Prince William's non-negotiable condition as he and Harry prepare for private talks
Prince William's non-negotiable condition as he and Harry prepare for private talks
Hannah Furnell Thu, October 15, 2026 at 12:44 PM UTC
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Prince William has a non-negotiable condition as he and Prince Harry prepare for private talks.
In late August, the Duke, 42, and Duchess of Sussex, 45, moved back to the U.K. with their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five. On September 7, as they settled in the Cotswolds, King Charles issued a letter confirming the couple would remain non-working royals. Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales have remained silent.
Since Harry and Meghan's return to the U.K., many royal experts have speculated whether the estranged brothers could reunite. Now, sources have suggested William and Harry are preparing to have private talks. However, William reportedly has one non-negotiable condition: Meghan has to stop talking about his wife and their children.
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Sources have told Naughty But Nice that the brothers have realized that their continued estrangement has now become embarrassing.
"This cannot continue," a royal insider told the outlet. "Two grown men avoiding each other is making them both look petty and foolish. Their feud has become a national joke."
William has a non-negotiable condition for meeting with Harry: Meghan has to stop talking about his wife and their children (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The plan for the reported meeting is still being discussed. It could be a private telephone or video conversation, without their wives or children.
"William is willing to speak to Harry, but he wants Catherine and his children kept out of Meghan's mouth," the insider explained. "No public comments, no private briefings, no dragging his wife or children into their grievances. They're off-limits."
The brothers' relationship began to deteriorate around 2017, when William allegedly expressed doubts and advised Harry not to rush into marriage with Meghan, which Harry viewed as unsupportive.
Their estrangement officially kicked off when Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior working royals and left the U.K. in 2020. Things haven't gotten better as Harry and Meghan have continued to voice their grievances about the Royal Family in several interviews and documentaries.
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry detailed a 2019 physical altercation at Nottingham Cottage where William allegedly pushed him to the floor during a heated argument.
Now, a recent British Saturday Night Live sketch has mocked the brothers' drama and highlighted how ridiculous it has become. "They're being laughed at," Naughty But Nice's source added. "This is the future King and his brother, not two schoolboys refusing to sit together at lunch. Somebody has to grow up."
However, the source added that William's willingness to talk to Harry doesn't mean they've fully emerged from their estrangement.
The insider claimed that Harry "wants his brother back," but William wants Kate and his children "left alone." They can "rebuild" their relationship, but William will not permit his family to "become collateral damage again."
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Sources say William and Harry have realized that their estrangement has become embarrassing (Image: Getty Images)
Meanwhile, a source has told PEOPLE that Harry and Meghan are not planning to apologize to William and Kate after a new report.
The Express reported on October 6 that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex hoped to apologize to the Prince and Princess of Wales for remarks made in their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The report claimed the couple wanted to specifically apologize for Meghan's revelation that there had been "concerns and conversations" within the Royal Family about how dark Prince Archie's skin might be before he was born.
However, a source close to Harry and Meghan told PEOPLE that the claim is "nonsense."
William and Kate hav reportedly stopped caring what Harry and Meghan do (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Behind palace doors, William and Kate's attitude toward Harry and Meghan has reportedly changed, but publicly, they're maintaining an "old-school royal" approach to drama.
Last week, sources told Shuter's Naughty But Nice that William and Kate have "stopped caring" about the drama surrounding Harry and Meghan. However, other royal sources are now claiming that the couple is taking a "very old-school royal approach."
Erin Hill, royal writer at PEOPLE, has been told by palace insiders that William and Kate are focusing on the future, which could indicate their leadership style as the future King and Queen.
They have reportedly decided to take a "very old-school royal approach" to Harry and Meghan's return to the U.K., "Keep calm, carry on, do the job."
"So right now, Harry and Meghan, they're not a priority for them, and they're very much looking to the future," Hill said. Sources close to William previously told The Sunday Times that he has decided to focus on major priorities, not Harry.
A friend of William's allegedly told the outlet, "What has struck me the most recently is that he just doesn't mention it at all. It used to be that the family stuff was taking up a lot of space in his head; it was a very close relationship, and he was very upset."
They continued, "But he's not letting it get to him at all anymore. It is a change. It's sad, but it's a much healthier space for him to be at."
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, William, Kate, and Harry's former private secretary, said this was a sign of William's leadership ability, also telling the outlet, "I think it has demonstrated William's character and his courage - he's had to take the whole thing in his stride and shown that he won't be pushed around."
William and Kate's approach more than likely takes a page out of the late Queen Elizabeth's book, as the monarch rarely let drama affect her duty.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
