Following King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, some royal experts have raised the question of whether Prince Harry would return to royal duties to support the royal family. But if we’re judging from Prince William’s response, Prince Harry returning to royal duties won’t be happening anytime soon. According to a new report, the Prince of Wales is completely opposed to the idea of his younger brother returning to the royal fold.
Prince William, who is currently juggling both his father’s cancer diagnosis and his wife’s Princess Kate’s recovery from recent abdominal surgery, has no interest in allowing his brother Harry to “breeze back into the family,” according to a royal commentator who spoke to Fox News. The royal expert claimed that William does not trust his younger brother, noting that he is particularly concerned about his wife as she continues to heal from her recent procedure. “Prince William is also hugely protective of Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and will not let anything interfere with her recuperation,” the royal expert explained.
The royal commentator went on to allege, however, that it’s in Harry’s best “interest” to keep his ties with the royal family—especially if he ever hopes to end his feud with William. “I feel Prince Harry must redeem himself in the eyes of the royal family and the public if he hopes for true reconciliation,” the expert shared.
News of William’s reaction comes not long after his brother Harry’s recent trip to the U.K. to visit his father, King Charles, after he learned of his cancer diagnosis. The monarch’s youngest son opened up his visit with his father during an interview with Good Morning America on February 16, 2024, revealing that he didn’t hesitate to book the first flight out to see the king. “I spoke to him. I jumped on a plane and went to go see him as soon as I could,” Harry said. “Look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that.”
Soon after Harry’s visit, speculation about his potential return to royal duties began to circulate, with one source telling Page Six that the Duke of Sussex “would try” to return to royal duties if his father asked. “I have a hard time believing if his dad asks for his help that Harry would say no, I think he would try,” a source told the outlet, before noting, “I don’t think it’s something that Harry would ask [to do] on his own.”
If it were up to William, however, it seems the decision is clear. “Whatever has been discussed between William and the King is private, but it is absolutely and categorically clear that he would not allow Harry to return,” a source close to William told The Mirror on February 21, 2024. “He thought it was a bad idea at the time and he’s even more clear now.”
“If anyone is going to take on more duties it will be William and that isn’t even on the agenda for now,” the insider went on to share. “His main focus is on his father’s health, his family and what is best for the monarchy. There is a zero percent chance Harry is coming back in any capacity.”
Courtesy of Random House.
For more about Prince Harry, read his memoir, Spare. Told for the first time in his own words, the book takes readers through the Duke of Sussex’s life with the British royal family, from the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997 to how the moment led to his decision decades later to move to America with his wife, Meghan Markle, and leave Buckingham Palace for good in 2020. “With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief,” the publisher’s description reads.
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