Prince William has no plans to see Prince Harry when the Duke of Sussex returns to the UK in July for the Invictus Games in Birmingham, and will not let Kate Middleton go near him either, a royal commentator has claimed.
For context, Harry is expected to spend a week in Britain for events linked to the Invictus Games, the paralympic-style competition he founded for wounded and injured service personnel.
Reports have suggested he may be joined by Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and that he would like the visit to include time with his father, King Charles. Any hope of that trip also softening his long-running rift with Prince William looks remote, if the latest briefing is to be believed.
Royal biographer Angela Levin told TalkTV host Mark Dolan, in comments reported by The Express, that the Prince of Wales is deeply resistant to the idea of Harry being welcomed back into the royal fold, even temporarily.
'I think William will be horrified and furious,' Levin said, when asked about Harry staying in royal accommodation during his trip. 'He won't go anywhere near him, I believe, and he won't let Catherine go anywhere near him.'
The language is stark, but it chimes with months of briefing from those said to be close to the Wales household. The message has been consistent, almost to the point of being boring: Harry can visit the UK, Harry can see his father if the King wishes, but William is not budging.
Prince William, Kate And Harry: A Royal Freeze-Out
To recall, the relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry has been strained since long before Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the US.
The distance widened after the couple's televised interviews and Harry's memoir, Spare, which contained pointed criticism of his elder brother and sister-in-law. None of that has been publicly forgiven or forgotten.
In case you missed it, The Mirror previously reported that the 'position has not changed' in the Wales camp regarding meetings with the Sussexes. Citing a royal source, the paper said William and Kate 'would not make arrangements' to see Harry and Meghan privately and would only be in the same space if an official public engagement required it.
There has been no official comment from Kensington Palace or Buckingham Palace on any July meeting plans.
Kate Middleton Caught Between Two Brothers
For starters, the most intriguing twist in this latest round of royal briefing concerns Kate herself. While Levin claims William 'won't let Catherine go anywhere near' Harry, a separate account paints the Princess of Wales in a far more conciliatory light.
According to Closer, which cited an unnamed insider, Kate believes her husband may be going too far in his hard line on Harry. 'She feels William is pushing Harry too far now,' the source said. That phrasing will strike a chord with long-time royal watchers, who have often seen Kate positioned as the peacemaker, the steadying force between the brothers.
If that reporting is right, Kate finds herself in a maddeningly awkward spot. On the one hand, she is the future Queen, aligning publicly with William's stance and his duty-first approach. On the other, she reportedly sees the emotional cost of a feud that now spans continents and, potentially, an entire generation of royal cousins who barely know one another.
Nothing in the available reports suggests that Kate is openly challenging William's decision. But the suggestion that she has misgivings adds a new layer of tension to what had been framed as a simple stand-off between brothers. It nudges the story into more human territory: a family argument that no one quite knows how to fix.
Harry's Hopes For King Charles And The Children
Meanwhile, Harry's focus, according to several outlets, is said to be his father and his children. He reportedly wants Archie and Lilibet to spend time with King Charles during the family's July trip and to build some kind of personal bond with their grandfather in Britain.
Levin, speaking to TalkTV, suggested Charles might be more open to seeing Harry than William is, although that too is based on interpretation rather than firm palace guidance. The King has signalled in previous public comments that he loves all his children, which leaves just enough space for hopeful speculation that a short, carefully managed meeting might be on the cards.
Whether such a meeting would involve Meghan and the children, or take place quietly away from cameras, is completely unknown.
What is clearer is that any overlap with William and Kate looks highly unlikely. Multiple reports emphasise that the Prince and Princess of Wales do not intend to 'make arrangements' to see the Sussexes at private events and would prefer to avoid joint public appearances unless protocol demands otherwise.
That sets the stage for a surreal scenario this summer: Harry on British soil for a cause he cares deeply about, the Invictus Games, potentially reunited with his father behind closed doors, while the brother he once called his 'best mate' keeps him at arm's length and, if these experts are right, keeps Kate there too.
