Prince Harry won’t be seeing his father, King Charles III, or his brother, Prince William, during his most recent trip to the U.K., according to reports.
Harry, 40, returned to London to attend the 2024 WellChild Awards ceremony on Monday, September 30. The charity offers support for seriously ill children and their families, while the awards ceremony celebrates the inspirational qualities of the sick children and those that take care of them
Harry has a close connection to the charity after being a patron for 16 years, and he regularly attends the annual awards.
While Harry has not publicly discussed if he plans to see Charles, 75, or William, 42, during his latest visit, an insider told People that he did not intend to see his family members amid their estrangement.
He also previously visited the U.K. in May to attend an anniversary service that celebrated 10 years of his Invictus Games. People previously reported that Harry extended invitations to see his father and brother during his May visit, though the family members never met up.
Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle – who currently reside in California with their kids Archie and Lilibet – have had a complex relationship with his family ever since they stepped down from their royal duties in 2020.
The father of two has been open about his strained relationship with William, and he detailed several of their conflicts in his 2023 memoir, Spare. In the book, Harry recalled getting into a physical altercation with his older brother over Meghan, 43.
It appears that William has no interest in having Harry return to his royal duties, and palace insiders exclusively told In Touch that he has “shut the door” on Harry’s attempts to return to some royal responsibilities.
“William doesn’t think Harry has the smarts to handle even a reduced role in the Firm,” a source told In Touch on September 25. “In other words, he thinks his brother is stupid and foolishly adheres to bad advice.”
The insider continued, “As far as William is concerned, he’s content to keep his brother at a safe distance across the Atlantic. He’s not doing it to hurt Harry, but to protect the monarchy. He believes his brother’s lack of intelligence is a danger to the throne, Britain and himself!”
Meanwhile, an additional source previously told In Touch that the royal family wants Harry and Meghan to stop participating in unofficial overseas tours. “It’s no secret Prince William and King Charles take issue with them using their titles to advance their personal brand,” the source dished in August after Harry and Meghan took a high-profile trip to Colombia. “But the Duke and Duchess are defiant and clearly don’t care what anyone thinks.”
Many people believe that the pair lost the right to publicly present themselves as royals after they stepped down from the monarchy. The insider then explained that Harry and Meghan seemingly leverage their connection to the crown in order to make money.
Despite the criticism, the source said Meghan and Harry likely won’t stop making appearances anytime soon.
“It’s no secret all the criticism is upsetting for them, but clearly, they’re not letting it stop them from forging ahead,” the insider said about the couple, who tied the knot in 2018. “It’s well documented that the royals do not want them doing these unofficial tours. While that might have given them pause, it now seems they’re handling the backlash by acting more confident and brazen than ever.”
