The Moment That Reportedly Dashed Kate Middleton's Desire To Mend Prince Harry Rift

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

There was a time when Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, had a great relationship. However, these days, Kate Middleton and William, Prince of Wales reportedly refuse to entertain Harry's olive branch, and that's nothing new. There has long been no end in sight for Harry and William's feud. From the sound of it, though, there was one key moment when Kate's hope for the brothers' reconciliation was shattered for good.

Earlier this month, author Christopher Andersen's book, "Kate!: The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen," hit shelves and shed light on the fractured royal relationship. While speaking to Fox News Digital, he revealed what he learned through his research about Kate's initial desire for William and Harry to come back together. "She would not give up," he explained, noting that even as William got angrier about Harry's slights against him in his memoir, "Spare," she remained steadfast.

Kate did, however, change her tune when she and King Charles III found themselves with cancer diagnoses at the same time. "The final straw came really shortly after the king was diagnosed with cancer, when Harry [essentially] said, 'I'd like to mend fences because we just don't know how long [my father] has to live.' Well, that kind of statement can be very hurtful to somebody who doesn't really want to consider their own mortality and is battling cancer."

Kate Middleton was apparently upset by the way Prince Harry spoke about his father's illness. "And, of course, it just ignited this firestorm of speculation about how sick the king really was at this point," Christopher Andersen explained to Fox News. It seems that this was the straw that broke the camel's back for the princess. "... Kate pretty much felt that would be it. She wasn't going to try anymore. So she has not," Andersen added. He doesn't see that changing anytime soon, either. "As a matter of fact, I don't think we're ever going to see them make amends. At least it's not on the horizon now."

Meanwhile, Harry is eyeing a return to the United Kingdom this summer, and he is reportedly more determined than ever to mend his rift with King Charles while he's there. Royal author Ingrid Seward told Express that, while it's possible Charles will want to spend some time with his grandchildren during the visit, Prince William and Kate almost certainly won't be in attendance. "I think the King would pick very carefully who was going to be there at the same time, and it certainly wouldn't be William and Kate," she said, noting, "If it were, I'd be absolutely astounded." It certainly seems that even a buried hatchet between Harry and Charles won't be enough to reunite these royal brothers after all that has transpired.