World

William and Harry Can’t Even Be in the Same Room Virtually

BROTHERS DIVIDED

Could the Diana Awards be the perfect venue for the brothers to put bad feeling behind them? Fat chance.

William and Harry attend the unveiling of a statue they commissioned of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales, in 2021.
Yui Mok/Pool via Reuters

Warring royal brothers Prince Harry and Prince William are to make consecutive appearances at a memorial event for Princess Diana in London on Thursday.

However, in a graphic illustration of William’s anger at his brother, Harry will join the event remotely only after William has physically left.

Their appearances at the Diana Legacy Award are being carefully choreographed to ensure they will not be in the room at the same time, even virtually, with William giving an in-person speech and Harry joining a video call subsequently with the award winners, according to a report in the London Times.

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Harry has frequently suggested he is willing to meet up with William. In 2023, he said in a TV interview that he wanted to have his father and brother “back” and that he wants “a family, not an institution.”

In a recent interview he was asked if his father’s battle with cancer could help reunify his family. Harry, speaking at an Invictus Games event near Vancouver, said, “Yeah, I’m sure,” adding he had witnessed similar effects on “a day to day basis” among Invictus competitors.

His team also let it be known he wanted to see his brother when he visited the U.K. to see his father recently.

However, Prince William’s friends have said he regards such overtures from Harry as disingenuous given the fact Harry precipitated the public split by brutally trashing his brother and his wife in TV interviews and his memoir, Spare.

Dr Tessy Ojo, chief executive of the Diana Award, told the Times: “It’s a privilege to have the support of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex—particularly as we mark our 25th anniversary year.”

A spokesperson for the award told the Daily Telegraph that Harry will be a “key part” of the celebration.

“He is scheduled to speak with the award recipients, virtually, on the evening of the awards to celebrate their accomplishments,” they were quoted as saying.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “The Prince will meet key staff and supporters of the Diana Award, before joining the ceremony where he will hear about the recipients’ work, make a short speech and present Legacy Awards to this year’s winners.”

The legacy award was introduced by The Diana Award in 2017 to celebrate the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, on the 20th anniversary of her death