Prince William and Prince Harry have barely exchanged a word in three years amid their bitter rift – and even a devastating day might not bring them back together, says one expert
They were once the tightest of brothers who devastatingly walked shoulder to shoulder behind their mother’s coffin.
But almost 27 years to the day since their late mother Princess Diana’s untimely death, the relationship between Princes William and Harry couldn’t be more different. The pair have been embroiled in a bitter rift with the brothers not believed to have exchanged even a word in three years since the death of the late Queen.
But despite their differences, there is no doubt both princes will be taking a moment on the anniversary of their mother’s death next week to remember the last impact she made on their lives – even if it is on opposite sides of the Atlantic.
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And according to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, Diana would have been distraught by the rift. She told the Mirror: “Diana was immensely proud of her boys. Her drawing room was full of framed photographs of them and her eyes lit up when she talked about them.
“She loved to kiss and cuddle them – even when they protested. I’m sure that both William and Harry would give the world to have just one more hug with her now.
“And I think she would be distraught to know how bitterly her boys have fallen out. She always hoped that they would be one another’s best friend.
“Somehow, I think she would have been a peacemaker, and things would never have got so bad between William and Harry.
“Diana herself used to fall out with some of her relatives – particularly her mother and stepmother – but she usually sorted it out before too long. There is, however, no prospect at the moment of the rift between William and Harry ever healing.
“Every anniversary must be incredibly difficult for the Princes, and you would think that, on such a sad day, they would be the only two people in the world who could truly comfort one another. But that no longer happens.”
Of course, Diana still lives on in William and Harry’s personal and professional lives. Both men champion causes that were close to their late mother such as tackling homelessness and HIV/AIDs.
Diana’s granddaughters, Princess Charlotte and Princess Lilibet, both have her name as middle names while the Princess of Wales and Duchess of Sussex often wear pieces of her jewellery.
And Jennie added: “Both William and Harry have consistently made it clear that their mother remains in their thoughts and hearts every day of their lives.
“From the engagement rings they gave their wives, to the pictures they have of Diana around their homes and the letters that their children write to the grandmother they never knew, they keep the Princess as close as possible.
“William has more of his mother’s looks than Harry, but it is the younger brother who has more of her rebellious nature. Both have sought to keep her memory alive by taking on causes she cared so deeply about: for example, homelessness, mental health, and the scourge of landmines in Africa.
“It must be strange for them to realise that their mother was several years younger than either of them when she died. It’s an odd perspective for a child to have about a parent.
“She would have been 64 by now and, I think, loving being a Granny. But I guess that, for her boys, Diana remains forever young — and forever most profoundly missed.”