“They’re Done”: Palace Insiders Say Harry and William’s Relationship is Kaput

Now that the six-part series Harry & Meghan is widely available on Netflix, the reviews are in from the one place that matters most: Buckingham Palace. 

While there have not been—nor will there likely be—any official reactions from King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, or the Prince and Princess of Wales, but that won’t stop people within the Palace’s organization speaking to members of the press, either on or off the record. 

The biggest issue currently seems to be the rift that has grown between Prince Harry and his older brother, Prince William. In the Netflix series, Harry accused the heir to the throne of screaming at him in front of their late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, during a conversation about the Sussexes stepping down from their royal duties. He also said that William broke a promise the two had made about never pitting their offices against one another in the press. Harry accused William of being trapped within the “institution” of the monarchy.

“I think that’s it,” a source told PageSix, concerning the brothers. “They’re done.” 

A source told V.F. that a rapprochement seems highly unlikely at this juncture. “There’s a great sense of mistrust, it’s why William won’t speak to Harry, because he is nervous that anything he says might end up in a book or a TV series.”

Parallel to this, officials at the Palace are contesting the remarks that open the show, suggesting that the royal family declined to respond to any of the charges made in the documentary. While it is still unclear if they ever would, representatives from the family accused the Netflix producers of telling a fib, and that they were never approached. This was backpedaled a bit after producers pushed back, and the Palace admitted they were approached for comment via email from a “third-party production company.” They further claim that they did not receive the proper confirmation that they were indeed representing Netflix or the Sussexes. While this does seem like a realistic miscommunication (no doubt the King of England received a lot of wacky email!), one does wonder if anyone can pick up the damn telephone anymore. 

PageSix’s coverage of the Harry & Meghan reaction included some additional barbs from their “well-placed royal sources.” One individual remarked that Harry and Meghan looked “distanced, sad and bitter” in their $14.5 million home over 5,000 miles from London. Another remarked that it was odd that Tyler Perry, whom they only met months ago, is now godfather to their youngest child. “Do they have any real friends, or is it just Oprah Winfrey?” this person hissed, adding, “they seem quite isolated.” The lashon hara continued, suggesting that Meghan Markle, having only half-siblings, could not understand the true nature of the relationship between the brothers. Such a thing to say!

Despite all this, Britain’s Daily Telegraph has reported that the controversial California-based couple have in fact, been invited to attend the King’s coronation on May 6 at Westminster Abbey. Prince William is reportedly very involved in the planning for his father’s big event. As it happens, the coronation falls on the same day as Harry and Meghan’s son’s fourth birthday. This likely coincidence could come in handy as an excuse to politely demure the offer to attend. 

Harry’s book Spare, which promises to go into even more detail about the ins-and-outs of the family, is primed for release on January 10. 

Listen to Vanity Fair’s DYNASTY podcast now.