It does not appear that the relationship between Prince Harry and his older brother, Prince WilliamIt’s getting better.
ET spoke with royal expert Katie Nicholl on Thursday, and she opened up about the status of the connection between Harry, 39, and William, 41.
“Relations between the Sussexes and Wales remain at an all-time low,” Nicholl said. “I was told that William and Harry don’t even speak to each other.”
This appears to be supported by the invitation situation relating to the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster, a 33-year-old multimillionaire, who is tying the knot with longtime love Olivia Henson on Friday.
“Tomorrow there is a big society wedding in the UK and both brothers have been invited,” shared Nicholl. “Harry declined the invitation very diplomatically because he knew it would be very awkward for him to be in such a large venue as Chester Cathedral with his brother.”
As Nicholl explained, Grosvenor is “close friends with William and Harry. In fact, he’s godfather to (his children), Prince Archie and Prince George. So I think he was in a very difficult position when it came to invitations , and of course, seating plans and everything.”
Furthermore, William will be the usher at his close friend’s wedding, which would only add to the awkwardness of the situation.
“Prince William will be the usher and that part of that role will be showing the other guests to their seats, so you can only imagine how awkward it would be if Harry and Megan showed up, and it was William showing them to their seats. seats,” reflected Nicholl. “But he won’t have to get involved in any awkward encounters. He will know many of the people there… William will feel very at home and, I’m sure, will consider it a great honor to be asked to be a doorman. It’s a privilege.
Nicholl said it was also likely that Harry’s intention was not to overshadow Grosvenor’s big day with his presence.
“I think the problem with Harry appearing is that it will always generate headlines and therefore run the risk of overshadowing whatever he is taking part in,” said Nicholl. “I suspect if you’re the groom and you have a big society wedding, that’s probably not what you want.”
In addition to Harry’s fight with William, Nicholl said that “his relationship with his sister-in-law (Kate Middleton) also remains strained.”
“I don’t believe there was much, if any, contact,” Nicholl said, addressing speculation about whether Harry and his wife Meghan Markle I personally reached out to Kate after her cancer diagnosis.
In March, Kate publicly revealed her cancer diagnosis and shared that she would step back from royal duties and public life while she sought treatment.
Kate’s health battle has been on many people’s minds in recent months and on Wednesday William joined his father King Charles IIIand Queen Camilla at an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Portsmouth, England, where Kate was noticeably absent from the occasion.
In a video posted to X (formally Twitter), William gave an update on his wife’s health while talking to a wheelchair-bound veteran who asked if his wife “is getting better.”
The Prince of Wales sweetly replied: “Yes, she would love to be here today.”
William’s departure on Wednesday comes ahead of the royal family’s planned appearance at the annual military event Trooping the Color in June. ET learned this the Princess of Wales, who was appointed Colonel of the Irish Guards in 2022, will not be at the events and will not perform the Colonel’s Review.
In truth, A source told ET last month that Kate is not expected to return to public life until she is cleared by doctors. There is no timeline for when this might happen.
RELATED CONTENT: