Prince William ‘Not Able to Forgive’ Prince Harry, Royal Author Claims

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Prince William has been unable to forgive his brother for “turning his back on his duty,” but sorting out the royal feud is a top priority for King Charles, Vanity Fair royal correspondent Katie Nicholl has told The Daily Beast.

Nicholl, an established royal expert who was talking to The Daily Beast to mark the publication of her new book, The New Royals, added that Charles is likely awaiting both the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir and the debut of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix series, which they are reportedly trying to tone down royal-critical elements of, as he ponders how to restore trust with the couple, and whether to give their children royal titles.

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However the decision by Harry and Meghan to publish photographs of themselves in statesmanlike poses this week, less than 48 hours after the Palace unveiled a new portrait of Charles and William and their spouses, is an indication of the scope of the challenge Charles faces in that task, and shows he cannot expect the Sussexes to be “quietened,” Nicholl says.

“That picture was very interesting,” says Nicholl. “It was very deliberate. It was a reminder that there is an alternative royal court across the pond, and it’s one that is not going to be silenced or quietened. It was clearly published in response to the picture coming out of the Palace of the “new” fab four—Charles, Camilla, William and Kate—and this is a reminder that there are two other members of the family that still want a place in the spotlight.”

Nicholl was speaking before Thursday’s bombshell news that Harry and a group of other notable U.K. figures are suing the publisher of the Daily Mail over accusations of phone-tapping, car burglaries, and bugging their homes—accusations emphatically denied by publisher Associated Newspapers.

Speaking of the breakdown in the relationship between Harry and William, Nicholl said: “I think what’s at the core of it is a lack of willingness to forgive and a lack of understanding on the part of both princes.

“In the course of writing the book, I spoke to a wide circle of their friends as well as courtiers and advisers who worked with them in the past, and in some cases still work with them.

“It is such a complex situation. But when you boil it down, I think it does come down to William not really being able to forgive Harry for turning his back on his duty, and the way he did it. William feels that a lot of what Harry has done has been very disrespectful.”

In the often anonymized world of royal reporting, where it can be hard to get sources to agree to be named, Nicholl is rightly proud that her book relies on several on-the-record interviews, including some enlightening comments from the late Lady Elizabeth Anson, a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth who told Nicholl that Harry had been “beastly” in the run-up to his wedding to Meghan.

Anson told Nicholl: “I remember her being rather upset by how beastly Harry was being… Their relationship was quite badly damaged by it all.”

Another anonymous friend is quoted as saying of the queen, in reference to the departure of the couple from royal life: “She was very hurt and told me, ‘I don’t know, I don’t care, and I don’t want to think about it anymore.’”

Nicholl’s book therefore shows, arguably for the first time, the impact of the crisis over Harry and Meghan on the queen herself. Despite continuing to take Harry’s calls to the end of her life and emphasizing their status as “much-loved” family members, Nicholl says, “This idea of this rift between the brothers on a personal level for her was incredibly upsetting.”

However, Nicholl also argues convincingly, as has Valentine Low in his new book, Courtiers, The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, that the Palace was far too slow to take decisive action to try and address Harry’s concerns about his role, despite the fact that he regularly told them and other people about his unhappiness.

“It was naive on the part of William and the Palace to assume that Harry would always want to have the support role of being William’s wingman,” says Nicholl. “I knew from the conversations that I’d had with Harry over the years [in her role as royal correspondent] that there was a lot of royal life that frustrated him.”

While there is no doubt that Charles would like to see an end to the discord that has now riven the family and dominated headlines for over two years, Nicholl thinks there can be no real progress until Harry and Meghan’s Netflix show is screened and Harry’s memoir is published.

“The reason why you didn’t see any real, meaningful reconciliation over the funeral is because William knows that, even if it’s delayed, there will be a book, there will be a Netflix series, and they will inevitably cause controversy and inevitably be damaging for the royal family. Harry has not just turned his back on the monarchy; he has thrown a stick of dynamite into the whole thing. William still can’t quite believe it has happened.”

Charles, Nicholl says, is equally dismayed, and also nervous of what Harry might reveal.

“We’ve seen from what he said in the past that he’s not been afraid of publicly criticizing his father, such as making it public that he had stopped taking his calls.

“Solving this problem is high up on Charles’ agenda. I am told by sources that he is determined to do everything he can to make the peace. But he’s going to expect loyalty in return.”

What does Nicholl make of the fact that Charles has not, as yet, rushed to declare Archie and Lilibet a prince and princess? Does she think, as some have suggested, that he is keeping his powder dry, waiting to see if they trash him and the family in their forthcoming projects before making a decision?

“That may very well be the case. The truth is we don’t know if Charles has yet decided on the issue of titles. It could be that as part of his vision for a slimmed-down monarchy, the children don’t get the titles. Giving them the titles would be a very generous olive branch because although the Sussexes originally said they didn’t want titles for their children and wanted them raised ordinarily, now it’s very evident that the titles do matter to them. Harry believes that’s what’s owed to them.

“But I don’t think Charles is going to give the children those titles unless he trusts Harry and Meghan to be respectful to him. Let’s not forget that when they left, they said that they would adhere to the values of the institution. That hasn’t always been the case. I think if the titles are given that message will be very explicitly reinforced.”