Prince William and Prince Harry Have One Surprising "Last Vehicle" For Communication, Says Royal Editor
The brothers haven't spoken in years, but they have one connection that requires them to "take turns."
Although Prince William and Prince Harry's estrangement doesn't show any signs of improving at the moment, the brothers do have one last organization that they represent together, The Diana Award. The only charity to be set up in Princess Diana's memory has been close to the Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales over the years, with both serving as patrons. But as the Daily Mail's "Palace Confidential" podcast revealed, a major fundraising event for The Diana Award has now been canceled.
The organization empowers young people who are making a difference in their communities, and as the Mail on Sunday's editor-at-large, Charlotte Griffiths, said on the podcast, "They take it in turns, the two brothers, to host events."
Prince William took part in a panel with The Diana Award in June, and Prince Harry was expected to attend a "high-profile dinner" on September 18 for the charity, per Griffiths. But with just over two weeks to go until the black-tie event, it was inexplicably canceled.
Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Kate and Meghan last interacted during Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022.
Prince William takes part in a Diana Award event in June 2026.
Prince Harry attends the 2025 Diana Awards ceremony in London.
Griffiths shared that the charity tries to "walk a very fine line between Harry and William as you can imagine" while "not wanting to upset William," and said from her point of view, there appeared to be some "wrangling behind the scenes."
"Harry, naturally, I gather wanted his wife there," she said. Both William and Harry have attended Diana Award-related events solo over the years, and regarding the Duchess of Sussex attending, Griffiths said, "This was always not really going to happen."
William and Harry last publicly interacted during Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022, and the brothers are understood to not have spoken in several years. As Griffiths pointed out, "Maybe The Diana Award is kind of one of their last forms of communication," since participation and schedules need to be ironed out between their two teams.
"So maybe this is the last vehicle they have," she added. "Is it okay if Harry brings his wife? Possibly not if you're Prince William." However, the reason behind the event's cancelation has yet to be revealed.
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.