Prince William Refuses to ‘Lay Down the Hatchet’ Amid Feud With Brother Prince Harry

Prince William isn’t looking at ending his feud with his brother, Prince Harry, as the royals contend with ongoing health crises affecting their father, King Charles, and William’s wife, Kate Middleton.

“I have been saying this for months now – William pulled up the drawbridge and is not about to let it down for Harry anytime soon,” Christopher Andersen, author of The King, told Fox News in a statement on Tuesday, July 23. “William not only expects loyalty from his brother on a very personal level, but he commands respect as the heir to the throne.”

The royal author said that’s “just the kind of person” William, 42, was, adding that he had “always been brought up to believe” this by his father. “That if the system is to work at all, he comes first after the king – simple as that,” he concluded.

Buckingham Palace announced in February that Charles, 75, had been diagnosed with cancer one week after his hospitalization for prostate surgery. Only one month later, the royal family faced another health crisis, with Kate, 42, announcing she was undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with an unspecified cancer.

Harry, 39, has made two trips to the U.K. since his father’s diagnosis was announced in February, but he has not yet to see William or Kate during his visits.

“I jumped on a plane and went to see him as soon as I could,” the Spare author told Good Morning America on February 16. “I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go see him and spend time with him, I’m grateful for that.”

Harry made the trip alone without his wife, Meghan Markle, or their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. He stayed in his home country for 26 hours before returning to his home with the Suits actress in Montecito, California. He returned to England in May to attend the Invictus Games 10th-anniversary service but did not see his father due to the monarch’s busy schedule.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are keeping their distance from Harry and Meghan, 42, with a source exclusively telling In Touch in June that the mom of three is to be kept “as removed from stress or drama as possible as she completes her treatment.”

“Harry’s following it all from afar and extremely concerned,” explained the insider. “He just wishes he could be kept apprised more fully. He thinks it’s callous and spiteful that he’s so isolated and out of the loop.”

Harry has been estranged from his older brother since 2018, when they dissolved their joint royal foundation due to tensions following his marriage to Meghan. In his 2023 memoir, Spare, Harry detailed various conflicts with William, including a physical altercation.

Harry and Meghan infamously stepped down from their position as senior working royals in January 2020 and moved to the United States. The couple secured deals with Netflix and Spotify, with Meghan launching her lifestyle brand, American Rivera Orchard, and Harry becoming the Chief Impact Officer for the life coaching company BetterUp.