Insiders Expect A Royal Family Reconciliation Will Be A 'Slow Build' On William & Kate's Part

In a twist that few people saw coming, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, have reportedly returned to the U.K. and are enrolling their kids in school there. After stepping back from royal duties in early 2020, Harry and Meghan made a home for themselves in a mansion in Montecito, California. The relocation may have come up in conversation when Harry, Meghan, and their kids met up with King Charles III during their July visit to the U.K. This meeting seemed to be a positive sign towards a reconciliation between Harry and King Charles after they'd been at odds for years. But it doesn't sound like William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are so eager to reconcile with the Sussexes.

An unnamed source close to the royal family told People that any potential reconciliation between the brothers "will be a slow build." There's been a lot of bad blood between the two of them, and trust isn't rebuilt overnight.

Another reported royal insider didn't seem to think it was necessarily a huge priority for William and Kate to make up with Harry and Meghan, even if the Sussexes are going to be living a lot closer. "They have suffered a lot. They have been dutiful, doing what they do well and keeping the family together. Anything else, from their point of view, isn't critical."

It's been a while since Prince Harry has spent time with his brother. The two of them both attended King Charles' coronation in 2023 as well as the funeral of their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, in 2024, though they may not have actually spoken much, if at all, at either event. As far as we know, the Prince and Princess of Wales don't seem to have had any in-person contact with Meghan Markle or with Harry and Meghan's kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, since 2022 during the queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Harry and Meghan aren't returning to the U.K. as working royals, which means that it will be easier for William and Kate to avoid spending time with them, if they so wish. William was reportedly not too happy with Harry and Meghan's visit to the U.K. in June when they met with King Charles, so a full-on move back across the pond isn't likely to make him any happier. Amidst all this drama, Harry has reportedly tried to reach out to his brother, but he hasn't yet had a positive response.

The feud between William and Harry has been going on for years. William is allegedly not happy that his brother aired some of the royal family's dirty laundry. Harry did make some big claims about his big brother in his book "Spare," including that William physically attacked him during a fight about Meghan. But despite all that they've been through, King Charles seemingly does still want his sons to reconcile. As royal biographer Robert Jobson told Hello!, though, Harry's return won't be easy on William. "Harry's move puts pressure on him to act in a more pragmatic way," he said.