Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Not Planning an Apology to Prince William and Kate Middleton, Source Tells PEOPLE
Countering speculative reports circulated across British media outlets earlier this week, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have no plans to apologize to Prince William and Princess Catherine. Directly disputing coverage published by the UK’s Daily Express, a source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed exclusively to PEOPLE that claims alleging a planned apology over their 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview are complete “nonsense.”
The disputed claims had alleged that Harry, 42, and Meghan, 45, felt the need to “eat humble pie” following their family’s relocation back to the United Kingdom, specifically intending to address Meghan’s disclosures concerning discussions about Prince Archie’s skin tone prior to his birth. The Sussex camp has now firmly shut down that narrative.
The revelation clarifies the real standing of royal relationships following the family’s UK homecoming:
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Persistent Rift Between the Brothers: While Prince Harry has made tangible progress in restoring ties with his father, King Charles III, the estrangement between Harry and Prince William remains firmly in place, with sources noting there has been zero movement on William’s part toward reconciliation.
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Constructive Contact with the King: Harry has stayed in contact with King Charles since relocating on August 26. In July, ahead of the family’s official move, the 77-year-old monarch held a private reunion with Harry, Meghan, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, at Highgrove, and Charles and Harry have spoken directly at least once since the Sussexes settled back into Britain.
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Magnified Tension Under Domestic Proximity: Palace insiders observe that while living across the Atlantic in Montecito allowed the estrangement to remain somewhat out of sight, returning to British soil has placed the unresolved friction between the Sussexes and the Waleses right back under intense institutional scrutiny.
While direct communication between the two brothers remains frozen for now, royal insiders maintain hope that their bond may eventually heal given sufficient time.