The Palace Is Scrambling to Broker Peace Between Brothers Prince William and Prince Harry Before the Coronation

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published 19 February 2023

The Palace is scrambling to come up with solutions to ease tensions between brothers Prince William and Prince Harry ahead of the Coronation, and pressure is mounting with the event just under three months away, Us Weekly reports.

“The longer the feud continues, the less likely there’ll be a reconciliation,” an insider tells the outlet. “With the Coronation just a few months away, appropriate actions need to be taken immediately.”

The Palace is currently trying to figure out whether it’s possible at all for William and Harry to repair their relationship before the ceremony, which will take place May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London.

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“The Palace is trying to come up with solutions to keep the peace and form some kind of reconnection and unity between William and Harry,” the source says. “It’s now or never. The Coronation is a time to celebrate, and no one wants this dark cloud hanging over the festivities on such a significant occasion.”

William, the source says, “feels that Harry is all smoke and mirrors and is not to be trusted,” adding that Harry’s memoir, Spare, was “a massive breach of trust” because of the “leaking” of certain stories (of which there are many aimed directly at William, who one could argue gets the lion’s share of the criticism in the tell-all).

“He’s trying to move on with his life,” the insider says of William.

If Harry and wife Meghan Markle do opt to attend the Coronation—as of yet, they are reportedly undecided—The Daily Express reports that they will be strictly controlled due to a lack of trust across the board. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams tells the outlet that The Firm “can’t trust the Sussexes for a moment,” and the couple also won’t have much of a role in the proceedings, much like during Her late Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last June.

“We do know they are going to be invited—that does seem to be so,” Fitzwilliams says. “As to whether or not they’ll come, the answer is probably yes, because, remember, they only get their work because they’re royals. As a result, they have to be seen to be involved in some form. I would think other members of the family will keep discussions with them to the weather. We know the background to this, and it is not a happy one.”

Fitzwilliams adds that “Exactly like at the Platinum Jubilee, their role will be strictly controlled, and they won’t have much of a role. The Palace know what they are dealing with and who they are dealing with—there’s no chance at all that they will overshadow the event.”

King Charles does want his younger son and daughter-in-law there, as unity is central to the Coronation, Fitzwilliams says.

“Unity at the time of the Coronation will be paramount,” he says. “The royals couldn’t hit back to the various allegations and so forth. It’s a matter of saying nothing and letting comments, however outrageous, pass.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.