William 'mourns' collapse of relationship with Harry as brothers reach 'rock bottom'

18 June 2022, 01:40 | Updated: 18 June 2022, 08:18

Prince William is "mourning" the breakdown of his relationship with his brother as the pair show little sign of reconciliation.

Relations between the siblings remain at "rock bottom" and are unlikely to be repaired in the near future, friends of the royals are understood to have said.

"[William] alternates between grieving for what he has lost and feeling really, really angry about what his brother has done," a source told MailOnline.

"He truly loves Harry and feels he has lost the only person, aside from his wife, who understood this strange life of theirs.

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"But he believes there are things you just don't do.

"And Harry has 100 per cent crossed that line."

The revelation comes ahead of the future king's milestone 40th birthday on Tuesday, with the Cambridge family also set to be chasing a simpler life in a move to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor in coming months.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at service to celebrate Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Another confidant of the prince said: "The rift with his brother has been really hard on William.

"It's as if he is mourning the relationship he has lost.

"People don't realise he sort of fathered Harry to a degree.

"He wasn't just his brother, he was also a parent, always trying to pull Harry back from the brink.

"But make no mistake, he's angry. He believes Harry has disrespected the Queen and their family."

In spite of the clear divide, a third source said William remained "very protective" of Harry and had a low tolerance of people "being disrespectful about him".

He has also grown closer to his father, Prince Charles, as a result of their fractured bond, with him believed to "get" him more as he grows older.

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Platinum Jubilee has contributed £1.2bn to the economy

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William and Harry failed to even glance in each other's direction, let alone speak, at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier in the month.

The festivities marked the first time Harry's whole family were brought to the UK since he and Meghan left for the US and withdrew from royal duties.

The couple attended the Queen's thanksgiving service at St Paul's, in what became their only public outing with the royals to mark the occasion, but remained distant.

They sat on opposite sides of the aisle to William and Kate and made a hasty exit afterwards - opting to skip a lunch for royals and politicians in favour of returning to Frogmore Cottage.

They also made a quick escape back to the US during the final day of festivities, returning home with three-year-old Archie and one-year-old Lilibet while the Cambridges watched the pageant with other working royals.