He has been estranged from much of his family for more than six years, but Prince Harry’s most deeply fractured relationship is with his older brother, Prince William.

And with the Sussexes’ return to the UK confirmed, there is growing expectation the brothers will finally come face-to-face – an outcome King Charles is said to be firmly encouraging.

However, the insider reveals that William has no interest in reconciliation as he insists he will never be able to trust his brother after everything that has happened.

‘William is fuming. The Sussexes’ shock decision to return to Britain has created an enormous headache for the Prince and Princess of Wales,’ our insider says. ‘They were blindsided by the move and are deeply uneasy about what happens next.

‘William and Kate were so angered at being caught off guard that they called an urgent meeting with senior aides to establish why they appeared to be in the dark over such a significant royal development.’

The source continues, ‘Kate can’t quite believe it. There’s a growing feeling that they’re losing control of the narrative and, even more worryingly, that they’re increasingly being portrayed as the ones standing in the way.

Back when they were known as the Fab Four © Getty Images

‘She feels she’s being backed into a corner and expected to make peace with someone she believes has deeply wronged and publicly humiliated her. She’s scared Meghan will try to cause her more humiliation and once again destroy the reputation of the royal family.’

And, with William preparing to take the throne one day, the insider adds that allowing the Sussexes to return to the fold and take centre stage with their endeavours and endorsements is simply not an option for the future King.

‘William thinks the agreement when they left was clear. You cannot represent the monarchy while simultaneously making private commercial deals from your royal connections,’ the source says. ‘He is going to be furious if there is any suggestion that the rules are being rewritten. William is preparing to become King. He thinks about what precedents are being created. To him, this isn’t simply about whether he likes Harry or Meghan. The trust simply isn’t there.’

The brothers’ relationship has been strained for years, with Prince Harry laying bare the extent of their fractured bond in his memoir Spare. In the book, he alleged that a 2019 argument between them escalated into a physical confrontation, claiming that Prince William ‘knocked [him] to the floor’, and labelled Meghan ‘difficult,’ ‘rude’ and ‘abrasive’.

The days when they could live separate lives are over © Shutterstock

They were last seen together in August 2024, when they both attended the funeral of their uncle, where it was reported they didn’t speak to each other. The distance between them remains particularly poignant given their shared history and the loss of their mother, Princess Diana, whose statue they unveiled together in 2021.

The strain has also filtered into the wider family dynamic. Meghan and the Princess of Wales have had a frosty relationship over the years, evidenced by their widely reported clash over bridesmaid dresses and the Duchess of Sussex’s alleged comments about Kate’s ‘baby brain’. Kate – who shares George, 13, Charlotte, 11, and Louis, eight, with William – has nevertheless sometimes been portrayed as a potential mediator between the brothers.

‘The King wanted Harry, William and Kate to sit down together at one point, but William said no,’ the source goes on. ‘There have been other opportunities for the Sussexes and the Waleses to talk, but they’ve gone nowhere.’ As the bitter rift between the brothers reaches boiling point amid the Sussexes’ return, King Charles summoned William and Kate to Balmoral for a crisis summit.

They say, ‘William and Kate’s visit to Balmoral was expected to be dominated by one issue – Harry and Meghan. Charles was determined to use the gathering to finally confront the family rift and hoped to push William to agree to a meeting with Harry. He’s very aware that people have grown tired of the Wales and Sussex feud, and there’s a real concern that it’s now having a negative knock-on effect on the royal family as a whole.’

With all eyes on The Firm’s next move, the source emphasises how the Wales and Sussex children could prove vital. ‘For the first time, George, Charlotte and Louis could have the chance to build a proper relationship with Archie and Lilibet,’ the insider shares.

Harry with Meghan, Archie and Lilibet © Instagram/@meghan

‘The children are the one aspect of this that are above any criticism. Whatever William thinks about Harry; Archie and Lilibet haven’t done anything. They’re still George, Charlotte and Louis’ cousins.

‘William is nowhere near ready to forgive Harry and simply cannot trust him ever again. He’s said to feel unable to even look at his brother, such is his resentment. But with his brother back in Britain, the days when they could simply live separate lives on opposite sides of the Atlantic are over. Harry will be here. Their father wants a relationship with him. Their children are cousins. At some point William is going to have to look his brother in the eye and bury the hatchet.