The infamous royal rift between Prince William and Prince Harry has been going strong for years now, and royal experts agree that the person who would be most heartbroken of all by the situation would be be the brothers' late mother, Princess Diana.
In the lead-up to the 28th anniversary of the beloved royal's untimely death, several royal experts, historians, and biographers weighed in on the topic in interviews with People, including Princess Diana's biographer, Andrew Morton.
“We all remember the days when Harry and William were joshing with one another, and it all seemed set for their relationship and the future — that Harry, as Diana always used to say, would be William’s wingman,” Morton, whose authorized biography of the royal, Diana: Her True Story—In Her Own Words, was written based on intimate, taped interviews with Diana herself, said of the royal rift. “It’s a great loss for the monarchy.”
The brothers' feud became the subject of especially intense public scrutiny and speculation (even by royal family gossip standards) in 2020, when Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, announced their decision to step away from royal duties and relocate their family to the United States. While many royal fans have hoped since for a reconciliation, William and Harry's relationship has reportedly only become more strained in the time since the Sussexes' move.
"Things were said that sparked the initial rift, and it's never healed," Morton explained.
According to Robert Lacey, whose book, Battle of Brothers, focuses specifically on the deteriorating relationship between William and Harry, fans hoping for a royal reconciliation may be disappointed in the long-run because "they both deeply believe that they’re fighting for profound points of principle.”
“The rift is very profound and very long-lasting," he told People. "It will not be changed, in my opinion, until Harry makes a move and apologizes.”
Morton, for his part, says it wouldn't fall squarely on either brother to make the first move toward apologizing if their mother were still alive because he believes there is "no doubt" that Diana would take it upon herself to try to help her sons repair their relationship.
"Diana always used to say she had two boys for a reason — the younger would be there to support the older in the lonely task as future King," Morton explained. "There is no doubt Diana would have tried to act as a peacemaker between them. If she had been around, they would have worked things out in a different way.”
This sentiment is echoed by others who know the royal family and also insist Diana would be devastated by the current state of William and Harry's relationship.
“This is the sadness of it — they aren’t supporting each other like they should be,” a source described as "close to the royal household" told People. “That’s what any mother would want — that they are there for each other.”
