The Royal Rift 'There's No Turning Back'

Anatomy of a feud: Us investigates the complicated battle between Prince William and Prince Harry and why insiders fear the brothers may never speak again

- BY JAIME HARKIN

Prince William and Prince Harry grew up side by side, playing on the manicured grounds of Kensington Palace as children and later attending the prestigious Eton College before they both went off to serve in the armed forces. In 2020, their paths famously and dramatically diverged when Harry left his royal post for the luxe celebrity enclave of Montecito, Calif., while William doubled down on dutifully fulfilling his role as the future king of England.

The 5,000 physical miles between the currently estranged brothers are nothing compared to the emotional distance. "There is no relationship," a source tells Us of William, 42, and Harry, 40, who have not spoken in more than two years. Says royal historian Marlene Koenig: "Bridges have been burned on both sides."

Things reached a new low in early May when Harry sat down for an emotional interview with the BBC after losing his high court appeal for U.K. security protection for himself, wife Meghan Markle and their children, Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3. During the sit-down, Harry called out his father, King Charles who's in treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer saying that despite his desire to mend fences, the monarch won't speak to him because of "this security stuff," adding, "I don't know how much longer my father has... it would be nice to reconcile." He also criticized the royals for not wanting to ensure the safety of his family and said he doesn't "see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point." The source says William is "absolutely appalled" that Harry spoke out yet again and referenced their dad's health battle and believes the future king has reached the point of no return with his younger sibling. "There is no turning back for William," says the source. "The door is firmly shut."