King Charles' order to 'feuding' William and Harry led to olive branch

30 July 2023 , 16:17

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King Charles' order to 'feuding' William and Harry led to olive branch

Prince William attempted to bury the hatchet with Prince Harry following a phone call from King Charles.

The King's order led to William extending an "11th-hour olive branch" to his younger brother, a key moment in the attempts to repair their frayed relationship. The siblings had a 40-minute walk together in Windsor as a result, described since as "a significant moment in the history of the relationship".

Omid Scobie, a journalist and close friend of Harry and Meghan Markle, had said: "It is, without a doubt, a significant moment in the history of the relationship between the two brothers." Omid said this was, though, made at the 11th hour.

King Charles embraces Prince Harry as Prince William smiles (Getty Images)

But it was particularly poignant because it coincided with Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September last year. During their walk, Harry and William inspected the sea of floral tributes laid outside the gates of Windsor Castle in honour of the much-loved monarch.

Speaking at the time, a senior Palace source said: "The Prince of Wales invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to join him and the Princess of Wales earlier. The Prince of Wales thought it was an important show of unity for the Queen at an incredibly difficult time for the family."

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The Sussexes and Prince and Princess of Wales had been at odds for some time following a series of interviews by Harry and Meghan, including the Oprah Winfrey tell-all chat aired in March 2021. During this, Meghan said she had suicidal thoughts during her time in the royal family, adding she "thought it would have solved everything for everyone".

William, Harry and their wives were pictured on a walk around Windsor Castle after King Charles' conversation (Getty Images)

And this rift grew but, when it became clear the Queen's health was faltering, Harry and William raced to Balmoral and, in the weeks afterwards, took steps to try to repair their relationship. The walkabout ahead of the funeral, though, was thought to be the first time the two couples had all been in public together since Commonwealth Day on March 9, 2020. It was the first time William and Harry had been seen together in public since they joined for the opening of the memorial in honour of their mother, Princess Diana.

The walk was the first time the the two couples had all been in public together since Commonwealth Day on March 9, 2020 (Getty Images)

They were seen pointing at different tributes and discussing them as members of the crowd waved at them. At one moment, a small Paddington Bear toy was given to William, which he passed on to an aide.

One royal fan in Windsor said at the time: "It's lovely to see them both together. Maybe they can get back to a proper relationship. Hopefully the healing between Harry and his brother can start now."

Bradley Jolly