harry speaks onstage during a forum about digital responsibility at EAN University on Aug. 15, 2024, in Bogotá, Colombia. (Diego Cuevas/Getty Images)
“In contrast, his brother went through the same tragedy of losing his mother, Princess Diana, at a young age,” Fordwich shared. “Yet, he chooses to focus… being productive and serving the people of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, while creating new initiatives… and being of interest and popular with the public.”
Prince William is heir to the British throne. (Jane Barlow – Pool/Getty Images)
Fordwich also claimed that the king had chosen not to respond to Harry’s woes that had been aired out since his exit.
“Why and how would Prince William, or any other member of the royal family… ever be able to trust Prince Harry again?” said Fordwich. “Therefore, the report of Prince William not having his brother at his coronation comes as no surprise at all… The greatest irony is that while he was busy whining regarding being a ‘spare,’ he was very involved, very much cherished and a hugely critical part of the future of the Commonwealth… Now, he has no role.”
“As time goes by, Prince Harry will become more and more irrelevant,” Fordwich added.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020. They reside in California with their two young children. (Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images)
Harry rushed to London in February for a very brief visit after his father was diagnosed with cancer. During that visit, which lasted about 24 hours, Harry didn’t see William.
Shortly after his last quick trip to London, Harry told “Good Morning America” that he thought his father’s illness could help bring his family closer.
Prince William and Prince Harry during the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19, 2022, in London. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)
Since Harry’s royal exit, the brothers’ interactions with each other have been formal and brief. They were seen temporarily putting their fraught relationship aside to attend the funeral of their grandfather, Prince Philip, at Windsor Castle in 2021. The pair did not walk side-by-side behind Philip’s coffin but were pictured chatting and walking together after the service.
Prince Harry is seen here during his father’s coronation. (Victoria Jones – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
WATCH: PRINCE HARRY, PRINCE WILLIAM NEED AN INTERVENTION TO END FEUD: EXPERT
In September 2022, the brothers walked side-by-side behind the coffin of their grandmother before she lay in state. But when Harry traveled to the U.K. for his father’s coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, he was assigned to sit two rows behind his brother. The siblings were not seen speaking or even acknowledging each other.
Harry resides in California with his wife and their two young children.
