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Prince Harry returns to UK: Could Diana's 30th death anniversary reunite him with William? Royal expert weighs in
Prince Harry has returned to the UK with Meghan and their children but his estranged brother William has said nothing publicly.
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Twenty-nine years after Princess Diana’s death, her sons Prince William and Prince Harry remain at the center of attention. Diana died in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997, at just 36. Now, with her 30th death anniversary coming next year, the brothers’ strained relationship is back in focus after Harry returned to the UK with Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie,7 and Princess Lilibet, 5.
Harry is back but William has said nothing
Harry and Meghan's return to Britain has created fresh interest in the royal family, but Prince William has remained completely silent. He has made no statement, social media post or comment through a royal spokesman.
William and Harry are now living closer to each other than they have since 2020, but their relationship remains strained. The brothers have not spoken since September 2022, when they both attended Queen Elizabeth's funeral. Since then, they have been in the same place only twice, at King Charles' coronation in May 2023 and at a memorial service for their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, in August 2024. They did not appear to interact on either occasion, according to the New York Times.
Their relationship has been damaged for years. In his memoir Spare, Harry described a physical fight with William in 2019. "He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor," Harry wrote, according to the New York Times. “I landed on the dogs' bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”
Also read: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle return to UK with kids after 6 years in California: Key details here
Could Diana's 30th anniversary bring them together?
With the 30th anniversary of Diana's death approaching on August 31, 2027, royal biographer Robert Jobson believes that milestone could be the moment that forces the brothers back onto the same stage, per Hello!
"How can they not be together?" Jobson told Hello!. “There's going to be a moment where there has to be some form of arrangement for the 30th anniversary of Diana's death. They have to be on the same stage.”
Jobson also said Harry has been focusing on his mother Diana's legacy. He pointed to Harry's visits to Angola, where he worked with anti-landmine charities, just as Diana did in the country.
"The ownership of the Diana legacy is something I think Harry has been really pursuing," Jobson told Hello!.
"I think that we're going to see more of Harry trying to take over the ownership of Diana's legacy, which is bound to irritate his brother," he added.
Prince Harry's impact on William
Harry's return to the UK could be difficult for William. Royal biographer Katie Nicholl told Hello! that the situation may become "very difficult" now that the brothers are living closer to each other. She also said William may have felt "blindsided" by Harry's unexpected return.
"In many ways, Harry's really got William over a barrel, because it will be very difficult with them being geographically so much closer and Harry being welcomed back into the royal fold by his father, at least, for William to be adamant that there will be no reconciliation," Nicholl said.
A source close to the situation told Vanity Fair that William is on edge about what comes next. "There's a sense that William is going to have to be watching over his shoulder the whole time. He doesn't know what his brother is going to spring on them all next." The insider added: “This was meant to be a happy time for him. This has just derailed them.”
