The royal rift between Prince Harry and his brother Prince William shows no signs of easing, as a royal source reveals the Montecito couple's Australian tour is the latest source of tension.
Prince William is maintaining "firm boundaries" with his estranged brother, Prince Harry, following the Montecito-based royals' head-scratching tour of Australia.
The brothers' rift dates back to 2016, when William raised concerns about the rapid pace of Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle.
Years on, the pair are yet to heal old wounds, and appear to have opened new ones.
According to an insider, there has been no communication between the brothers, with the distance between them unchanged.
The royal source told Us Weekly Prince William is said to be “not pushing for a reunion” any time soon.
“There hasn’t been any communication,” the insider said.
“They will eventually figure it out, but there is still distance there."
The royal source claimed tensions worsened following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Australian tour, with the couple's exploitation of their royal status becoming "intolerable".
The couple travelled across the globe in exchange for paid appearances and media opportunities despite no longer being working members of the royal family.
The trip raised eyebrows over its commercial nature, with many people questioning its purpose.
“There is a quasi-royal vibe with these trips, and it’s confusing,” the insider noted.
“Exploiting their royal status to earn money is making them intolerable for the palace.
“It seems they are trading on old connections in a way that shouldn’t be acceptable because they are no longer working members of the royal family,” the source added.
The insider also claimed the couple's heavy and relentless media presence remained a sore point for Prince William, with each public display adding further strain.
“It’s taking steps forward then steps back,” the source continued.
“Their media omnipresence is something that has created continued strain. It’s been a barrier to repairing the relationship.
"Just when the flames of controversy die down, they have an uncanny ability to start another one.”
To make matters worse, royal biographer Tom Bower has predicted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's titles could be revised or even stripped when Prince William becomes King.
“When William is king, I think he will strip them of their titles, because it’s hugely damaging to the royal family,” Bower said.
The once-close siblings were last seen together publicly at a family funeral in August 2024, where they reportedly kept their distance and didn't speak.
One bystander told The Sun: “William and Harry were both there, but we never saw them speak to each other and they were keeping their distance.”
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