Insider Says There’s a Chance For a William and Harry Reunion, But Until Then, There's One Move King Charles Is "Unlikely" to Make

“This is the best opportunity we have seen in recent years.”

A split image with Prince Harry and Prince William walking at Queen Elizabeth's funeral and King Charles in a gray suit
(Image credit: Getty Images)

It was only a week ago that the world found out about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s surprising plans to relocate to the U.K., and on Wednesday, August 26, they landed in Birmingham, England to begin their new journey. While they’re living in England, it’s going to be more difficult to avoid seeing Prince William and Princess Kate, and according to a palace source, King Charles is hoping his sons’ estrangement will finally end.

Although their move was originally reported as a temporary one, a friend of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told the Daily Mail that Harry is hoping to educate both of his children in Britain over “the next 12 to 15 years, minimum.”

Between major royal events and family holidays, it would be unlikely that Harry, Meghan, William and Kate wouldn’t find themselves in the same room every so often. A source close to Buckingham Palace told People that King Charles hopes a reconciliation with Prince William is in sight. “He will want to see his sons together over time,” the insider said. “This is the best opportunity we have seen in recent years.”

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By all accounts, the Prince of Wales does not seem likely to pick up the phone to call Harry anytime soon. The two are understood to have not spoken in years, and were last seen publicly interacting at Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021.

A source close to the royals told People that the Prince and Princess of Wales felt “a deep sense of betrayal” when Harry revealed private details about the Royal Family during interviews and in his memoir, Spare. “It is going to be challenging for William. It will be very hard for him and Catherine,” the insider said.

Writing in Hello! magazine, royal author and journalist Robert Jobson notes that the fate of any reunion between the brothers lies in Prince William’s hands. “No king can order his heir to forgive,” he wrote. “But every reconciliation scenario being speculated rests, in the end, on William—and he has agreed to none of it yet.”

Speaking of King Charles, Jobson adds, “What he is unlikely to do is press his eldest son to simply fall in line and reconcile with a brother he currently has little relationship with.”

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

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.