London, UK – In a few weeks, it will finally happen: Prince Harry will travel with his family to the UK for the first time in many years and meet with King Charles. But what impact will this meeting have on the strained relationship with his brother, Prince William?
The heir to the throne and his younger brother have been at odds for years: The rift began when Harry stepped back from royal duties and subsequently moved to the US.
In addition, the 41‑year‑old has leveled some shocking accusations against his older brother – including an allegation that William knocked Harry to the ground during an argument.
Can this relationship ever be repaired?
According to a source quoted by Page Six, they do not believe the meeting between Charles and Harry will change anything between the brothers.
"I think it is almost impossible to draw any conclusions about a reconciliation between Harry and William at this stage," royal commentator Amanda Matta said.
According to her, Harry and William's relationship is the "most strained" out of the entire royal family.
William is currently making a concerted effort to project strength and leadership. He is also said to be scrutinizing Charles' handling of emotionally charged issues – for example, the scandal surrounding the former Prince Andrew and his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Another expert agreed, adding that she does not think the siblings will see each other during the visit: "I certainly wouldn’t expect anything to happen on this visit. I mean, you never know."
Harry and Meghan are traveling to the UK in July
If there were a large family gathering where all members of the royal family came together, it would be more probable that the brothers would meet.
Nevertheless, the expert considers it unlikely that they will actually spend time together now, just because Harry is back in the UK.
According to her, Charles is deliberately staying out of the disputes, and she doesn't think the king would play a major role in any potential reconciliation.
"I think he probably is just focused on his own moment of spending time with the son he's not seen for a long time," the source said.
"Especially potentially meeting his grandchildren… I'm sure that's probably his primary focus right now."
She said any rapprochement would have to happen step by step. After a family has been so strained for so long, things can't change overnight.
Next month, Harry will travel to the UK with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Prince Archie (7) and Princess Lilibet (5), where the kids will finally get to know their grandfather better.