The Sussexes’ upcoming UK visit is a source of ‘deep irritation’ for Prince William

I saw many commenters predicting with certainty that Prince Harry would bring his family to Althorp for a two-day stay next month, to spend time with the Spencer side of the family. I didn’t realize that so many of you were getting that from the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden! Eden reported last Friday that Althorp will be closed to visitors for two days in July, a “highly unusual” move given that Althorp is only open to the public in July and August anyway. While Harry took Meghan to Diana’s grave in 2022, Archie and Lili have never been to Althorp, to my knowledge at least. So, it’s clear that Harry has made some arrangements with his uncle Charles (the Earl Spencer) and maybe those arrangements were what changed King Charles’ mind about welcoming his ginger grandkids. Speaking of, Vanity Fair’s Katie Nicholl has a big exclusive about Prince William’s screaming hissy fit over the Sussexes, but Nicholl also confirms that Harry will be spending time with the Spencers too.

Prince William will not see Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when they return to the United Kingdom next month. While King Charles is said to be clearing his schedule to see grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, whom he has not seen in four years, relations between his sons remain at an all-time low.

According to recent reports, Charles has offered to provide the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with royal accommodations and to fund the family’s security arrangements while they are in the UK. Now sources close to William say the fact that the king is “bending over backwards” to facilitate Harry’s trip to the UK has caused friction between Charles and his eldest son.

While palace aides deny any fallout between Charles and William, it is understood that William has made his feelings about any reconciliation clear to his father. “William is known to hold a grudge, and more than that, he cannot forgive his brother for what Harry has put his family through,” one source tells Vanity Fair. According to a well-placed source, William believes his brother crossed a line in both his 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and his autobiography, Spare, in which he shared, among other things, intimate details about his and Meghan’s relationship with Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.

Though Harry will be in the UK to promote the Invictus Games, which will take place in Birmingham in July 2027, sources close to him and Meghan have confirmed that she and their two children will be traveling along with him. Harry will use the opportunity to introduce Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, to both sides of his family.

“Harry wants to bring the kids to see his family—not just the Windsors, but the Spencers too,” says an insider. “He wants to spend time with the wider family. This has been on the cards for some time. Next year would have been the obvious time, when the Invictus Games take place in Birmingham, but for whatever reason, it is happening this summer. Harry is, and has for some time been, very keen to have the kids come over to the UK. There’s been a feeling of such sadness that he’s not been able to bring them to the UK.”

While Harry has told friends that he cannot wait to bring his family back to the UK, there will be no olive branch meeting with William and Kate. “William won’t be seeing his brother. I suspect he will make sure he’s miles away when Harry visits to avoid any awkward encounters,” a source says. “Harry has tried to make contact repeatedly, but William won’t take his calls. He is not minded to a reconciliation at all, and the fact that his father is bending over backwards to make Harry’s visit happen has become the source of deep irritation for William.”

Sources close to William say he feels his father is making a mistake by welcoming Harry back into the fold. “William is known to hold a grudge, whereas Charles just wants peace,” a family friend says. “They come to the Harry situation from different perspectives. Charles is of the view that one must forgive and move on. William won’t do that. Not yet and maybe never.”

[From Vanity Fair]

“Harry has tried to make contact repeatedly, but William won’t take his calls.” I wonder if that’s true. It probably is – Spare revealed how often Harry gave his horrible brother the benefit of the doubt, despite William’s obvious betrayals and dangerous behavior. I also think William will run far away when the Sussexes are in town. He and Kate tried to pull focus from Harry last September and it was absolutely hilarious to see how little attention they received. They won’t want those side-by-side visuals again. And how many times will these sources use words like “grudge” and “irritation” and “friction?” William can’t get out of his own way, and I’m constantly reminded of his unsettling immaturity when it comes to difficult or sensitive matters. William really thinks he can just rage-brief and stomp his feet and then hide away, and somehow that makes him look regal?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.