14 March 2024 , 12:45
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Prince William and Prince Harry are no longer in contact, and there is no sign of a reconciliation on the horizon. But there was a time when they called a truce - for an incredibly poignant reason.
Relations between the siblings are at an all-time low following the release of Harry's memoir, Spare.
During his most recent trips back to the UK, Harry has not seen his older brother - and while they will both make an appearance at an event tonight, organisers have ensured there will be no cross-over period between the Princes.
However, Prince William did extend an olive branch to Harry in 2022 - and it came in the wake of the death of their grandmother, the late Queen.
William sent a final-hour text to Prince Harry inviting him and to join him and Kate on the Long Walk in Windsor, to view floral tributes and meet members of the public who had gathered to pay their respects.
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William invited Harry and Meghan to join him and Kate for the walkabout (PA)It was the first time (and only time) that the two couples - who were previously known as the 'Fab Four' - have reunited publicly since the Sussexes stepped back from their roles as senior royals and relocated to the US.
A well-placed source told the Daily Mail at the time: "It happened very quickly – remarkable really considering they didn't see each other in ." The paper further confirmed that it was the Prince of Wales' decision to send his younger brother the olive branch of joining him for the walkabout, and it was "absolutely not the case" this was done on the direction of their father, King Charles, as had been reported.
William felt that a show of unity was key during a period of national mourning out of respect for their grandmother. The walkabout was originally scheduled for 4.30pm but was reportedly pushed back by 45 minutes as William and Harry discussed their plans.
It's the one and only time the foursome have reconciled since the Sussexes left the royal family (PA)The two brothers had both flown up to in Aberdeenshire to bid a final farewell to their grandmother, but tragically both missed her as she passed away at 3:10pm. Prince William then joined King Charles at his nearby Birkhall residence, while Harry remained at Balmoral.
previously claimed he didn't from his family, but a royal author later stated that isn't exactly true.
The Duke when he learned of her worsening health in the hours before her death. When his plane finally landed in Balmoral, he checked the website, which featured reports on the death of .
However, royal author Robert Hardman has said Harry's recollection of events isn't accurate. In his bombshell new book, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, Robert insists the tried to get in touch with Harry.
He wrote: "In his memoir, Spare he suggests that no one had told him and that he was reduced to learning the news from the BBC website as the plane was landing. Not exactly.
"A member of the Palace staff says that the King had been urgently trying to make contact with his younger son. 'There were repeated attempts to get through to him but no calls were going through because Harry was airborne,' says the official."