Diana statue: Prince Harry’s body language criticised by Levin

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Harry and William sparked hopes that they had reconciled last week when they reunited to unveil the memorial statue for Diana at Kensington Palace. The two brothers seemed relaxed in one another’s company as they revealed the sculpture of their late mother in honour of her 60th birthday, and surprised fans by releasing their first joint statement in years. Although they shared a glass of champagne and a few jokes after the ceremony, Harry quickly jetted back to his new home in California, US, the following day, making it unlikely that they were able to have any in-depth peace talks.

Other reports also speculated before the unveiling that the brothers were always planning on putting on a united front for the emotional occasion, so that the spotlight was their mother and her legacy rather than their personal rift, just as they did at Prince Philip’s funeral.

Harry’s fast departure back to his home on the other side of the Atlantic also serves as a reminder about how different their lives truly are after the Sussexes’ royal exit — and how the brothers’ relationship is reportedly not how Diana envisioned it.

Royal biographer Andrew Morton alleged: “[Diana would have been] so concerned about the rift between Harry and William.

“The acrimonious split is against everything she had planned for them.

“It wasn’t part of the script.”

Speaking to Vanity Fair, he continued: “She always saw Harry as the reliable wing man for William when he took on the lonely and sobering position of sovereign.”

The two brothers have spoken in the past about how they are “uniquely bonded” having grown up in the spotlight together and having to endure the trauma of their mother’s sudden death.

However, Harry and his wife Meghan Markle reportedly did not enjoy their position as support acts in the royal pecking order, according to authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand.

Writing in Finding Freedom, the biographers claimed the Sussexes’ frustration towards their place in the Firm triggered their exit.

They alleged: “Increasingly Harry had grown frustrated that he and Meghan often took a back seat to other family members.

“While they both respected the hierarchy of the institution, it was difficult when they wanted to focus on a project and were told that a more senior ranking family member, be it Prince William or Prince Charles, had an initiative or tour being announced at the same time — so they would just have to wait.

“For months the couple tried to air these frustrations, but the conversations didn’t lead anywhere.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s departure from the royal fold in March last year and subsequent move to the States signalled Harry stepping out from his brother’s shadow.

As he told Oprah Winfrey earlier this year, he and his brother “are on different paths”, and their relationship is “space at the moment”.

A source also told Vanity Fair that the brothers were intending to “put on a good show” at the unveiling because they knew the public — and Diana’s relatives — were watching.

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Another source claimed: “It is going to take a lot more than just a couple of conversations to repair the damage that has been done.

“Friends and some family members on the Spencer side have tried to pave the way for a reconciliation but it doesn’t feel imminent.”

Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter told Vanity Fair: “She would have banged their heads together and told them to sort it out.

“The rift would never have [become] this bad and I think Harry would still be here in the UK if Diana were still alive.”

Yet, the Duke of Sussex appears to believe otherwise; he told Oprah that he thought Diana “saw it coming” and “felt her presence” throughout his messy departure from the Firm.

‘Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family’ by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand was published in 2020 by HarperCollins and is available here.

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