Prince William is said to have banned his brother Prince Harry from ever returning to the royal fold.
The explosive claim came from British royals expert Hilary Fordwich, who said the heir to the British throne is taking a no-nonsense approach to addressing his ongoing sibling feud.
“It is widely known within the family that Prince William has laid down an absolute ban on Harry returning in any way, shape or form into his former royal family fold,” Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital.
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British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that Prince William “has laid down an absolute ban on Harry returning in any way, shape or form into his former royal family fold.” (Daniel Leavl-Olivas-Pool Getty Images)
“If anyone will relent, it would be King Charles III, whom, of course, Prince William won’t challenge, who still misses his ‘darling boy’ and would like to see more of Prince Harry,” Fordwich claimed. “However, to this day, after the release of ‘Spare’ and the Netflix serial, as well as with everything else Harry has said, done, and not done, it’s Prince William who adamantly refuses to even speak to his brother.”
A spokesperson for Kensington Palace, which handles the Prince of Wales’s office, didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fordwich’s statement came days after King Charles’ former royal butler Grant Harrold told the New York Post that there’s one thing the Duke of Sussex could do to be welcomed back into the family.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, at Windsor Castle following Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
“The only way I see this happening is a public statement from Harry, where you come out and say that you were in a bad space and that [his memoir ‘Spare’] was a mistake,” said Harrold.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he noted. “Some bad things were said, and some families never patch things up, and that’s how it is… Harry has got a big heart, and a part of him probably wishes things would be different.”
While the king, 75, may be willing to spark peace talks with his younger son, Fordwich claimed that William won’t be so easily convinced.
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Prince William travels to Buckingham Palace following the ceremonial welcome for the emperor and empress of Japan on June 25, 2024, in London. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“Prince William is the most unlikely royal to ever forgive Harry for all his despicable indiscretions,” Fordwich claimed. “He is now very much seen and accepted as the family enforcer, taking on the hard-line ruler role of his grandfather, Prince Philip.”
Fordwich added that Harry is “most unlikely to ever release any public apology” given his tell-alls following his royal exit.
“All that has earned him the British nomenclature of ‘Ginger Whinger’ (whiner),” Fordwich claimed.
The Duke of Sussex at the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London. (Andrew Matthews/Pool via Reuters)
Harry, who has a strained relationship with his family, rushed to London in February for a very brief visit after the king was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer.
Harry, 39, has seen his father infrequently since the prince quit royal duties in 2020 and moved to California with his wife, Meghan Markle, citing what they said were unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. He has since detailed his rocky relationship with his family in TV interviews, a documentary and his memoir, “Spare.”
Shortly after his last quick trip to London, Harry told “Good Morning America” that he thought his father’s illness could help bring his family closer.
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“Spare” was published in January 2023. (Vincenzo Izzo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
In “Spare,” Harry details his rivalry with William, 42.
In the book, Harry alleged that during an argument in 2019, William called Meghan “difficult” and “rude” and then grabbed him by the collar and knocked him down. Harry suffered cuts and bruises from landing on a dog bowl. Harry claimed Charles implored the brothers to make up. Following the funeral of Charles’ father, Prince Philip, in 2021, the king pleaded, “Please, boys, don’t make my final years a misery.”
Royal experts claimed to Fox News Digital that King Charles is more willing to make peace with Prince Harry. (Jane Barlow – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“Prince William is not as forgiving as King Charles and takes a much more hard-line approach to Prince Harry,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
Prince Harry and Prince William attend the unveiling of a statue of their mother, Princess Diana, at the Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace, London, on July 1, 2021, which would have been her 60th birthday. (Dominic Lipinski/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
“He views his brother’s behavior as unforgivable,” she claimed. “Prince William is adamant that he will protect his family and the monarchy from further upset. Prince Harry has crossed the trust line. For the purpose of damage limitation and to prevent betrayal and trauma, he has cut communication with Prince Harry.”
“Prince Harry also caused unforgivable amounts of upset to the much loved and respected late Queen Elizabeth II,” Chard continued. “This factor alone is enough for Prince William to freeze Prince Harry out. If Prince Harry hopes to have a relationship/working relationship with the royal family, then he needs to get his skates on as time is creeping on. He will find himself more and more irrelevant to the future of the royal family.
Queen Elizabeth II and Meghan Markle enjoyed their first engagement together in 2018. Meghan, a former American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the queen’s grandson that year. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
“There are murmurs that Prince Harry hopes to build bridges with his family, but seeing is believing. It is up to him to show initiative and work toward healing the feud, not only behind closed doors but by offering a more public apology highlighting his errors. The statement should also highlight that he will not do or say anything of further detriment which will negatively impact the royal family.”
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Several royal experts claimed to Fox News Digital that Prince William hasn’t been in a forgiving mood. (Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Chard claimed that despite tensions between the battling brothers, the king “has left the door open” for his younger son.
“He is willing to forgive,” claimed Chard. “He will not give up on his son.”
Doug Eldridge, an agent, celeb branding and marketing expert and the founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital that Harry should issue a public apology to his family – whether William accepts it or not.
“Harry’s family is his brand,” Eldridge explained. “Unfortunately for him, that was his only talent and claim to fame… To his credit, he worked diligently to build on his family name and his late mother’s legacy, but… Harry’s brand will never rebound if he doesn’t return to his family because that was his brand. The last name. Full stop.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at a charity polo game at the Ikoyi Polo Club in Lagos, Nigeria, on May 12, 2024. (Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images)
“Sadly, in a somewhat paradoxical sense, Meghan Markle’s brand will crater if she backtracks from the allegations and insinuations she made while flicking a match to the royal family,” he said about the Duchess of Sussex.
“The nature of the allegations was too severe… His brand will never recover if he doesn’t issue an apology; her brand will be dead on arrival if he does. In the end, truth always wins out. When these types of public allegations are made, the truth eventually comes to the fore. If Meghan and Harry were embellishing – much less fabricating – their sympathy-driven tale, neither of them would have an outward-facing future with the public writ large. For all our differences, neither Americans nor Brits have much patience with dishonesty.”
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside in California with their two young children. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner claimed to Fox News Digital that as long as there’s gossip of a “Spare” follow-up, the royals may be wary of accepting any peace offerings from Harry.
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner claimed to Fox News Digital that “the threat of a second ‘Spare’ book is still causing concern.” (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“The threat of a second ‘Spare’ book is still causing concern,” Pelham Turner claimed. “It weighs very heavily on the thoughts of King Charles and Prince William over what further damaging revelations may come out and if it highlights the animosity between Harry and William especially.”
“I feel other senior members like Princess Anne and even Prince Andrew may also be extremely concerned about the return of Harry as they fear potential family secrets may be released at any meetings,” he claimed. “I feel the way back for Harry and Meghan is to sign a legal peace treaty with the royal family where the couple would agree not to share any more royal secrets. In return, the family will show great public respect to the couple, which has been extremely lacking before.”
Princess Anne is currently recovering from a concussion. (AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
For Chard, there is still hope that Harry could win over his family – including his no-nonsense brother.
Prince Harry’s relationship with Prince William has been strained since he made his royal exit in 2020. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)
“Prince Harry may be welcomed back into the royal fold in the future if he is genuinely sorry for the hurt his actions have caused, and he works on rebuilding the trust he has lost,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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