Royal Expert: 'Prince William Is Still Incredibly Upset With Harry's Autobiography'
The main point of contention between the royal brothers seems to be the release of Prince Harry's memoir Spare, which really spared no detail on the Duke's upbringing, to the detriment of the royal family's image. Royal expert Katie Nicholl, author of books such as William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls, told Entertainment Tonight this week that "My royal sources say that any chance of a reconciliation really isn't ruled out, but it's certainly not going to happen anytime soon." The royal correspondent added, "Prince William is still incredibly upset with Harry's autobiography, which, of course, really cast William in a pretty bad light."
Nicholl brought up a particularly damning passage from Spare, in which Harry divulged the private details of a physical fight he and William had, with "William allegedly shoving Prince Harry, forcing him onto the ground where he landed onto a dog bowl." It's situations like this that the royal family hoped would never become public knowledge—and which Prince William is most angry about his brother telling the world.
The royal expert also said that, at this time, the brothers Windsor "don't talk" and that "there hasn't been any contact between them for some time now is my understanding." Despite the fact that Harry is in the same country as his brother right now, Nicholl feels that "any chance the brothers seeing each other, I'm told, is simply not on the cards."
Though there is no scheduled public memorial to honor Queen Elizabeth II on the 1st anniversary of her death, reports suggest that the royal family will be holding a private memorial for the late monarch at Balmoral, the family's beloved estate in Scotland.
Kate Middleton Allegedly 'Devastated' By Spare Portrayal; Still Trying To Mend Fences
Another family member hurt by the private moments divulged in Spare is Harry's sister-in-law Kate Middleton, the new Princess of Wales. Katie Nicholl stated in her ET interview that the princess has "been left quite devastated by some of the anecdotes that Harry told in Spare that didn't cast her in a particularly good light. I think there's a great sense of betrayal." However, it seems that Kate may be feeling a little more charitable toward the Duke of Sussex than her husband is.
Recently, insiders told Closer that Kate has been making late night phone calls to Harry as a "kind gesture," as a show of support both through the family troubles and her brother-in-law's legal battles with the media. "Kate has been in touch with Harry to tell him to keep his chin up and not worry too much about these temporary setbacks," a source said. "Harry’s relationship with Kate has remained intact and it means an awful lot to Harry that she continues to show support and especially during desperate times like this when the chips are down."
The cause of Kate's empathy? "She feels very sorry for him right now," the insider disclosed. "Seeing him go through all these setbacks is very difficult to witness and it tugs at her heartstrings—especially as his court trial is taking place so close to their home." However, though "Kate wants to keep those lines of communication open and pave the way for long-term peace with the whole family—William included—down the line," the Princess of Wales "doesn’t want to meddle with Harry’s life...but she wants him to know that there are a lot of people, herself included, who care about him and are rooting for him to be happy."
It remains to be seen whether Prince Harry will see Prince William at all during this U.K. trip, or whether the family is inviting him to any private memorial for the Queen.