What's Really Causing The Royal Rift Between Prince William And Prince Harry?

When Prince Harry married Meghan Markle, the media painted a rosy picture of what the couple's future with Prince William and Kate Middleton would look like; they were even nicknamed the Fab Four (via Daily Mirror). But just over a year later, People paints a different picture of the couple, who were last seen in public at the same time during Remembrance Day celebrations. The site quotes an unnamed source who says, "Everyone was doing their duties, doing what they needed to do on behalf of the family — and that was that. But there is a divide between the four of them. It's hard for people to digest because everyone wants them to be such a unit."

People points to several sources who say the two couples are even more distant than they appear to the public. The relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry, who always seemed to be super tight, reportedly took a hit two years ago, when William told Harry things may be moving too quickly between Harry and Meghan Markle. The fallout from that disagreement continues to affect the way the royal family goes about their business, from seating charts to vacation plans — Harry and Meghan are even skipping Christmas at Balmoral this year.

Insiders tell People that the tensions between his brother are making Harry feel more isolated. It didn't help that during their trip to Africa, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex filmed Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, where Harry admitted that he and Prince William were "on different paths at the moment" and Meghan revealed that "not many people have asked if she's 'okay.'" Tom Bradby, who filmed the documentary and who is a friend of Harry's, described the couple as "bruised and vulnerable." Even since that time, an insider tells People, "There hasn't been this complete 180. Nothing has changed. They don't speak, no one is checking in, no one is texting."

But People also says this may not be surprising, because as royal biographer Penny Junor puts it, "It is a strange family and not one that has supported one another very well. They don't praise one another and never call each other up just to say, 'That was a great speech.'"

Some observers believe a split between the brothers was inevitable. Robert Lacey, a Royal historian, tells People, "After the death of their mother, Princess Diana, in 1997, the two brothers were thrown together by the tragedy of their childhood. But it's inevitable, as they grow up and develop different personalities, that synchronicity won't apply anymore." Another insider says, "William is the future King. There is going to be some competitiveness between him and Harry," says the source. "That already puts a rock in the relationship."

But will things stay this way? The insider says, "As is often the case in any family, when one of your siblings gets married, there's always a period of readjustment."  So, we'll just have to wait and see.