In a move that underscores just how deep the royal divide has become, Prince William is reportedly forging ahead with his future as King—without his brother, Prince Harry, anywhere in the picture.
According to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, the Prince of Wales has completely excluded Harry from his long-term vision for the monarchy. Once seen as the ultimate royal tag-team, William and Harry now appear to be on separate paths with no sign of reconnection in sight.
“I don’t think Harry figures in William’s plans at all,” Bond told the Mirror. “It is a very sad situation because Harry was his wingman and would have been the brother he could rely on when he takes on the very heavy responsibility of being King.”
For years, the royal brothers were believed to be inseparable. From military events to global charity missions, William and Harry appeared to be building a modern monarchy together—one rooted in unity, duty, and brotherhood. But all of that changed when Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior working royals and launched a series of media projects that included deeply personal criticisms of the royal family.
According to Bond, Harry’s absence from William’s inner circle is no longer a temporary rift—it’s permanent.
“Harry would have had an extremely senior role and been the sibling, friend, supporter and sounding board that the Princess Royal is now to her brother King Charles,” she added, referencing the vital behind-the-scenes role Princess Anne plays in supporting the reigning monarch.
“It is a great loss for William, but one which I think he has now accepted.” This revelation comes as William, now first in line to the throne, begins quietly preparing for his eventual kingship.
With King Charles undergoing cancer treatment and slowly reducing his public workload, William has already stepped into more prominent leadership duties—accompanied by his wife, Kate Middleton, who is also recovering from her own health battle.
But it’s the glaring absence of Harry that many observers can’t ignore. Sources say William once envisioned a future where his brother played a crucial role in a modernized monarchy—balancing the weight of the crown with support from someone who knew him best.
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But following years of fallout, including the infamous Oprah interview, the Netflix docuseries, and Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare, that future has been rewritten.
Insiders claim William has now replaced hope with realism. With trust between the brothers seemingly broken beyond repair, William is building a support team that doesn’t include Harry. Instead, he is leaning more heavily on other senior royals, including Princess Anne and his cousin, Zara Tindall, for counsel and collaboration.
The heartbreak of this fractured bond is undeniable. William and Harry not only grew up in the spotlight together after the death of their mother, Princess Diana, but also publicly pledged to carry on her legacy. For years, their unity was seen as the heart of a new royal era.
But now, William’s royal blueprint appears to be locked—and Harry is out of the frame. Whether Harry would have wanted to return to a senior royal role remains unclear.
The Duke of Sussex has made it clear that he values his family’s safety and privacy above all else, building a new life in California with Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet. Despite rumors of him reaching out for peace, including invitations to the Invictus Games in 2027, Buckingham Palace has yet to show signs of reconciliation.
For William, the path forward is one of duty, discipline, and distancing from what’s become one of the monarchy’s most painful chapters. The future king may have lost a wingman but he’s not looking back.
