A possible reconciliation meeting between Prince Harry and Prince William never happened because Harry was terrified the press would find out, a new book claims.
Royal pundit Valentine Low, author of the upcoming “Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown,” writes that William, 40, tried to talk to his brother, who he feared was in “crisis”, but the younger royal withdrew from the meeting.
William is said to have messaged Harry to ask if they could meet after the latter gave an explosive interview with his wife Meghan Markle during a tour in South Africa (via the sun).
Initially, the Duke of Sussex was in favor of the chat, but was hesitant when his brother explained that his private secretary would be aware of the face-to-face meeting as there were scheduling conflicts.
Harry, 38, was so concerned that William’s team would leak the visit to the press, Low writes, that he ordered the heir to the throne to cancel the meeting, possibly leaving the brothers with a good chance of resolving their issues.
The conflicts between the royal siblings started long before Harry and Markle traveled to South Africa, but the interview – in which Harry confirmed that he and his brother were estranged – seemed to be the thing that opened the floodgates.
“We are definitely on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him because I know he will always be there for me,” the Duke of Sussex told Tom Bradby at the time.
And when Bradby asked the 41-year-old ‘Suits’ alum if she was okay amid the family breakup, Markle tearfully replied, “Thanks for asking, because not many people have asked if I’m okay.”
The interview dominated the news, overshadowing William and his wife Kate Middleton’s simultaneous trip to Pakistan.
According to Low, the now Prince and Princess of Wales “viewed it as a deliberate attempt to knock” [them] from the headlines,” exacerbating the already tense relationship between the two couples.
Months later, after spending weeks in Canada, the Sussexes announced that they would be stepping down as working members of the royal family. The couple now lives in California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
Markle reportedly tried to meet with King Charles to “clear the air” while she and Harry were in the UK for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, but they couldn’t find time to talk privately before flying back to the US.