Prince William Accidentally Confirms Harry Is On His Heart Amid Estrangement

William, Prince of Wales, candidly, and somewhat shockingly, referred to his brother, Prince Harry, in a new documentary that is set to air on ITV later this week. In a clip from "Prince William: We Can End Homelessness" that was shared on October 26, 2024, William sweetly reminisced about a seminal outing the boys took with their dearly departed mother, Princess Diana, to a charity for homeless people. "My mother took me to The Passage; she took Harry and I both there. I must have been 11 at the time, maybe 10. I had never been to anything like that before, and I was a bit anxious about what to expect," he recalled (via YouTube). 

Although the prince didn't share anything further about the status of their relationship or the warring brothers' ongoing estrangement, William's comments mark the first time that he's really mentioned Harry in years — at least publicly. William and Harry haven't spoken since Prince Philip's funeral back in 2021. They've been at odds for a while, with Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step down as senior members of the royal family reportedly being a major breaking point. The once close siblings have seen each another in the time since, but they haven't exchanged more than pleasantries at best — and that's giving them the benefit of the doubt.

While it does seem as though Prince William's fond memories of the past could lead him back to his brother eventually, there's no movement on either side just yet. In August 2024, the estranged siblings both attended the funeral for their mother's brother-in-law, Lord Robert Fellowes, at St Mary's Church in Snettisham, Norfolk. However, William and Harry did not cross paths on the day, presumably by choice. About a month later, the Duke of Sussex was back in the UK for the WellChild Awards ceremony in London. People confirmed at the time that he wasn't planning to meet with either William or their father, King Charles III, during the visit. 

Likewise, there was no family reunion during a May anniversary service, also held in London, for Harry's Invictus Games though the royal defector reportedly did invite his older brother and father to the event. Nevertheless, royal watchers are hoping that William may be softening a bit especially given that the Prince and Princess of Wales publicly wished Harry a happy 40th birthday in September. "Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to the Duke of Sussex," the post on the official royal family account on X, formerly known as Twitter, read. Some may argue it was simply protocol, but others are hopeful this signified the extension of an olive branch.