Prince Harry may have hoped that coming back to Britain would help him rebuild his relationship with his family, but things with Prince William do not seem to have moved forward. Despite his reported attempts to make peace, William has given little sign that he is ready to put the past behind them. For Harry, that must be a difficult reality to face, particularly after making it clear that he wants his brother back in his life.

The situation is particularly frustrating for Harry because he has made little secret of his desire to reconcile with his family. In recent interviews, he has spoken openly about wanting to put the past behind them, and there have been repeated reports that he has tried to find a way to reach out to William. Yet, according to sources cited in recent reports, those efforts have not produced the response he was hoping for.

One source quoted by Radar via Yahoo claimed that William was “acting like Harry and Meghan don’t exist,” describing the situation as “wretchedly unpleasant.” The same report claimed that Harry was “infuriated” by his brother’s refusal to engage with him.

It is a difficult position for Harry, who appears to have hoped that some time apart, along with his repeated comments about wanting peace, might eventually encourage William to reconsider their relationship. So far, however, there is little indication that the Prince of Wales is prepared to make that move.

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Harry Has Made It Clear He Wants His Brother Back

Harry has spoken about reconciliation on several occasions, including during his interview with the BBC in 2025, when he said: “I would love reconciliation with my family.”

He also made his feelings clear in a more recent interview with GQ, where he discussed the difficulty of repairing family relationships and the importance of finding a way forward.

“People maybe look at us and go, ‘How are you going to work it out?’” Harry said. “And then, maybe, how I see you’re going to work it out, maybe that will help me work my stuff out. And some people don’t want it to work out. I want it to work out.”

That last part was particularly revealing. Harry was not hiding the fact that he wanted reconciliation, even while acknowledging that not everyone involved might feel the same way.

He also admitted that the damage caused by family disagreements does not simply disappear with time, saying: “Scars stick around forever.” But he added that “the most important thing is to reconcile.”

For someone who has repeatedly spoken about wanting his children to have a connection with Britain and their wider family, the continued distance between him and William is an especially difficult part of the situation.

Prince William Does Not Appear Ready to Make Peace

Unfortunately for Harry, his older brother does not appear to share the same urgency when it comes to repairing their relationship. Reports have suggested that William has been unwilling to respond to his younger brother’s attempts to make contact, with sources claiming that the Prince of Wales would rather keep his distance.

According to one insider, Harry believes he has made several attempts to apologize and find a way forward.

“He insists he’s tried to find every possible way to say that he’s sorry,” the source claimed. “He’s genuinely shocked that there’s not even been a shred of forgiveness on William’s part.”

Neither brother has spoken publicly about these reported exchanges, so it is difficult to know exactly what has been said between them. But the claims give some idea of why things remain so tense, especially when Harry has made no secret of wanting to repair the relationship.

William has his own reasons for keeping his distance. The breakdown between the brothers has been years in the making, with Harry’s departure from royal duties, his interviews and the publication of his memoir, Spare, adding to the tension. Harry has spoken about his grievances publicly, while William has largely chosen not to discuss the dispute in detail.

Harry’s Return Has Not Changed the Situation

Harry’s return to Britain with Meghan Markle and their children was another opportunity for questions about whether the family might finally come together. There had been renewed attention on the possibility of Archie and Lilibet spending more time with their British relatives, particularly after King Charles reunited with the Sussexes earlier this year.

But William has remained separate from those developments. While Harry has been able to rebuild some contact with his father, there has been no comparable breakthrough with his brother.

That difference is important. Harry may have hoped that a better relationship with King Charles could eventually help ease the wider family tensions, but William is a separate matter, and there is no guarantee that progress with one relationship will lead to progress with the other.

For now, the brothers remain far apart. Harry has spoken about wanting to put the past behind them, but William has given little indication that he is ready to meet him halfway. And that may be the hardest part for Harry to accept: wanting to repair the relationship is one thing, but he cannot make that decision for his brother.