'Tension Is Brewing' Ahead Of Prince William & Prince Harry's Upcoming Reunion, 'Everyone Is Bracing For A Showdown': Source
While they may no longer be battling, Prince Harry and Prince William are certainty still at odds — with many wondering how their July reunion at the unveiling of Princess Diana's statue will go.
It's hard to say how Harry will be treated upon his second trip back over the pond, since he and Meghan Markle have dragged the royal family through the mud on numerous occasions since their royal exit, dubbed Megxit, last year.
OK! reported that Harry returned to the U.K for the first time since stepping back from his senior royal duties in April to attend Prince Philip's funeral. It also marked the first time Harry saw his family face-to-face since he and Meghan made shocking claims about their lives behind palace doors.
“The royal family, especially Prince William, is sick of all the drama being played out so publicly,” a source told In Touch, adding that "tension is brewing" ahead of the brothers' reunion on July 1.
And while Harry, 36, and William, 38, apparently agreed to act cordial in public, sources suspect things will be anything but friendly behind palace walls. “They’ve agreed to put their issues [aside] in public, but behind closed doors, everyone is bracing for a showdown,” the insider explained. “[Harry and William’s] relationship has been strained for months. They’re due for a long talk to hash out their issues."
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Since Harry and Meghan's split from their royal lives, Harry claimed his older brother and dad Prince Charles are "trapped" in royal life and challenged the way their father raised them.
And when William and Charles finally spoke to Harry after his and Meghan's shocking March interview with Oprah Winfrey, their private chats were exploited on national TV — widening the rift between the red-headed prince and the working royals.
"The problem they've had so far is that any conversation with Prince Charles or Prince William seems to be aired on U.S. TV first and the whole thing is public," the Evening Standard's royal editor Robert Jobson said of the cracks in the family. "Until there is an element of trust between all of these characters, I can't see how they can go forward."
Regardless of their strained relationship, Harry and William are apparently determined to be there for the July 1 unveiling of their late mother's statue — which will be located in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace in London. Royal insiders are now wondering if the occasion honoring their mother could help mend some of the damage done between the brothers.
"They will both move heaven and earth to be there. They commissioned the statue together. It is very important for them," a source said of the upcoming event. "There is, of course, hope the memory of Diana can repair their relationship but that seems a long way off right now."
