Prince William 'Shut the Door' on Prince Harry Taking on Royal Duties, Insider Claims: 'He Thinks His Brother Is Stupid'

King Charles is battling cancer, but Prince William isn’t willing to make space for Prince Harry to take on royal duties amid health crises.

When Charles first revealed his diagnosis , royal watchers wondered if Harry would return to working for The Firm, but the Duke of Sussex is taking on opportunities in Hollywood instead.

According to an insider, William has “shut the door” on the Duke of Sussex being assigned royal tasks after Spare was published.

“William doesn’t think Harry has the smarts to handle even a reduced role in The Firm,” the insider told an outlet. “In other words, he thinks his brother is stupid and foolishly adheres to bad advice.”

Despite their rift, William and Kate Middleton publicly acknowledged the Duke of Sussex’s 40th birthday on Sunday, September 15. OK! previously reported experts believe the Waleses aren't interested in reconnecting with the Sussexes despite their social media posts.

"Harry and Meghan are certainly not welcome back as a team," American royal commentator Kinsey Schofield said in an interview. "I would argue they are not welcome back at all if Prince William has anything to say about it… But Harry could potentially get his foot in the door through his father."

"[But] it is not something the royal family is longing for," Schofield noted.

As Kate and Charles focus on their health, the royal family is prioritizing their cancer journeys .

"The royal family will continue to keep Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at a distance," Schofield explained. "The royal family is in a delicate position, health-wise, and do not trust Harry and Meghan."

"I don’t believe Harry and Meghan will be welcomed back as working members of the royal family on a part-time or full-time basis," she continued.

Since leaving the U.K., the Sussexes have been able to pursue professional opportunities in the U.S. while capitalizing off of their royal titles. Recently, the pair accepted tours of Nigeria and Colombia to promote the Invictus Games and the Archewell Foundation ’s initiatives.

"We know they did want a half-in, half-out life, and Queen Elizabeth II denied them that opportunity," Schofield noted. "Now you’ve seen them create it for themselves with their faux royal tours."

"They want the royal family to know that they don’t need them or their permission when they conduct trips like to Colombia," she added.

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In recent years, the royal family avoided acknowledging Harry and Meghan’s big days, but the palace follows a different protocol for important milestones.

"After Megxit and Prince Andrew ’s scandal, Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace revised their social media protocol ," Schofield explained. "We were only made privy to this after the first year that the family didn’t wish Harry and Meghan a happy birthday online, and it was deemed a ‘snub.’"

"To avoid the drama of bringing up the chaos that surrounds some of the more well-known non-working royals, the new protocol dictates that the royal family will acknowledge the birthdays of non-working royals only on milestone birthdays," she continued. "Translation — birthdays that end in zero. This saves the family from having to re-live the Megxit and Jeffrey Epstein headlines at the same time every year."

While Harry continues to build a life for himself in America, William will prioritize The Crown and Kate.

"The core royal family are still very much focused on the health of the king and Princess of Wales," Schofield said. "We are hearing positive news from both Catherine and the king, but there is still concern that things could take a turn for the worse and Prince William’s family is thrust into much bigger responsibilities."

Sources spoke to In Touch .