The ongoing estrangement between Princes William and Harry has taken a more serious turn, with palace insiders revealing exclusively to In Touch that the heir to the throne feels his brother is too naive to be entrusted with any royal responsibilities.
Sources indicate that William, now 42, has completely closed off Harry’s hopes of returning to royal duties due to a lack of trust in his judgment. An insider shared, “William doesn’t believe Harry has the intelligence to manage even a minor role within the Firm. In other words, he sees his brother as foolish, easily swayed by bad advice.”
Harry’s exit from royal life and his accusations of racism have further damaged his standing with the monarchy and strained his relationship with William.
A palace source mentioned that the Prince of Wales is “astonished” at how easily Harry, aged 40, is influenced by his “manipulative” wife, Meghan Markle.
The source noted that Harry appears unaware of the consequences of his actions, which have caused significant harm to the monarchy and his own reputation. “Many around William think Harry is not capable of handling the demands of royal life,” the insider remarked.
Even actor Ian McKellen, who claims to support Harry, acknowledges that the Duke of Sussex may not possess the intellect required for the challenges of royal duties.
Harry distanced himself from his family by relinquishing his royal responsibilities in 2020 and compounded the issue by accusing his family of racism in a television interview. His grievances were further aired in his memoir, Spare, where he claimed William physically assaulted him during a dispute regarding Meghan.
“William is perplexed as to why Harry would choose to sever ties with his family and squander the opportunities royal life could provide for him and Meghan in advancing the humanitarian causes they profess to champion,” stated the insider. “He believes Harry is too dense to comprehend the extent of the damage he has inflicted.”
Harry and Meghan, now 43, also appear to be mishandling their entertainment prospects. Last year, Spotify terminated the couple’s $20 million deal, with one executive labeling them “f–king grifters.” Furthermore, Harry’s position as chief impact officer at BetterUp faced scrutiny after the company reportedly cut 16 percent of its workforce in 2023.
Reports suggest that the Sussexes’ lucrative $100 million deal with Netflix is precarious as well. The streaming service has already scrapped one project, Meghan’s animated series Pearl.
In a misstep, Netflix overshadowed Kate Middleton’s announcement of completing chemotherapy by promoting Harry’s upcoming documentary about polo, set to premiere in December.
Meanwhile, Harry allegedly expressed a willingness to undertake royal duties part-time, contingent on an apology from William. “William told friends that Harry is daft for even proposing such a notion,” the insider disclosed.
“It’s simply not going to happen. Queen Elizabeth, may she rest in peace, already made it clear to Harry that there would be no half measures; it was either all in or all out.”
