Prince Harry ‘Wants to Reconcile with William’ but Diana’s 30th Anniversary ‘Won’t Make Any Difference’, Claims Omid Scobie
Prince Harry remains eager to end the bitter estrangement with his elder brother Prince William, but next year’s 30th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death will do nothing to heal the rift, royal author Omid Scobie has claimed. Speaking in the ABC News Studios documentary Harry & Meghan: The Return Of The Prince, the Sussex-affiliated biographer acknowledged that the Duke has made no secret of his long-term desire to reconcile with both King Charles and William. However, Scobie firmly dismissed persistent speculation that the approaching 1997 Paris milestone could serve as an emotional catalyst to reunite the royal siblings.
The unbridgeable divide has been further cemented by William’s refusal to participate in any television tribute commemorating the anniversary. Despite holding private discussions at Kensington Palace with BBC Director-General Matt Brittin and fielding multiple commercial pitches, the Prince of Wales resolved to steer clear of public broadcasts to prevent media friction with Harry, who is actively pursuing his own commemorative film project. Harry has reportedly approached Diana’s inner circle and relatives, contrasting sharply with 2017 when both brothers stood united for the landmark ITV documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life And Legacy.
Assessing palace dynamics, Scobie observed that while relations between the Duke and King Charles have experienced a degree of warmth and thawed out considerably, the animosity between William and Harry appears permanent. The author also pushed back against the narrative that Catherine, Princess of Wales, might act as an internal mediator, noting she plays virtually no role in attempting to bridge the brothers’ total silence that has endured since Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral in September 2022. The feud has been further exacerbated by Earl Charles Spencer’s incendiary memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which triggered a harsh rebuff from Buckingham Palace after claiming the King reacted like a “lottery winner” following Diana’s tragic passing.
The couple’s dramatic relocation to the United Kingdom after six years in California continues to generate relentless media scrutiny. The repatriation has already triggered institutional friction after a formal directive, authorized by King Charles through the Lord Chamberlain, reiterated that Harry and Meghan are strictly “private citizens,” pushing back against their preferred status as “public figures” awaiting decisions on state-funded security. While Harry recently told broadcasters that Archie and Lilibet are settling happily into British schooling, the logistical turmoil surrounding rapid school transfers and William’s uncompromising detachment illustrate that family peace remains entirely out of reach.
