THE rift between Princes William and Harry is so deep that it is “unthinkable” they will reunite for the unveiling of a memorial to their mum Princess Diana, sources say.
The royal brothers are “as far apart as it’s possible to be” after Harry accused the Royal Family of racism and Meghan blasted William’s wife Kate in their bombshell Oprah Winfrey TV interview.
Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest news...
The princes have barely spoken to each other for more than a year but are said to have exchanged texts following the shock accusations.
William, 38, and Harry, 36, both want to see the statue of their mum unveiled at Kensington Palace in July and sources close to William says he would welcome it if his brother made it to the ceremony.
Harry has said that he plans to return but whether they will be at the event together, side by side, rests on peace talks — with William saying publicly this week that he wishes to talk to his sibling.
But sources say a friendly reunion in front of the cameras is impossible in the current climate.
Harry rocked his family with his racism allegation and comments that William and their father, Prince Charles, were “trapped” by their royal responsibilities.
Meghan, 39, who is not expected to travel because her second baby is due in summer, claimed that an unnamed royal had raised “concerns” about the “skin colour” of her and Harry’s children. The alleged comment was made to Harry, who relayed it to his wife.
The duchess also claimed that her sister-in-law, Kate, received preferential treatment and made her cry during a dress fitting before her wedding to Harry.
Of the two brothers, a source told The Sun on Sunday: “William and Harry are as far apart as it’s possible to be — emotionally and physically. Their relationship is at rock bottom. William’s raging with Harry after the Oprah interview.
“He is so angry with him that it’s totally unthinkable at the moment for them to be happily reunited and stood together at the unveiling of the Princess Diana statue. It’ll take a lot of work to patch things up so they can put on united front.”
The brothers have barely spoken since January 2020 when Harry and Meghan “blindsided” the Queen and announced Megxit on their Sussex Royal Instagram page.
William, together with Prince Charles and the Queen, rejected the couple’s plea for a hybrid royal role.
He also stood by the Queen when she turned down Harry’s request to keep his patronages and military titles at a review last month.
It is not thought the brothers had any private one-to-ones during the Megxit talks this year.
But sources close to William confirmed the post-Oprah texts. And on Thursday, when asked by a journalist if he had spoken to Harry, William replied: “No, I haven’t spoken to him yet but I will do.”
Quizzed if he thought the Royal Family were racist, he said: “We’re very much not a racist family.”
On Tuesday, the Queen issued a 66-word statement in response to the Oprah interview to say she was “saddened” by Harry and Meghan’s problems and described the race allegation as “concerning”.
She added that “recollections may vary” and said the claims would be investigated privately as a family.
It is understood that the brothers have not been working together on the statue project.
The unveiling is due to take place at Kensington Palace Sunken Garden on July 1, which would have been their mother’s 60th birthday.
A royal source said: “William will not tell Harry he is not welcome. This is their mother. They commissioned the statue together for their mother so it would be unfair to say that he doesn’t want Harry to be there, because he does.
“It is a leap to think they will only talk about the statue. They will have brotherly conversations. They should be given time to speak.”
The brothers’ former aide Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton has also been drafted in, in the hope of getting William and Harry to talk. The former Army officer was their private secretary for eight years.
He left in 2013 but remains a close confidant and chairs the steering committee for the Princess Diana memorial statue.
Diana’s elder sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Diana’s pal Julia Samuel, godmother to William and Kate’s eldest child Prince George, is also on the committee.
The statue has been designed by British sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley. It was meant to be unveiled in 2017 but the brotherly fall-out delayed it. Harry’s plans to return may be hampered by Covid.
He has handed his former Frogmore Cottage home in Windsor to Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. It is thought he may stay with them on his return.
Harry is said to want to be back for Trooping the Colour on June 12 and Prince Philip’s 100th birthday two days earlier.
The Government is set to impose vaccine passports on all visitors this summer. The US has said that all adults vaccinated by the end of May — and this would include Harry — should be free to travel.
Palace staff were nervous about Meghan’s potential return, as we have previously revealed.
It is expected she will be back for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year but some insiders think she will never return to the UK.
Kensington Palace did not want to comment.
GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk
