Prince William is furious at his brother’s betrayal and won’t see him alone for fear of what he may reveal to the press, writes royal biographer Emily Andrews
Coronation day is upon us – the eyes of the world will be on King Charles and Queen Camilla as they are officially crowned in Westminster Abbey.
But another family dynamic will have all eyes on it too – that of the warring brothers Princes William and Harry.
After Harry decided to accept his father’s invitation, while the Duchess of Sussex stays at home in California, it will be the first time the men have been face to face since the Queen’s funeral last year. Since then, such is the depth of enmity between them, I understand that Harry and William have not spoken at all.
William is infuriated by what he sees as his brother’s betrayal of him, his wife, their father and the institution by revealing family secrets and details of intimate moments in his book. The trust between them has completely gone – so much so I hear William won’t even see Harry for fear of what he may reveal publicly next.
It was telling that the last time Harry visited London, in late March, Charles reportedly said he was ‘too busy’ to see his younger son (despite having a gap in his diary after his state visit to France was cancelled due to riots). William was also ‘away’ despite now living practically next door to Frogmore Cottage (where Harry stayed) on the Windsor estate.
This time it will be a fleeting visit for Harry – he intends to come only to the coronation ceremony, then fly straight home in time to celebrate Archie’s 4th birthday, which falls on the same day. With the eight-hour time difference to California, he can just about do it.
Seeds of betrayal?
But even if there were time for Harry to see his brother and father properly, the sad truth I’m told is that they feel they cannot see him alone as they don’t trust him.
The seeds of betrayal seem to go far further back than Harry’s autobiography Spare, although that was, I believe, the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. By Harry and Meghan’s wedding day in May 2018, the brothers had already fallen out over William’s fraternal warning to his younger sibling to take things slowly, Meghan’s reported tantrums and the infamous bridesmaid-dress saga, when Kate was allegedly reduced to tears by Charlotte’s dress not fitting properly and Meghan’s reaction.
Yet the exuberant wedding-day crowds were blissfully ignorant about any lingering animosity. It wasn’t until October 2019, when an ITV documentary was screened about the Sussexes’ tour of
