Prince William and Prince Harry Divided by ‘Profound Rift’: Princess Diana ‘Would Have Tried to Act as Peacemaker’

On July 16, close to the 28th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, Prince Harry walked through a minefield in Angola. He was retracing the steps his mother had taken almost 30 years ago to bring attention to the dangers of landmines. Just a few weeks earlier, on July 1—what would have been Diana’s 64th birthday—Prince William honored her legacy in Sheffield, England, marking the second anniversary of his program “Homewards,” which works to end homelessness, an issue Diana cared deeply about.

Once, the brothers worked together to honor their mother. Now, they do it separately and do not speak to each other.

Royal biographer Andrew Morton told PEOPLE magazine, “We all remember when Harry and William were close, and Diana said Harry would be William’s ‘wingman.’ It’s a great loss for the monarchy.”

The brothers grew up sharing unique royal experiences, surviving their parents’ divorce and the loss of Diana in a 1997 car crash in Paris when William was 15 and Harry was 12. Today, they live very different lives.

In Windsor, William, 43, and his wife Kate Middleton are raising Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. Across the ocean in California, Harry, 40, and Meghan Markle, 44, are raising Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4. The cousins have not been seen together in public since 2019, before Lilibet was born.

The public saw their feud begin in 2020, when Harry and Meghan stepped away from royal duties. Harry’s memoir Spare describes a tense 2019 argument where William criticized Meghan and, according to Harry, physically attacked him. The rift widened after the couple’s 2021 Oprah interview, their Netflix series, and Harry’s book, all of which criticized William, King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the royal institution. Harry has admitted that some family members may “never forgive” him.

Sources say Harry has tried to contact William, but William hasn’t responded. Royal expert Robert Lacey says, “The rift is deep and long-lasting. It will only change if Harry apologizes.”

Despite their differences, both brothers still work to honor Diana’s memory. She raised them to value compassion and service, often taking them to visit homeless shelters. William has continued this work, quietly helping at shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic without media attention.

Harry’s charity work began in Lesotho, Africa, where he helped children affected by AIDS. In 2006, he cofounded the charity Sentebale with Prince Seeiso to honor their mothers. They worked on it for nearly 20 years before stepping away after a management dispute.

Both William and Harry have given their daughters “Diana” as a middle name and keep her photos in their homes. They often speak to their children about her.

There may be a small chance for reconciliation. In July, Harry’s representatives met with King Charles’s communications chief, raising hope for a meeting in September when Harry visits the UK. But William is not part of these talks. He is focused on supporting Kate as she recovers from cancer treatment and guiding their children.

For now, the silence between them remains. But Diana’s influence is still a shared bond. As Morton says, “If she had been here, she would have tried to bring them back together.”