Prince Harry reached out to William before UK visit: ‘It isn’t normal’
Oh, brother.
Prince Harry reportedly reached out to his estranged brother, Prince William, ahead of his recent trip to the UK — and it was a non-starter.
Following news of King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, Harry, 39, caught an urgent flight out of Los Angeles International Airport to London and went to see his ailing father, 75.
The father and son meeting reportedly lasted for under an hour, and Harry spent just 24 hours in the country before returning back to his wife, Meghan Markle, 41, and their kids Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2, in California.
During his visit, Harry also stayed at a luxury London hotel that’s open to the public, rather than staying with family at a royal residence.
According to People, Prince Harry is thought to have reached out to Prince William, 41, ahead of his trip, but a source close to the household told the outlet, “It would be the normal run of things to go and see your sister-in-law who’s had a serious operation and also see your niece and nephews. But it isn’t normal. It’s terribly sad.”
The source was referring to how Kate Middleton is reportedly on the mend from a planned abdominal surgery, and she’s been recovering behind closed doors since being discharged from the hospital on Jan. 29, at her home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
Since then, Prince William has dodged questions about her recovery, which has prompted conspiracy theories about her whereabouts and condition. He’s attended many events without his wife, and she’s been missing from the public for two months, except for one brief outing in a car with her mother.
William’s failure to accept overtures from Harry can be attributed to Harry airing his brother’s dirty laundry in his book “Spare,” his Netflix special, “Harry & Meghan,” and various interviews. Prince Harry has alleged that Prince William physically attacked him during a 2019 argument about Markle.
“He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out,” Harry described in his memoir.
However, royal author Robert Lacey told People that William isn’t only avoiding Harry because of their personal bad blood.
“This is all to do with William’s wish to protect the institution of the monarchy, which he feels Harry can’t be trusted with,” he said.
“I don’t think William will ever agree to readmission of Harry into the family unless he clearly apologizes and moves forward.”
“The family torment is an open sore. There is such a profound breach there,” Catherine Mayer, author of the biography “Charles: The Heart of a King,” told the outlet.
A source told the Daily Mail that Harry would have met with William during the former’s UK visit, had there been an invite.
“The duke’s primary reason to travel to the UK is to visit his father. If the opportunity were to arise to see the Prince of Wales then the duke would have gladly accepted it,” the insider said.
With Charles stepping back from royal duties as he undergoes cancer treatment, and Middleton sitting out of royal engagements, the royals are going through a major reshuffle.
Amid the various health crises in the royal family, Harry has reportedly offered his services to the household during this time, but they will “manage” without him, according to Grant Harrold, who worked for Charles for seven years when he was the Prince of Wales.
“I’m sure Harry has offered to help, but I think at the moment they’re able to carry on and manage as they are — other members of the royal family are available to step in while key figures are recuperating, so it’s unlikely Harry will need to,” Harrold told The Post.
“There’s obviously quite a few members of the royal family — they’re certainly not short of them — who can step up when in need. It’s not impossible for Harry to get more involved, though.”
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