Prince William might not strip Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of their HRH titles when he’s king, a new report claims.
The alleged royal rift between Prince William and Prince Harry seems to be at an all-time low, with insiders now fearing Harry may not even be invited to his older brother’s future coronation.
The once inseparable brothers have reportedly not spoken in nearly two years. Sources allege that the latest revelations from Harry’s BBC interview have only solidified the distance.
Prince Harry called for reconciliation with royal family in BBC interview
“I think it’s done… I don’t think there’s [any] coming back from that,” a royal source told Page Six. “Before the interview, we thought, ‘Come on, William, extend a hand to your brother.’ But now it seems that Harry hasn’t learned [bleep].”
In the interview, Prince Harry openly admitted he’s estranged from King Charles, claiming his father “won’t speak” to him due to their ongoing dispute over royal security.
Harry recently lost his court appeal battle for taxpayer-funded armed police and bodyguards for when he visits the UK. He and wife Meghan’s security in the UK was downgraded after they stepped back from senior royal duties and moved to the US.
William won’t strip them of their titles because they are irrelevant and meaningless at this point.
In his interview with the BBC after the court defeat, Prince Harry, 40, also issued a heartfelt appeal.
“I would love reconciliation with my family,” Harry said. “There’s no point continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious.”
However, royal circles remain sceptical and deeply wary of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, following years of tell-all interviews, Netflix specials and Harry’s bombshell 2023 memoir Spare where the couple hit out at the monarchy.
Will William forgive Harry?
According to royal biographer Hugo Vickers, the prospect of forgiveness is far from guaranteed.
While he states that William, 42, “theoretically” should invite his brother to his coronation when he becomes monarch, the future king is under no obligation.
“Quite frankly, he can do what he likes. It is not set in stone,” Hugo said. “The Duke of Windsor was not invited to [his niece Queen Elizabeth’s] coronation in 1953. There was a lot of discussion about it.”
A source added to Page Six that they couldn’t see Harry attending the coronation, saying William may not even invite him.
Even though Harry has expressed a desire to mend fences, William’s camp remains unconvinced.
Hugo described William as “unforgiving”. He added that the tension may have reached a point of no return.
One insider summed it up bluntly: “There’s too much distrust. Harry burned too many bridges.”
Why William won’t strip Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of HRH titles
Despite public speculation that William might one day strip Harry and Meghan of their HRH titles when he becomes king, insiders and royal commentators say it’s highly unlikely.
When they stepped back from their royal roles, Harry and Meghan kept their HRH titles as well as their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. However, they agreed that they wouldn’t use their HRH publicly or for “commercial purposes”.
Recently, Meghan came under fire as it was revealed she had used her HRH title in a gift note to a friend last year. But a source for the couple insisted they don’t use their titles for commercial purposes. This gift was sent privately.
“He won’t strip Harry and Meghan of their titles,” Hugo said of William. “It appears vindictive.”
A royal source echoed that sentiment, but went further, calling the titles “irrelevant and meaningless at this point”.
“No one thinks [Harry and Meghan] are royal anyway,” the insider added to Page Six. “William won’t strip them of their titles because they are irrelevant and meaningless at this point.”
